Podcasts by The Real Story

Is COP failing? from 2023-12-08T10:59

The Paris climate agreement in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to 1.5C. But have politics and lobbying got in the way of urgently needed progress? Is it too late for some nations? There has b...

What is driving right-wing populism in Europe? from 2023-12-01T10:59

Geert Wilders has been described as the Dutch Donald Trump. Earlier this month his far-right Freedom Party pulled off a surprise election victory in the Netherlands. Following Mr Wilder's win, w...

Do any paths to peace still exist in the Middle East? from 2023-11-24T10:59

As the war in Gaza continues, it may seem the worst possible time to revisit the idea of a permanent political resolution to the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. US President Joe Biden howeve...

How should we tackle the global obesity epidemic? from 2023-11-16T10:59

Over 1 billion people worldwide are obese, according to the World Health Organization. If current trends continue, half the world could be obese or overweight by 2035. The WHO refers to it as an...

The future of work from 2023-11-10T10:59

The prospect of a world without work - that was the vision offered up by Elon Musk this month. The US tech billionaire has predicted that artificial intelligence will eventually mean that no one...

Why world leaders fear an escalation of Israel-Gaza war from 2023-11-03T10:59

The Israel-Gaza war has caused reverberations around the world and diplomatic efforts are intensifying to stop the conflict from escalating. Iran has warned Israel that the Middle East could spi...

Argentina at a crossroads from 2023-10-27T09:59

Argentina’s economy minister has won more than 36% of the vote in Sunday’s presidential elections, defying expectations. The election has been shaken by the emergence of anti-establishment popul...

Is Indian democracy being undermined? from 2023-10-20T20:23

Earlier this month police in Delhi raided the homes of several prominent journalists in connection with an investigation into the funding of news website NewsClick. Officials are reportedly inve...

China’s BRI: Development or Debt? from 2023-10-13T09:06

It has been a decade since Chinese President Xi Jinping's launched the Belt and Road Initiative, an ambitious plan to connect Asia with Africa and Europe through a series of land and sea network...

How do we stop rapid insect decline? from 2023-10-06T09:59

As human activities rapidly transform the planet, the global insect population is declining at an unprecedented rate. In the UK, a recent survey suggested the number of flying insects have falle...

How a flood exposed Libya’s broken state from 2023-09-29T09:59

Earlier this month two dams collapsed after torrential rain in eastern Libya. Whole neighbourhoods in the city of Derna were swept into the sea. More than 15,000 Libyans are dead or missing and...

Is Biden too old to run in 2024? from 2023-09-22T09:59

The top brass of the Democrat party in the US have all rallied behind Joe Biden with their eyes on the 2024 presidential election. But they have a problem. Repeated polls suggest support for the...

Ukraine’s offensive: Too slow to triumph? from 2023-09-15T10:06

America's top general has warned that Ukraine’s counter offensive is running out of time. Speaking to the BBC, Mark Milley admitted the offensive had gone more slowly than expected. With just on...

Iran, a year on from the death of Mahsa Amini from 2023-09-08T09:59

The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was detained by Iran's so-called ‘morality police’ - enforcers of Iran’s Islamic dress code - sparked widespread anti-government protests across th...

Why is it still so hard for whistleblowers? from 2023-09-01T09:59

Lucy Letby worked on a neonatal unit in England. Dr Stephen Brearey - the lead consultant on the unit - raised concerns in October 2015. Whilst no one knew she was killing some of the babies in ...

Ecuador's spiralling drug violence from 2023-08-25T09:59

Ecuador has until recently been a relatively peaceful country. But in the course of a few years it has become a place dominated by violence and drug trafficking.

After Colombia struck a p...

How should the world engage with the Taliban? from 2023-08-18T09:59

Two years ago the Taliban swept into Kabul and took control of Afghanistan, almost exactly twenty years after they were ousted by the US-led invasion after 9/11. The West has since deployed sanc...

China, US and the fight for Taiwan from 2023-08-11T09:59

China has released a new documentary about its army’s preparations to attack Taiwan - the film includes interviews with Chinese soldiers who swear they'll give up their lives if needed in a pot...

The coup in Niger: Why does it matter? from 2023-08-04T09:59

Soldiers in the West African country of Niger announced a coup on national TV last week, saying they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed all borders. The coup w...

How close are we to ending Alzheimer's? from 2023-07-28T09:59

A new drug, Donanemab, has been hailed as a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer's after a global trial confirms it slows cognitive decline.

One trial was shown to have “significan...

Surviving extreme heat from 2023-07-21T09:59

Heatwaves are growing in frequency and intensity around the world due to climate change. Extreme heat is now gripping three continents - Europe, the US and Asia - and there is more to come. Temp...

Deep-sea mining: Curse or cure? from 2023-07-14T09:59

The deepest parts of the Pacific Ocean have been largely unexplored for centuries. But now the ecosystem thousands of metres beneath the surface is under threat - from companies wanting to mine ...

Understanding the unrest in France from 2023-07-07T09:59

French cities have been engulfed by almost a week of intense riots, following the death of a teenager. Nahel M was shot at point blank range by police after he refused to stop for a traffic chec...

Wagner's 24-hour mutiny from 2023-06-30T09:59

Wagner is a private military company of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has for months been involved in a feud wit...

Saudi Arabia’s thirst for sporting success from 2023-06-23T09:59

A surprise deal between golf’s two main tours and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund sent shockwaves through the world of men’s professional golf at the start of June. It came as increasing n...

What do Trump’s legal challenges mean for the 2024 US election? from 2023-06-16T09:59

This week Donald Trump appeared at a federal court in Miami and pleaded not guilty to historic charges relating to his alleged mishandling of sensitive documents. Trump is the most high-profile ...

Why have tensions flared in Kosovo? from 2023-06-09T09:00

NATO reinforcements started arriving in Kosovo this week, following violent clashes in majority-Serb north Kosovo in late May. Outbreaks of violence erupted following disputed local elections, w...

Do we want to live without plastic? from 2023-06-02T14:27

Plastic is the dominant material of modern life, used in everything from furniture to cars to packaging to medical equipment. In most parts of the world it’s hard to live a single day without co...

Bola Tinubu: Can Nigeria’s new president unite his country? from 2023-05-26T09:59

The winner of Nigeria’s presidential election, Bola Tinubu is due to be inaugurated on 29 May but the opposition are challenging the results.

Only 27 percent of voters participated in the ...

Why can’t America contain the fentanyl crisis? from 2023-05-19T09:59

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid which is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin, is now the main driver of drug overdose deaths in America. The US Drug Enforcement Administration says 67% of the ...

What's gone wrong in Haiti? from 2023-05-12T09:59

In recent weeks, vigilante groups in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince have beaten and burned to death gang members. The country has been plunged into increasing lawlessness following the assassina...

The rehabilitation of Syria’s President Assad from 2023-05-05T09:59

This week a meeting of Arab foreign ministers - including Syria's - took place in Jordan's capital, Amman. Officials have been discussing Syria's potential return to the Arab League, after 12 ye...

Tunisia’s democracy on the brink from 2023-04-28T09:59

Tunisia in North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, a wave of popular uprisings that shook or toppled authoritarian regimes in the region. But, after a decade of fragile democracy, in...

A bloody crisis in Sudan from 2023-04-21T09:59

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in fierce fighting between army troops and paramilitary forces in Sudan this week. The fighting that has erupted in the capital Khartoum and elsewhere in t...

