5 Live News Specials

Chris Warburton takes a look back at the biggest news and sport stories from 2014, as heard on BBC Radio 5 live.

Chris Warburton looks back at the week's news and sport including the Sydney coffee house seige and Taliban attack on a school in Pakistan.

Kiruna Stamell successfully sued the Post Office for discrimination because she could not reach the chip-and-pin machines at the counter. Kiruna was born with a rare form of dwarfism.

In an extraordinary half hour of radio, Stephen Nolan talks to Michael, who calls in after Chief Constable Simon Bailey said that men sexually attracted to children should be treated as patients not criminals. Michael (not his real name) talks about how he was abused as a child; how he’s forgiven his abuser; how he himself struggled for many years with being attracted to children; how this battle was particularly difficult as he brought up his daughters; and how men like him need opportunities to talk about what they’re feeling, to help them so they don’t turn to abuse.

The mother of a Muslim convert killed while fighting for Islamic State militants talks to Stephen Nolan about the loss of her son.

Stephen Nolan speaks to Mark Serwotka, General Secretary of the UK's largest civil service union - the Public and Commercial Services Union. He leads around a quarter of a million civil servants and central government workers. Since spring 2010 Mark has experienced serious heart problems. He's now being kept alive by a machine which pumps blood around his body powered on batteries that he carries around in a bumbag.

Stephen Nolan speaks to music legend Barry Manilow on how he started his music career and how over the years he has dealt with fame. The singer who Rolling Stone magazine called him "the greatest showman of our generation" has sold over 80 million records. He's been bankrupt twice but bounced back on each occasion. He talks about growing up in Brooklyn and what inspired his new album My Dream Duets where by the magic of technology he sings alongside artists like Louis Armstrong, Marilyn Monroe and Whitney Houston.

June Steenkamp talks to Dan and Sarah about one of the biggest international news stories of the past year. Last month South African paralympian and Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was jailed for five years after admitting to shooting his girlfriend, June's daughter, Reeva Steenkamp through a bathroom door at his home in Pretoria. The court cleared him of her murder, but found him guilty of culpable homicide, the equivalent of manslaughter in English courts. He's now serving his sentence in Kgosi Mampuru prison, but could be released next year, to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. Throughout the trail June Steenkamp attended court every single day. She has now written a book about her daughter, her death, the trial and media storm that followed.

5 live's Phil Mackie reports from Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, 12 miles from the Syrian border. In what's been described as the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War half the Syrian population has been forced to flee their homes and 3.2 million are now registered as refugees outside the country.

Chris Warburton looks back at the week on 5 live including the landing of a probe on a comet, the homophobic abuse of rugby union referee Nigel Owens and marking the birthday of Elstree studios.

The week in review, including the reopening of the World Trade Centre and proposals for more powers for the regions of England.

What should a devolved England look like? Phil Williams discusses the future of politics in England after promises of change following the Scottish independence referendum.

Simon Warr was recently acquitted of seven charges of abusing children at two Suffolk schools where he taught in the 80s and 90s. He tells Stephen Nolan how the two year nightmare cost him friends, his reputation, his livelihood and drove him to consider taking his own life

The week on 5 live including the shooting at the Canadian Parliament, the death of Lynda Bellingham and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston sets sail again.

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein pay tribute to their former editor at the Washington Post during Watergate, Ben Bradlee, who has died aged 93.

Highlights from the last seven days on 5 live including the issue of loneliness, the spread of ebola and how to deal with violence on the pitch.

A British survivor of a Himalayan storm which killed at least 29 people, says "poor policy, poor systems and poor leadership" were to blame for the tragedy. Paul Sherridan, a police officer from South Yorkshire was among more than 200 trekkers caught in blizzards and avalanches in Nepal's Annapurna range. Rescuers are continuing their search for survivors. Paul spoke to Anna Foster on 5 live Drive from Kathmandu and said this was "a tragedy that could've been prevented". He also describes what it was like up there, saying he and many others were trapped "at 17,000 feet, in white out conditions, with no map, no compass and no knowledge of the area".

Radio presenter Simon Hirst has hosted commercial radio's Top 40 chart, he's best known as the host of weekday breakfast on Capital Yorkshire until June this year. But in an exclusive interview with 5 live’s Stephen Nolan he says he’s changing gender and will live life as a woman. He's already halfway through gender reassignment treatment, and this week has changed his name to Stephanie Hirst. This is the first interview where Simon has been addressed as Stephanie. So why tell the world now?

Stephen Nolan presents a special programme to mark World Mental Health Day. One in four of us will have a mental health problem at some stage in our lives. In this podcast you will hear from experts, politicians and those living with mental illness. Stephen looks at the treatments available and asks if there is still a stigma attached to those who have a mental illness. Stephen's guests include Rachel Bruno the daughter of former world boxing champion Frank Bruno who is bi-polar and former professional footballer Clarke Carlisle on living with depression.

Former basketball star and equality campaigner John Amaechi challenges former football manager Dave Bassett over his use of the description "coloured" players in football. The debate on the Stephen Nolan show follows Jose Mourinho saying that "there's no racism in football"