As the UK's first rocket launch nears, space enthusiasts, climate activists, scientists and local residents are divided over whether the project is a help or hindrance to the climate crisis. Written by Frankie Adkins. Read by Laura Lockwood.

As rents and homelessness rise in New Orleans in the US, we meet Jessica and Terry who have finally been able to find a home. However, they now face new living challenges. A warning - this story contains references to suicide. If you or a loved one is experiencing suicidal thoughts, help is available. Visit www.befrienders.org for more information.  Written by Delaney Nolan. Read by Pete Ferrand.

Rights activists and carers are filling the gap as the war creates huge challenges in accessing disability support. Medical supplies, food and financial aid have become increasingly more difficult. Written by Amandas Ong. Read by Laura Lockwood.

Journalist Lexie Harrison-Cripps highlights the plight of women making the journey to Europe by sea. She shares how a mother with young children managed to survive this incredibly dangerous Mediterranean crossing.  Written and read by Lexie Harrison-Cripps.

In Afghanistan, a new generation continues a family tradition of crafting handmade dentures - a special business the sons are determined to ensure never dies. Written by Lynzy Billing.  Read by Richard Martin.

Frances Glessner Lee was a diorama-maker, criminal investigation educator and the first female police captain in the US. She revolutionised the study of crime scenes and highlighted its importance in solving cases. Written by Nicole Johnson. Read by Annie M Dylan.

Chronically ill and injured patients evacuated from the embattled east find treatment in the west's safer hospitals. Written by Amandas Ong . Read by Pete Ferrand.

For much of the post-Soviet era, 'Z' was the symbol of a music festival in Crimea that united people across borders. Written by Clément Girardot.Read by Serhij Zulkarnieiev. 

On this week’s AJ Longreads, we go inside a Nigerian hospital ward treating Lassa, a virus that infects up to 300,000 people in West Africa each year. Written by Femke van Zeijl. Read by Mapendo Munthali. 

A year on from the takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan, issues of child marriage, access to education and financial hardship are leaving women and girls to wonder what the future holds for them. Written by Robyn Huang. Read by Mohita Namjoshi.

As part of Al Jazeera's series on murdered women, we explore the life and death of Sabina Nessa. Her family say she was ‘a kind and generous soul’. But they question why there was not wider media attention about her death and why some lives get more coverage than others. Written by Julie Bindel. Read by Laura Lockwood. 

Journalist Lexie Harrison-Cripps recently boarded a Doctors Without Borders search and rescue ship along one of the world’s deadliest migration routes.  The remote location makes it virtually impossible to report on without an invitation from an NGO. As a result, every year thousands of people live - and die - in horrific conditions while governments  go unchecked. Written and read by Lexie Harrison-Cripps.

In times of war, safeguarding valuable artefacts including those signifying Ukrainian statehood has become a priority for cultural heritage workers. Written and read by Nils Adler.  

For black opal miners in Lightning Ridge, Australia, the search for one of the world’s most sought-after gems is just as alluring as the stone itself. Written by Zoe Osborne and Alex Kitanov. Read by me, Emma Jones. 

New mental health options are being made available in northern Iraq, but psychotherapists are worried that without continued support, progress will halt. Written by Lynzy Billing. Read by Loveday Smith.

We’re in Georgia where the village territory of Khurvaleti is increasingly affected by Russian forces demarcating the 'border' of breakaway state South Ossetia. Written by Clément Girardot with contributed reporting by Tamar Kalandadze. Read by Pete Ferrand. 

Katy Fallon spent months reporting on the Greek islands in the Eastern Aegean. Once praised for welcoming thousands of refugees...it's now become a place of widespread reports of human rights violations.  Written and read by Katy Fallon.

Suicides have spiked dramatically in the historically remote region. Is breakneck social change to blame? Written and read by Alizeh Kohari.

Pope Francis has apologised for the Roman Catholic Church's involvement in Indigenous residential schools in Canada. For more than 160 years children were abused in  Canada’s residential school system. More than 60 percent of them were run by the Catholic Church. But following the pope's apology, can survivors forgive? Written by Brandi Morin. Read by Laura Lockwood.

In Poland, a tale of two borders. On the Belarusian border, refugees face pushbacks and detention. Written and read by Nils Adler

As activists highlight risks for LGBTQ community, Germany’s Quarteera welcomes Ukrainian refugees and Russian exiles. Written by Gouri Sharma. Read by Emma Jones. 

An Iraqi Kurd and a Ukrainian, part of families with young children, take us through a day in their lives as refugees. This story is written by Amandas Ong and Nils Adler.  

Michael Kotutwa Johnson is on a mission to show that millennia of Native American land practices can provide valuable lessons for growing food and sustaining the Earth. Written by Jane Palmer.  Read by Laura Lockwood. 

Mothers in Kenya whose sons have been killed by police brutality are fighting for justice, and in turn, protect other young men.  Written by Jaclynn Ashly.  Read by Pete Ferrand.

Silent Voices is a radio show in Nigeria that offers support to women and minors who are victims of violence to seek justice. By exposing perpetrators, the show aims to galvanise others to reach out, so that they too can get help.  Written by Ope Adetayo.  Read by Pete Ferrand.