What is hostage diplomacy and why is it on the rise? from 2023-04-14T09:59

Russia's arrest of the American journalist Evan Gershkovich for spying has shone a spotlight on what the US calls 'hostage diplomacy', a practice which involves imprisoning a foreign national, u...

Can we control Artificial Intelligence? from 2023-04-07T09:59

Last month a company in San Francisco called OpenAi released an artificial intelligence system called GPT-4 - a successor to its hugely popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. The latest version can respond...

Who will run the world in 20 years? from 2023-03-31T09:59

At the end of a friendly meeting in Moscow, President Xi of China told President Putin of Russia that they are driving changes in the world the likes of which have not been seen for a century. <...

Imran Khan and Pakistan's political turmoil from 2023-03-24T10:59

Clashes this week between police and supporters of former cricketer-turned-Prime Minister, Imran Khan, show once again the deep divisions within Pakistani politics.

Mr Khan was ousted as ...

Is the asylum system broken? from 2023-03-17T10:59

Millions of people around the world are on the move today in search of a safe and better life. It’s estimated over 100 million people were displaced last year. Over 30 million are refugees and 5...

Will the Windsor Framework finally get Brexit done? from 2023-03-10T10:59

A new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland has been announced. The Windsor Framework replaces the Northern Ireland Protocol - that was deemed unworkable, but does this new deal solve Northern Irelan...

What will China’s declining population mean for the world? from 2023-03-03T10:59

Last year China's population fell for the first time in 60 years with the national birth rate hitting a record low. China's birth rate has in fact been declining for years but an older popula...

What does the future hold for President Erdoğan? from 2023-02-24T10:59

The earthquakes that struck south-eastern Turkey and northern Syria on 6 February were deadly and devastating. Tens of thousands have died - many more are unaccounted for.

It's not the fir...

Can Lula fix the Amazon? from 2023-02-17T11:36

Brazil’s newly-elected president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has pledged to protect the Amazon and to reach zero deforestation by 2030.

During a recent meeting with US President Biden, Lu...

How do you stop police brutality? from 2023-02-10T17:22

Five ex-police officers have been charged with second-degree murder after beating Tyre Nichols, 29, who was black, during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. He died three days later.

Ni...

Why is violence escalating between Israelis and Palestinians? from 2023-02-03T10:59

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visited Israel this week after days of increasing violence between Israelis and Palestinians. Last week, 10 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank c...

Is it getting any easier for women in politics? from 2023-01-27T10:59

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand’s PM this month came as a surprise to millions around the world. When she came to office in 2017, she stuck out as a contrast to populist leaders that...

Has Germany been holding back the war effort in Ukraine? from 2023-01-20T10:59

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has led to one of the biggest shifts ever seen in Germany's post-war foreign policy. Vladimir Putin managed to achieve what NATO allies spent years trying to: a mas...

Prince Harry: Dealing with grief in the public eye from 2023-01-13T10:59

Prince Harry's bombshell memoir, Spare, leaves few royal stones unturned. From a physical confrontation with his brother Prince William to his own drug taking, one of the threads that runs throu...

Andrew Tate: Why is misogyny so popular online? from 2023-01-06T12:45

The arrest of controversial British-American influencer Andrew Tate in Romania as a part of a human trafficking and rape investigation has pulled his brand of online misogyny back into the headl...

A tough winter for Ukraine as Russia exploits the cold from 2022-12-16T10:59

As the war continues and winter sets in, Russia is targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure with waves of missile and drone strikes, at times cutting off electricity for millions of civilians....

Are protests changing Iran? from 2022-12-09T10:59

The anti-government protests sweeping Iran are now in their third month, with no sign of ending, despite a bloody crackdown. Women have been at the forefront of the unrest that began in mid-Sept...

Qatar’s World Cup gamble from 2022-12-02T10:59

The Gulf state of Qatar is currently hosting the most expensive Fifa World Cup ever having spent an estimated $220 billion on the event. Seven of the eight stadiums have been built from scratch ...

Is India ready to become the world's most populous country? from 2022-11-25T10:06

This month the world population reached 8 billion people - and India is leading the charge. It's set to overtake China as most populous country in the world next year. India is currently home to...

War and starvation - Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict from 2022-11-18T10:00

After two years of civil war, Ethiopia and Tigray have agreed to terms for a peace deal which stipulates that both parties will begin to lay down their arms The plan is to create a humanitarian ...

Russia, France and the battle for influence in West Africa from 2022-11-11T10:59

President Macron this week announced that France's anti-jihadist military mission in the Sahel region of Africa has ended. The departure of troops from the former colonial power and the end of O...

Daunting challenges for UN climate conference from 2022-11-04T10:59

Delegates are gathering in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the COP27 UN climate change conference beginning on Sunday 6 November. But a lot has changed in the 12 months since attendees of the COP26 ...

Why the US midterm elections matter from 2022-10-28T09:59

The United States will hold midterm elections on 8 November, votes that could have a major impact on the remaining two years of the Biden presidency. Join The Real Story and our US Public Radio ...

What caused the turmoil in British politics? from 2022-10-21T09:59

After the resignation of Liz Truss the UK will soon have its third prime minister this year. Britain has long been considered a politically stable nation. So has something changed? The governing...

What is economic growth and why does it matter? from 2022-10-14T09:30

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has this week downgraded its forecast for global growth warning “the worst is yet to come and, for many people 2023 will feel like a recession”. The fallout...

Xi Jinping’s plan for China from 2022-10-07T09:30

This month China’s President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a further five years as the country’s leader after the Communist Party abolished two-term limits. It opens the door to Xi continuing...

What should we make of Russia’s nuclear threats? from 2022-09-30T09:30

The US has warned Russia of “catastrophic consequences” if it uses nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine. The statement comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted he’d use “all t...

What next for the Commonwealth? from 2022-09-23T09:00

The Queen was seen as a unifying force in the Commonwealth. With her death, will the organisation re-invent itself for the next generation, or fade away? Questions are being asked about whether ...

Boris Johnson is out, Liz Truss is in from 2022-09-09T23:06

Liz Truss has taken over as leader of Britain’s Conservative Party and has therefore also become Prime Minister. She won the internal party race to succeed Boris Johnson by promising that she’ll...

Are sanctions on Russia working? from 2022-09-02T09:00

It’s been six months since the West imposed an array of sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Around half of Russia’s $640 billion worth of foreign exchange and gold reserves have b...

Nasa's plan to go back to the Moon from 2022-08-26T09:00

Nasa's first step in their plan to send humans back to the surface of the Moon is fast approaching. The programme, called Artemis, is costing tens of billions of dollars and will begin with Arte...

Salman Rushdie and the fatwa from 2022-08-19T09:00

The Indian-born British writer Salman Rushdie was recently stabbed on stage at an event in New York state more than three decades after Iran issued a fatwa calling for his assassination. He is c...

Is the US getting serious about climate change? from 2022-08-12T09:00

This week the US Senate passed the biggest package of climate change measures in American history. The Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to be passed by the House and signed into law by...

Italy’s right-wing nationalists on the rise from 2022-08-05T09:00

Italians go to the polls on 25 September after the collapse of the country’s 69th government in just 77 years. Polls suggest a conservative coalition - likely led by the right wing nationalist B...

Bolsonaro v Lula: The race to lead Brazil from 2022-07-29T09:00

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro this week officially launched his campaign for a second term in office. The election in October will likely come down to a race between the right-wing populist...

Can our cities survive climate change? from 2022-07-22T09:00

Europe was this week hit by an extreme heatwave exacerbating drought conditions and sparking wildfires in France, Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal. The UK also broke its record temperature exce...

A new phase in the Covid pandemic from 2022-07-15T09:00

After two-and-a-half years of Covid rampaging across the planet, causing millions of deaths and transforming billions of lives, everyone is keen to move on. But this week the head of the World H...

How the Supreme Court is reshaping the US from 2022-07-08T09:00

Abortion, environmental protections and gun ownership rights are among the controversial topics the US Supreme Court has ruled on over recent weeks. The highest court in the land has the final s...

Afghanistan's challenges after US withdrawal from 2022-07-01T09:00

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake last week in Afghanistan destroyed hundreds of homes and left around 1,000 people dead - including at least 155 children. The country, now ruled by the Taliban, was al...

From rebel to president: Colombia’s new leftist leader from 2022-06-24T09:00

Colombia this week elected a former rebel as its first left-wing president. Gustavo Petro’s win on Sunday represents a rejection of the establishment in a country facing strong economic headwind...

The repatriation of precious artefacts from 2022-06-17T09:00

The King of Belgium this month handed back a Congolese mask, one of about 84,000 artefacts taken during the colonial-era which the country has agreed to return. In 2018 a report commissioned by ...

The rocky road ahead for Boris Johnson from 2022-06-10T09:00

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week narrowly survived a confidence vote within his own party, but more than 40% of Conservative Members of Parliament thought he should go. His premier...

China v the West in the Pacific from 2022-06-03T09:00

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi this week held a meeting with 10 Pacific nations aiming to reach agreement on a region-wide trade and security pact. Consensus wasn’t reached but bilateral deals...

How do we stop high inflation? from 2022-05-27T09:00

Business leaders meeting this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, have warned that high levels of inflation are likely to cause a global recession, or worse. Financier George...

What is the 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory? from 2022-05-20T09:00

The suspect in Saturday’s killing of ten people at a Buffalo supermarket allegedly wrote a document endorsing the Great Replacement Theory. It’s a racist far-right conspiracy theory that falsely...

North Korea spooks its neighbours from 2022-05-13T09:00

This week as North Korea continued to test new ballistic missile technology, a new president took charge in South Korea promising to take a harder line with the north. Yoon Suk-yeol used his ina...

Ukraine war impact on climate pledges from 2022-05-06T05:00

The war in Ukraine has prompted a global reordering of energy markets as Europe looks to replace gas and oil imports from Russia. A few days after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the UN iss...

Sweden’s hardening stance on immigration from 2022-04-22T09:00

Sweden has experienced days of violent protests against a far-right group. Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan’s anti-Islam party Hard Line says it will burn copies of the Quran as part of ...

The appeal of the French far-right from 2022-04-15T09:00

This week the first round of the presidential election in France has shone a spotlight on the tectonic shifts taking place in the nation’s politics. President Emmanuel Macron, who shocked the wo...

Are workers back in the driving seat? from 2022-04-08T09:00

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York have successfully set up Amazon's first ever union in the country. Staff at dozens of other US locations are said to be interested in unionising as wel...

Israel's Arab allies from 2022-04-01T09:00

History was made this week when, for the first time, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Bahrain travelled to Israel on an official visit. For decades Arab leaders have criticis...

Who are Russia’s friends? from 2022-03-25T10:00

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 141 of the UN’s 193 member states voted to condemn the action. But the Kremlin isn’t without its allies. Four nations voted with Russia against the re...

War in Ukraine transforms Germany from 2022-03-18T10:00

Within days of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany announced a number of significant changes to its economic and security policies. Chancellor Olaf Scholz described it as a Zeitenwende – or wa...

Can Russia’s economy survive? from 2022-03-11T10:00

Just two weeks after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the conflict has already begun reshaping the world. The bombardment of Ukrainian cities has led to the deaths of thousands of civilia...

Europe's energy future beyond Russia from 2022-03-04T10:00

The war in Ukraine has cast a spotlight on Europe's energy dependency on Russia. Nearly half of Europe’s gas, along with petroleum and coal, come from the Russian Federation. But with no resolut...

The global debt crisis from 2022-02-25T10:00

This month the G20 came under criticism for failing to deliver a promised $100bn of additional funds to poorer countries to help with the economic fallout of the pandemic. Many of these countrie...

Why is China supporting Russia on Nato? from 2022-02-18T10:00

This month President Putin of Russia was the star guest at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. But his trip to China was not just about showing support for the host country. He and hi...

France's place in the world from 2022-02-11T10:00

This week the French president Emmanuel Macron travelled thousands of kilometres across Europe in a diplomatic effort to avert an escalation of the war in Ukraine. He met Presidents Putin and Ze...

China’s zero-Covid conundrum from 2022-02-04T10:00

As the Beijing Winter Olympics get underway in China this week the host city has reported its highest number of new Covid-19 cases in more than a year. The authorities have put in place a strict...

Why Putin has his sights on Ukraine from 2022-01-28T10:00

Growing fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine have prompted the US and UK to pull the families of staff at their embassies in Kyiv out of the country. Moscow’s forces have been amassing on Ukra...

The future of the BBC from 2022-01-21T10:00

The British Broadcasting Corporation is the world’s oldest and largest public service broadcaster. But as it prepares to mark its 100th birthday the organisation finds itself at a crossroads. Th...

Climate change: A risk to food security? from 2022-01-14T10:00

While agriculture remains one of the biggest contributors to climate change, it is also most exposed to its adverse effects. Scientists say that extreme weather events will become more frequent ...

The Beijing Winter Olympics: High stakes for China from 2022-01-07T10:00

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will begin in 4 weeks’ time with more than 2,000 athletes from across the globe expected to take part. Officials have set up a bubble to keep arriving athletes a...

Do digital currencies need policing? from 2021-12-17T10:00

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that the stability of some countries’ financial systems could soon be at risk because of unregulated crypto assets. Cryptocurrencies and other di...

What's going wrong in the Balkans? from 2021-12-10T10:00

It’s been more than two decades since the war in Bosnia ended. It remains one of the darkest chapters in modern European history and cost over 100,000 lives. Since the Dayton Agreement was reach...

Omicron: Did Africa get a raw deal? from 2021-12-03T10:00

The emergence of the Omicron variant has once again highlighted the difficulty in preventing the pandemic from spreading across the globe. Health experts have long argued that regions like south...

Hunger in Afghanistan: Time to work with the Taliban? from 2021-11-26T10:00

It has been 100 days since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan and the country is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis. More than half of the country’s 39 million people face acute foo...

Fortress Europe: Who gets to come in? from 2021-11-19T10:00

The European Union is at loggerheads with Belarus over the arrival of thousands of migrants. It alleges that President Lukashenko has created a deliberate crisis by facilitating the migrants' tr...

The future of Chinese capitalism from 2021-11-12T10:00

The Chinese Communist Party has held a high level meeting that will help propel President Xi Jinping to a level of power not seen since Chairman Mao. The gathering was essentially a celebration ...

Who pays to fix climate change? from 2021-11-05T10:00

The UN Climate Conference in Glasgow is being described as a make-or-break moment for humanity. The purpose of the gathering is to implement the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global ...

Why do military coups still happen? from 2021-10-29T09:00

Defiant protesters have been on the streets of Sudan this week after the country's armed forces launched a military coup. On Monday coup leader Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan dissolved civilian rule, a...

Nato and China: A new rivalry? from 2021-10-22T09:00

This week in an interview with a British newspaper the Secretary General of Nato repeated his desire to widen its mandate to include China. His comments coincide with reports that Beijing has te...

Climate change: Lessons from Denmark from 2021-10-15T09:00

Denmark is at the forefront of the global effort to fight climate change. It has committed to cut emissions by 70% below 1990 levels by 2030. It also wants to be carbon neutral by 2050 and end a...

Empty shelves and clogged ports from 2021-10-08T09:00

The world has emerged from pandemic lockdowns more optimistic about the direction of Covid, but the sudden surge in demand for goods is creating new economic shocks from London to Los Angeles. F...

How green is nuclear energy? from 2021-10-01T09:00

Is nuclear energy ‘sustainable’ and deserving of tax breaks? It’s a question dividing member states of the European Union which is considering what role nuclear should play in efforts to wean th...

How powerful is China's navy? from 2021-09-24T09:00

China has reacted angrily following this month's announcement of an alliance that will enable Australia to possess and deploy nuclear powered submarines in the region. Australia says the partner...

Canada votes: Is Trudeau in trouble? from 2021-09-17T09:00

On Monday Canadians will vote in a snap election called by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just two years after they last voted. He hopes to turn his minority in parliament into a majority having ...

What's ailing Japan? from 2021-09-10T09:00

Japan has received much praise internationally for successfully holding both the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. At home, however, events have failed ...

Methane: The other greenhouse gas from 2021-09-03T09:00

The latest UN climate report concludes that while carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of global warming, another gas - methane - is likely responsible for between 30-50% of the current rise ...

The challenges facing the Taliban from 2021-08-27T09:00

The World Bank this week halted funding for projects in Afghanistan, following the lead of the IMF and US government which also froze payments and accounts. The increased financial pressure on t...

America after Afghanistan from 2021-08-20T09:00

The speed with which the Taliban took control of Afghanistan surprised not just the world but even its own members. The group's rapid rise coincided with an equally fast withdrawal of US-led int...

Silencing dissidents from 2021-08-13T09:00

A year on from the disputed election in Belarus, the country’s president has denied claims his security services were involved in the death of dissident Vitaly Shishov, who was found hanged in n...

How do the Taliban keep going? from 2021-08-06T09:00

The Taliban is advancing in Afghanistan, launching major offensives to retake key cities as the last remaining US and international forces prepare to pull out. The group has taken more territory in...

How do the Taliban keep going? from 2021-08-06T09:00

The Taliban is advancing in Afghanistan, launching major offensives to retake key cities as the last remaining US and international forces prepare to pull out. The group has taken more territory...

Why has Australia's Covid strategy faltered? from 2021-07-30T09:00

Australia has been seen as a success story when it comes to controlling the spread of the coronavirus and was praised by US official Dr Anthony Fauci as being a world leader in “containment and ...

What's China doing to fight climate change? from 2021-07-23T09:00

This week a year’s worth of rain fell in just three days in China’s Henan province, flooding roads and public transport systems, killing dozens and displacing thousands. Floods are common in Chi...

Cuba at a crossroads from 2021-07-16T09:00

Unauthorised public gatherings are illegal in Cuba and protests are rare. But this week the island nation has witnessed its biggest demonstrations in decades. People took to the streets calling ...

The pandemic brings more robots from 2021-07-09T09:00

The world’s major economies are moving again thanks to mass vaccination against the coronavirus. President Biden says a higher demand for workers will help them negotiate increased wages and bet...

Palestinians turn against the leadership from 2021-07-02T09:00

There is continuing anger in the West Bank over the death in custody of a vociferous critic of the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Nizar Banat, an anti-corruption campaigner, was picked up ...

Hydrogen: A climate game-changer? from 2021-06-25T09:00

With less than six months to go before the next big climate conference (COP26) in Scotland, the world's major polluters are under pressure to significantly increase their ability to cut greenhou...

China's global project has a new rival from 2021-06-18T09:00

At their annual summit in Britain this year, the group of seven industrialised nations, or G7, has agreed to an infrastructure development plan for developing countries. The Build Back Better Wo...

Iran’s presidential election: What do the people want? from 2021-06-11T09:00

Iranians go to the polls next week to decide who’ll be the country’s next president. Hundreds of potential candidates were disqualified, some of whom represent the reform movement, leaving just ...

Israel divided from 2021-06-04T09:00

Israel will soon have its first new prime minister in over 12 years if a freshly formed coalition holds. Benjamin Netanyahu is the country's longest serving leader, but in recent years he’s pres...

Why is corporate America getting political? from 2021-05-28T09:00

This week Exxon Mobil saw a board revolt over its stance on climate change. One of the energy giant's biggest shareholders supported rival directors to successfully replace two Exxon board membe...

China in space from 2021-05-21T09:00

China has successfully landed and operated a rover on the surface of Mars, a feat only previously achieved by the United States. It follows Beijing’s successful robotic mission to the Moon to re...

Ransomware on the rise in the US from 2021-05-14T09:00

A cyber-attack on an oil pipeline in the United States has caused widespread disruption and alarm. The Colonial Pipeline stretches thousands of kilometres from Texas to New Jersey and was shut d...

Germany after Merkel from 2021-05-07T09:00

Angela Merkel is the longest serving leader in the European Union. Known as Mutti, or mother, to her supporters, Merkel is credited with keeping Germany stable in the midst of global and Europea...

Is the EU stifling AI innovation? from 2021-04-30T09:00

The European Commission has published draft proposals that will, if implemented, constitute the most expansive attempt to regulate the use of artificial intelligence. AI is becoming increasingly...

What is the cost of climate reform? from 2021-04-23T09:00

It’s been a week of tough talk on climate action. President Biden set out US plans for fighting climate change and called on the industrialised world to join his efforts to dramatically slash ca...

Why is Myanmar’s military killing civilians? from 2021-04-16T09:00

Over 700 people, including children, have now died during pro-democracy protests in Myanmar following a coup on 1 February. Military chief General Min Aung Hlaing has declared a year-long emerge...

Why is Russia massing troops near Ukraine? from 2021-04-09T09:00

The security situation in eastern Ukraine is flaring up again, seven years into a simmering conflict between Moscow and Kyiv that started with Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Increased nu...

What is the US plan for Africa? from 2021-04-02T09:00

US special operations forces have agreed to help “support Mozambique's efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism and violent extremism”, with dozens of people reported killed during an Islamist...

Covid mutants: What are the risks? from 2021-03-26T10:00

A year into the Covid crisis, German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week announced her country was facing what amounts to ‘a new pandemic’. “The mutation from Great Britain has taken over,” she w...

Why are Asian Americans under attack? from 2021-03-18T20:33

The killing of eight people at a number of massage parlors in Atlanta this week has brought fears that the crimes may have targeted Asian Americans. Six of the people killed were of Asian descen...

How dangerous are deepfakes? from 2021-03-12T10:00

When a series of chillingly convincing Tom Cruise deepfakes went viral on TikTok this month, it brought home how fast synthetic media technology is evolving. Deepfakes are like photoshop for vid...

Can Biden reset US Saudi Arabia relations? from 2021-03-05T10:00

It took President Joe Biden more than a month to schedule a phone call with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, a contrast to his predecessor Donald Trump, who chose the kingdom as his first foreign de...

Has Covid rolled back democratic rights? from 2021-02-26T10:00

Countries around the world are using the coronavirus pandemic to 'crush dissent and silence independent reporting' according to the UN chief Antonio Guterres. He says some nations are using rest...

Who should pay for the news? from 2021-02-19T10:00

Google this week signed multi-million dollar deals with a number of major news providers in Australia, agreeing to pay for the journalism it features on its new ‘News Showcase’ pages. It comes a...

Is China erasing Uighur culture? from 2021-02-12T10:00

This week, lawyers in London concluded that the genocide of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang province by the Chinese government is a ‘very credible’ allegation. The London based court also said that i...

Cryptocurrencies: Fad or the future? from 2021-02-05T10:00

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been back in the news this week after the endorsement of SpaceX and Tesla boss Elon Musk. His comments prompted the price of bitcoin to rise sharply. It’s...

China's advance into Latin America from 2021-01-29T10:00

This month, in a highly unusual move, an American government agency bought nearly $3bn of debt from Ecuador that was owed to China. The aim – in the form of fresh loans – was to help Ecuador pay...

Afghanistan: Hard choices for Biden from 2021-01-22T09:00

The future of US troops in Afghanistan could be Joe Biden's first major foreign policy decision. Less than a year ago the Trump administration reached a deal with the Taliban to withdraw all Ame...

America's damaged democracy from 2021-01-15T10:00

Donald Trump is ending his presidency with the distinction of being the only president in American history to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. The behaviour of his supporters ...

Britain after Brexit: What’s its role in the world? from 2021-01-08T09:00

The Brexit transition period has ended and a new trade agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union is in effect. British PM Boris Johnson hailed “the dawn of a new era” saying it...

Big Tech under pressure from 2020-12-18T09:00

The European Union has this week proposed new rules that would police the practices of big technology companies, including US giants such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook. As well as deliv...

Is Macron marginalising France's Muslims? from 2020-12-11T10:00

French President Emmanuel Macron has described Islam as 'a religion in crisis.' This week he presented draft legislation to cabinet ministers aimed at tackling radical elements and propping up ‘...

Is Biden facing a new Middle East? from 2020-12-04T09:00

The assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh appears to have made life more difficult for President-elect Biden - yet another event to weigh up as he considers what to d...

Covid vaccines: An opportunity for science? from 2020-11-27T10:00

The rapid development of coronavirus vaccines has heightened the hope for a world free of Covid-19. Governments have ordered millions of doses, health care systems are prioritising recipients, a...

Ethiopia crisis: High stakes for Africa from 2020-11-20T10:00

The fighting between Ethiopian federal troops and regional forces in Tigray has forced thousands of people to flee to Sudan for safety. The UN has warned of a full-scale humanitarian crisis. Eth...

Climate change: Can Biden make a difference? from 2020-11-13T09:00

President-elect Joe Biden has said that one of the first acts of his presidency will be to return the United States to the Paris climate change agreement. His administration is proposing to make...

Is Trumpism here to stay? from 2020-11-06T10:00

Before this week's US presidential election, some predicted a landslide win for Joe Biden and a stark repudiation of the Trump years. That didn't happen. The intense criticism of President Trump...

US v China: A new Cold War? from 2020-10-30T10:00

The central committee of China’s ruling Communist Party has been meeting this week in Beijing to map out its priorities for the next five years. While Americans decide whether Donald Trump or Jo...

What next for US foreign policy? from 2020-10-23T09:00

While US domestic policy has taken centre stage in the race for the White House, whichever man wins the presidency will also help define America’s place in the world for years to come. President...

How dangerous is North Korea? from 2020-10-16T08:00

This week North Korea celebrated 75 years of communism with a military parade at which it unveiled an giant intercontinental missile. The heavily choreographed event featured all the pomp and ci...

India's Dalits: Fighting for justice from 2020-10-09T09:00

The alleged rape and subsequent death of a 19-year-old woman in India has again shone a spotlight on caste-based violence against the Dalit community – formerly known as “untouchables”. Accordin...

Turkey flexes on the world stage from 2020-10-01T19:27

The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia has taken on a new dimension with the alleged involvement of the Turkish military. Armenia says one of its fighter jets was shot down by a Turkish air...

Covid-19: What's best for the elderly? from 2020-09-25T09:00

Governments across Europe have this week introduced new measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control reports that over the past fortnight five ...

Covid unemployment: A new crisis? from 2020-09-18T09:50

Millions have been left without work as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate economies across the globe. This week, there’s been a sharp rise in the unemployment rate in Britain. This...

When will we get a Covid-19 vaccine? from 2020-09-11T09:00

Given the continuing high cost to societies of the coronavirus pandemic in lost lives and economic hardship, dozens of potential vaccines are being developed and tested at record pace. The top U...

Why is QAnon going global? from 2020-09-04T08:00

This week President Donald Trump retweeted a false claim posted by a follower of the ‘QAnon’ conspiracy theory, stating that the real Covid-19 death toll is just 6 percent of official figures. T...

The Navalny ‘poisoning' from 2020-08-28T08:00

Alexei Navalny is Russia's best-known anti-corruption campaigner and opposition activist. Today he lies gravely ill in a Berlin hospital. The German doctors treating him say he appears to have b...

India's Covid-19 challenge from 2020-08-21T08:00

India has entered a dangerous new phase of the pandemic. The country’s infection rate is the third-highest in the world. It also has the fourth-highest death toll. Testing is a shambles, and inf...

How democratic are American elections? from 2020-08-14T08:00

The US presidential election campaign is gathering steam, with the Democratic Party convention beginning next week. November's election in the United States will be taking place at a time when t...

What is Covid doing to the Amazon? from 2020-08-07T09:00

The coronavirus pandemic is having a growing impact on life in the Brazilian Amazon. Half a million indigenous people still live in often remote rainforest communities, yet many are still contra...

Fighting fat to fight Covid-19 from 2020-07-31T08:00

Experts have warned that being obese or overweight puts you at greater risk of serious illness or death from Covid-19. One study suggests the chances of dying from the coronavirus are 90% higher...

Should tax havens help pay for coronavirus? from 2020-07-24T08:00

While the coronavirus pandemic is raging around the world, discussions over rebuilding the global economy are already underway. Globally, the recovery will cost trillions of dollars. Governments...

Is the WHO fit for purpose? from 2020-07-17T08:00

More than six months after the outbreak of the coronavirus, a team from the World Health Organization will - for the first time - be given access to physical samples of the virus inside China. I...

Lebanon on the brink from 2020-07-10T05:00

The financial crisis in Lebanon seems to have accelerated rapidly ever since the government defaulted on a ninety-billion-dollar loan in March.The currency has lost nearly eighty percent of its ...

Generation Covid? from 2020-07-03T08:00

Young people may not be the most exposed to the health risks during the global coronavirus pandemic, but right around the world they will pay a high price in lost wages, opportunities and greate...

How will Covid-19 change our cities? from 2020-06-26T08:00

So far, people in cities have borne the brunt of Covid-19. Coronavirus thrives when humans interact in shared spaces where infections are easily transmitted. Because of this, many column inches ...

Is this the internet we always wanted? from 2020-06-19T08:00

The internet has proven invaluable during the coronavirus pandemic, allowing us to continue to work and learn from home, disseminating information to concerned citizens and providing desperately...

Racial justice: Who are the allies? from 2020-06-12T08:00

Black protesters across the United States and the world have been joined by white people calling for lasting change in the way societies deal with systemic racism. But this isn’t the first time ...

What should black Americans do next? from 2020-06-05T08:00

The death of the African-American man, George Floyd, in police custody - and the subsequent protests and riots - will look familiar to anyone who’s followed American history. This week also mark...

The privatisation of space travel from 2020-05-29T08:00

On Saturday a private company will attempt to deliver astronauts into orbit for the first time - with the launch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Space Station. Other big s...

Covid-19: Balancing risk and staying human from 2020-05-22T08:00

Many governments are beginning to ease restrictions placed on us aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus. Until a vaccine is widely available, the fear of contracting Covid-19 and beco...

Will the pandemic benefit mobsters? from 2020-05-15T08:00

The normal functioning of societies has been strained by the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing curbs on our freedom of movement, commerce, trade and employment. So what impact has Covid-19 ha...

Coronavirus: Will flying ever be the same? from 2020-05-08T08:00

Most industries around the world have been shaken by the coronavirus, but few have been quite as devastated as the airline industry. IATA, which represents about 290 airlines around the world, s...

Coronavirus: Is mass surveillance here to stay? from 2020-05-01T08:00

Governments everywhere are increasing mass surveillance as part of efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Whether it’s a smartphone app that traces who you’ve been in contact with, pub...

Coronavirus: Will China come out on top? from 2020-04-24T08:00

China was first country to suffer the effects of Coronavirus, but a few months on, it has contained the worst of the outbreak in a way the United States and most European countries have not. The...

Coronavirus: Ending the lockdowns from 2020-04-17T08:00

Billions of people across the globe are currently under some form of government-mandated lockdown. The aim is to curb the spread of the coronavirus and prevent health systems from being overrun....

Coronavirus: Is Africa ready? from 2020-04-10T08:00

The Coronavirus pandemic has not yet impacted Africa as much as other parts of the world. But the situation might be hitting a dangerous turning point. Infection rates in some West African count...

Coronavirus: How robust is our food chain? from 2020-04-03T08:00

Panic buying of food has become a feature of the Covid-19 outbreak around the world, stripping supermarket shelves of some items and prompting limits on the number of products customers are allo...

Coronavirus: How will it change us? from 2020-03-27T09:00

The number of people ill and dying from Covid-19 is increasing globally, and whole national economies are grinding to a halt. We are living through a time of great insecurity and uncertainty in ...

Coronavirus: The economic crisis from 2020-03-20T09:00

People around the world are facing severe economic problems because of the coronavirus.. The global shutdown has sent stock prices plunging as workers and customers stay at home. The world’s gov...

Beating coronavirus: What will you sacrifice? from 2020-03-13T09:00

Across the globe, authorities are taking unprecedented steps to curb the spread of coronavirus - as well as the increased levels of public fear and anxiety that accompany it. But do our views on...

What’s the Democrats' best plan to beat Trump? from 2020-03-06T09:00

After the results of the Super Tuesday primaries in the United States, two candidates have emerged as front-runners in the battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination - Joe Biden a...

Was it a mistake to overthrow Gaddafi? from 2020-02-28T09:00

In 2011, a Nato-led coalition intervened with lethal air power to aide forces taking part in an uprising against Libya’s brutal military leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Shortly after, Col Gaddaf...

Who controls the River Nile? from 2020-02-21T09:00

This week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Ethiopia, just months before the planned partial opening of a controversial new dam project that Egypt says will harm tens-of-millions living...

What's next for Iran? from 2020-02-14T09:00

Next week, Iranians go to the polls to elect a new parliament. This time around there will be fewer choices on the ballot, after a number of ‘reformist’ politicians were purged from the list of ...

Impeachment: What's changed since Nixon? from 2020-02-07T09:00

In August 1974, the 37th President of the United States - Richard Nixon - resigned after being told by members of his own Republican party that they could no longer support him. Evidence brought...

Brexit: The next chapter from 2020-01-31T15:17

As the clock strikes 23:00 GMT on Friday, Britain will be out of the European Union. It marks the end of a bitter chapter in the country’s history – and the start of new one. The Brexit referend...

Can China stop a killer virus spreading? from 2020-01-24T09:00

A mysterious new virus has emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan and is rapidly being identified in patients across the globe. Signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, sh...

Does philanthropy work? from 2020-01-17T09:00

Many of the world's rich and powerful will gather at the Swiss resort of Davos next week to discuss the future of the world, including how to make it a more equitable place. According to most es...

The world's housing crisis from 2020-01-10T06:06

The state of affordable housing in major cities around the world is an issue of increasing concern to politicians - and of course to the growing population of large cities. Next month, the UN's ...

Can young people change the world? from 2019-12-19T14:15

2019 has been a year of youth activism. From the Swedish climate change protester Greta Thunberg to Hong Kong’s democracy activist Joshua Wong, young people have been making headlines. Millions ...

What next for the UK? from 2019-12-13T19:20

The Prime Minister's core message during the campaign was simple: "Get Brexit done." It worked, with the Conservative Party enjoying its widest margin of victory since its win under Margaret Tha...

The world's languages are dying from 2019-12-06T06:06

The world’s rich linguistic tapestry is unravelling. Around a third of the world’s languages now have fewer than a thousand speakers left. The UN says more needs to be done and, to raise awarene...

Who runs Iraq? from 2019-11-29T09:00

Iraq has been gripped by mass public protests for weeks. Thousands of people have been taking to the streets in cities like Baghdad, Basra and Karbala to demand an end to corruption and unemploy...

Can algorithms be trusted? from 2019-11-22T09:00

Algorithms have become a ubiquitous part of modern lives. They suggest films on streaming services, vet loans for approval, shortlist job candidates, even help decide prison sentences and medica...

The future of oil from 2019-11-15T09:00

The state owned Saudi oil company, Aramco, is considered to be the most profitable business in the world. In the coming weeks it plans to raise billions by selling shares publicly for the first ...

India's pollution problem from 2019-11-08T09:00

At one point this week air pollution in Delhi was so high that monitors could not record the toxicity because it was off the scale. Schools were closed, vehicles restricted, and people were advi...

Russia's new internet firewall from 2019-11-01T09:00

A law is coming into effect in Russia that will redefine the way internet is governed in the country. Russia says the law will allow internet providers to filter content to ‘protect’ its citizen...

Mass protests in Lebanon from 2019-10-25T08:00

This week millions of people were out on the streets of Lebanon demanding change. A lack of jobs, crumbling public services, rising living costs and rampant inequality had brought out people fro...

Canada at a crossroads from 2019-10-18T08:00

Canada is a vast country with rich natural resources. For decades it has relied on global trade and a stable international order to prosper. As Canada heads to polls on the 21st of October, it f...

Does the US have a Syria plan? from 2019-10-11T08:00

Following a late evening phone conversation with the president of Turkey, President Trump approved the Turkish decision to send troops in parts of Syria that are now controlled by American backe...

Is impeachment a fair process? from 2019-10-04T08:00

In the United States, the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump - only the fourth president to face such an investigation - has become the most talked about issue in Washington. At the centre...

Can China tame Hong Kong? from 2019-09-27T08:00

This week China marks the 70th anniversary of its founding. The great fanfare playing out across the country could be overshadowed by events in the southern territory of Hong Kong, which is part...

Russia's Africa doctrine from 2019-09-20T08:00

In October thousands of delegates are expected to arrive in the Russian resort of Sochi for an extraordinary gathering. It will be the first ever conference between Russia and the countries of A...

South Africa's anti-foreigner violence from 2019-09-13T08:00

South Africa is one of the richest countries in Africa. Its businesses and investments have been a catalyst for growth on the continent and according to the World Bank, African immigrants have m...

The future of money from 2019-09-06T05:06

Every summer at a mountain resort in Wyoming, the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas hosts a symposium of central bankers and academics to discuss the global economy. This year at Jackson Hole, the ...

Who owns the Amazon? from 2019-08-30T08:00

The Amazon rainforest is an essential part of maintaining the earth's ecosystem and weather patterns. But this year thousands of fires are ravaging there - the most intense blazes for almost a d...

The changing face of protest from 2019-08-23T05:06

The on-going protests in Hong Kong and Russia come as Eastern Europe begins to mark the 30th anniversary of one of the most important geopolitical shifts of the 20th century - the collapse of Co...

How do women change politics? from 2019-08-16T08:00

The British Green MP, Caroline Lucas, this week called for an 'emergency cabinet' of women from across the UK’s political spectrum to help prevent Britain from leaving the European Union without...

What happened to the political centre ground? from 2019-08-09T08:00

In recent years the formula for winning elections has moved away from reaching out to all voters and charting a middle ground. Instead, politicians are promoting wedge issues and activating vote...

What is immigration for? from 2019-08-02T08:00

In his first speech to the British parliament as Prime Minister, Boris Johnson promised a “radical” overhaul of the British immigration system modelled on an Australian-style points-based syste...

The politics of Boris Johnson from 2019-07-26T08:00

Boris Johnson has become the prime minister of Britain at a time when the country is facing numerous challenges at home and abroad. His supporters admire him for his colourful politics and quick...

Europe's migration standoff from 2019-07-19T08:00

The Italian government has been calling on European countries to come up with a new plan to absorb migrants reaching its shores via the Mediterranean Sea. A tougher approach to migration was one...

The future of space exploration from 2019-07-12T08:00

This month in 1969 Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the Moon. It was a culmination of human and technological achievement. Both the United States and the Soviet Union claimed v...

Africa's digital transformation from 2019-07-05T08:00

The rollout of the internet in Africa has been patchy. Some countries have used it to leapfrog others, boosting their economies. For many others, new networks and technologies have yet to bear f...

What's happened to gay rights since Stonewall? from 2019-06-28T08:00

Fifty years ago, when gay protesters clashed with New York City police outside a nondescript bar, the Stonewall Inn, few expected it to become one of the turning points in the gay rights movemen...

The vaccination divide from 2019-06-21T08:00

A global survey of public attitudes to health and science has found that twenty percent of Europeans have no confidence in life-saving vaccines. The figure was highest in France where a third of...

Syria: Assad's endgame from 2019-06-14T08:00

After eight gruelling years of war, the rebels in Syria seem to be making a last stand in the province of Idlib. The opposition stronghold in the northwest of the country has been under intense ...

What does the future hold for the Rohingya? from 2019-06-07T08:00

One year ago this week, the government of Myanmar signed an understanding with the United Nations that would pave the way for hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to return home from camps...

European election results: Gridlock or opportunity? from 2019-05-31T08:00

This week the European elections have generated intense discussion: The turnout was the highest for twenty years. And for the first time in decades, the traditional Centre-Right and Centre-Left ...

The new technology cold war from 2019-05-24T08:00

This week the tech giant Google announced it would not provide some of its services to the Chinese company, Huawei, the second biggest mobile handset maker in the world. The Trump administration...

Does WikiLeaks matter? from 2019-05-17T08:00

WikiLeaks has never been far from controversy since the release of its first cache of documents in 2006. Its supporters have welcomed the organisation as a bearer of truth and transparency. Its ...

Can nature be saved? from 2019-05-10T08:00

Biodiversity – that’s the subject of a major report from the UN this week – and it comes with an alarming warning: the variety and fabric of life on earth is in rapid decline all over the planet...

China's Arctic ambitions from 2019-05-03T08:00

China is located nearly 3,000 kilometres from the Arctic Circle but that hasn't stopped it taking a keen interest in the region. Last year China described itself as a 'near Arctic State' and sai...

Is social media killing elections? from 2019-04-26T08:00

Free and fair elections are needed for democracy, and their manipulation has always been an issue. But with the advent of social media, has this problem now become unmanageable? Some argue that ...

The return of the eco-warriors from 2019-04-19T08:00

As evidence of climate change and mass extinctions becomes ever harder to ignore, a new tide of eco-activism is making waves. Schoolchildren across the world have been coming out on strike, with...

Has Brexit broken UK politics? from 2019-04-12T08:00

Has what’s happened since the Brexit referendum revealed serious problems with the way the UK is governed? Was the big mistake to have a referendum on such a complex issue in the first place, ch...

Has the International Criminal Court failed? from 2019-04-05T08:00

Since the inception of the ICC 20 years ago it has been controversial. Supporters see it as a guarantor of justice, ready to step in when states are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes again...

What’s at stake in India’s election? from 2019-03-29T09:00

Battle lines have been drawn, alliances are being firmed up, and the electoral machine has kicked into action. With over 900 million eligible voters, the 2019 parliamentary elections in India wi...

Who are the far-right extremists? from 2019-03-22T09:00

The terror attack on Muslims worshipping in Christchurch, New Zealand has focused minds around the world on the threat from racist far-right extremists. The man responsible cited influences from...

What’s going on at the US-Mexico border? from 2019-03-15T09:00

The number of undocumented migrants captured at the US Mexico border has reached a decade-long high, with the government predicting that the number will continue to rise. President Trump says th...

Has China's economy peaked? from 2019-03-08T09:00

This week thousands of delegates from across China arrived in Beijing for the biggest political gathering of the year. But this time, the government’s message about the economy is less upbeat th...

What next for the wives of Islamic State fighters? from 2019-03-01T09:00

What's next for the thousands of foreign women who have been living with Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria? The situation was highlighted after a British and an American woman expressed t...

Are referendums ever a good idea? from 2019-02-22T09:00

This week was another dramatic one in the long-running saga of Brexit, with the possibility of a second referendum to solve the political impasse created by the first still widely discussed. Mea...

Is capitalism killing our planet, or is it our only hope? from 2019-02-15T09:00

This week was another bad one for the environment, with a major scientific review predicting a mass extinction of insects within a century if current trends continue. Meanwhile, the news on clim...

Forty years since revolution: How stable is Iran? from 2019-02-08T09:00

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 was a defining moment of the 20th Century. What began as a popular movement to oust the Western backed monarchy, later turned Iran into the world's first Islamic r...

What Will Happen to Afghan Women When the US Leaves? from 2019-02-01T09:00

The United States and the Taliban say they have made significant progress towards ending the war in Afghanistan, with the deal expected to include a withdrawal of foreign forces. In return, the ...

What's keeping Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir in power? from 2019-01-25T09:00

Sudan has been witnessing the biggest anti-government protests in years. They began over a month ago when the government announced plans to reduce subsidies on staples like bread and fuel. But a...

Why Does President Trump Stick by Saudi Arabia? from 2019-01-18T09:06

Donald Trump’s first foreign trip as US president was to Saudi Arabia - and this week his Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the Kingdom. Despite increased strains on the relationship, inclu...

Are We Alone In The Universe? from 2019-01-11T09:00

It's an old question, but despite many estimates - based on Frank Drake's famous equation - that our own Milky Way galaxy could contain up to a million alien civilisations, the search for extra-...

BBC Correspondents Look Ahead from 2018-12-28T10:15

How do you look ahead in a world which constantly takes us by surprise, sometimes shocks us, often makes us ask 'what happens next?' Who would have predicted that President Trump would, to use h...

France's Yellow Vests: Macron's Malaise from 2018-12-21T09:00

After weeks of protests and violence, France's President Emmanuel Macron has bowed to the yellow vests protestors. First he made an televised address to the nation in which he admitted he had ma...

China's Big Social Experiment from 2018-12-14T09:00

In 2014, the Chinese government issued a document aimed at increasing the amount of 'trust' in society. Today this emerging system is known as China's social credit system - like a credit score ...

Britain's Big Brexit Moment from 2018-12-07T09:00

There's only one question in Britain these days: what will happen with Brexit? On Tuesday, the future of the country is at stake when the British parliament takes a historic vote on the withdraw...

A New Vision for Mexico from 2018-11-30T09:06

On Saturday, Mexico gets a new president. Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador - or AMLO as he's known. He won a landslide victory and now controls both houses of Congress. Born in poverty, AMLO is promi...

The Modern Face of Money Laundering from 2018-11-23T09:00

The largest money laundering scandal yet uncovered has been back in the spotlight. 200 billion Euros were allegedly laundered through a tiny Estonian branch of the Danish Danske Bank between 200...

Is 'Fake News' a Threat to Democracy? from 2018-11-16T09:00

In the two years since the election of Donald Trump the world has heard a lot about 'fake news'. It's a term the president often uses to go after the media and his opponents. But 'fake news' can...

Why Are Germans Going Green? from 2018-11-09T09:00

Germany, the biggest and richest country in the European Union, is going through a period of considerable political turbulence. After Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, the CDU, performed badly i...

Why is Infertility Rising? from 2018-11-02T09:00

As the world’s population continues to rise, the numbers of children born per woman is still falling. Worldwide there’s now around 2.49 live births per woman, not far above replacement rate. Ma...

Brazil's Lurch to the Right from 2018-10-26T08:00

This weekend, if the polls are right, Brazilians are expected to elect an obscure far-right politician as their next president. Jair Bolsonaro has spent over 20 years in Congress in a variety of...

Is Identity Corroding Democracy? from 2018-10-19T08:00

In many democracies people are demanding attention based on their identity, on their race, sex, or sexual orientation. We see groups such as Black Lives Matter, or movements for white power or L...

Climate Change: Tough Choices from 2018-10-12T08:00

On Monday the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its latest report. The IPCC looked at keeping to a 1.5C rise above pre-industrial temperatures. Scientists say that we can still do...

Norway: From Oil to Renewables from 2018-10-04T23:01

We know that to keep our climate safe we need to stop burning fossil fuels and move to renewables. But how? Leading scientists and government delegates have been asking that question this week a...

Air Pollution: Invisible Killer from 2018-09-28T08:00

Air is all around us. It's invisible and most of the time we don't think much about it. But when the air is polluted, it's deadly. Even when it doesn't kill us, polluted air increases respirator...

Is Unity Coming to Ireland? from 2018-09-21T08:00

Twenty years after the signing of The Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland, Brexit has unleashed new uncertainty about the island's future. In 2016 the UK voted to leave ...

How Lehman's Collapse Changed the World from 2018-09-14T08:00

Ten years ago the US investment bank Lehman Brothers collapsed. The event rocked global stock markets and led to the biggest financial crash since the Great Depression. The decade that followed ...

Sweden: Liberalism in Trouble from 2018-09-07T08:00

For years Sweden has been praised for its generous welfare state and the welcoming hand it held out to refugees. But things are changing. Sweden is approaching the end of its most closely fought...

Who Should Own South African Land? from 2018-08-31T08:00

Nearly 25 years on from independence the vast majority of South Africa’s farmland is still owned by the country’s white minority. But now the governing ANC is coming under pressure to change tha...

A New Perspective on Psychedelics from 2018-08-23T23:06

LSD, magic mushrooms, mescaline, peyote - just some of the most well known psychedelic drugs. Most of them are illegal around the world. Research into psychedelic medicine was virtually shut dow...

Is the Nation State in Decline? from 2018-08-16T23:06

People around the world continue to want a nation to call their own. There have been recent independence referendums in Kurdistan, Catalonia and Scotland. This trend has being going on for a cen...

Extreme Heat: The New Normal? from 2018-08-09T23:06

In many parts of the world this has been a season of extreme heat. Records have been broken from North America to Europe, from the Middle East to Japan and Korea. We know the climate is changing...

Syria: Has Assad Won? from 2018-08-03T08:00

It has been over seven years since the uprising in Syria turned first into a civil war and then into a proxy war that has drawn in countries near and far. During that time at least 350,000 peopl...

A New Dawn for Zimbabwe? from 2018-07-27T08:00

On Monday Zimbabwe will hold elections - the first to take place since former President Robert Mugabe was forced to stand down by the military after nearly 40 years in office. Under his rule the...

How Political is the Mueller Probe? from 2018-07-20T08:00

It has been a torrid week for US-Russian relations. Days after Special Counsel Robert Mueller indicted 12 Russian intelligence officers for interfering in the 2016 US presidential election, Pres...

Do Protests Still Work? from 2018-07-13T08:00

Donald Trump has arrived in England but he's not getting the red carpet treatment a US president might expect. Big protests are planned in London, featuring a march to Trafalgar Square and a si...

Poland Out in the Cold from 2018-07-06T08:00

Poland is one of Europe's economic success stories - and after Brexit, Poland stands to become the EU's fifth-largest state. France and Germany had hoped Poland would work with them to find solu...

Can the EU Survive? from 2018-06-29T08:00

"The fragility of the EU is increasing," says EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, and, "the cracks are growing in size." The cracks appear in many forms. The German Chancellor, Angela Merke...

Who Should Be Let In? from 2018-06-22T08:00

Images of crying children separated from their parents at the US border with Mexico have brought a new urgency to the migration debate in the US. After a week of intense scrutiny on the issue, P...

The Great Disruptor from 2018-06-15T08:00

What is Donald Trump thinking? In one week he calls Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau ‘dishonest and weak’ and then proceeds to boast of his ‘terrific relationship’ with the dictator Kim Jo...

The World Cup: Holy Grail or Poisoned Chalice? from 2018-06-08T08:00

All eyes will be on Russia shortly as it hosts the FIFA World Cup, one of the world's great sporting occasions. The country will get a boost as tourists visit Russia's many far flung cities and ...

Italy's Populist Future from 2018-06-01T11:19

After nearly three months of negotiations and disputes, Italy has a new government. The country that road-tested Trump-style populist politics before the Donald has handed power to a pair of ant...

The Coming Pandemic from 2018-05-25T08:06

Ebola is back. In 2014, it killed over 11,000 people in West Africa. Now the disease has struck once again in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This time doctors are better equipped, with a vacc...

How Do Monarchies Survive? from 2018-05-18T08:00

Hundreds of millions around the world will watch live coverage of the latest British Royal wedding. Queen Elizabeth's grandson Prince Harry is marrying Meghan Markle, an American actress. Divorc...

What Next for Iran? from 2018-05-11T08:00

"This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made," said President Trump as he pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal. "It didn't bring calm, it didn't bring peace, ...

Does the Left have a Future in Latin America? from 2018-05-04T08:00

Thousands of Nicaraguans have been taking to the streets this week to protest against the killing of anti-government demonstrators. They say Daniel Ortega’s Sandinista Front (FSLN) has betrayed ...

Crossing The Age Divide from 2018-04-26T23:01

The world's population is ageing. According to the UN the number of people aged 60 or over is growing faster than all younger age groups. This is putting new pressures on relationships between g...

What Justifies Military Intervention? from 2018-04-20T08:00

The decision by the US, France and Britain to bomb Syria after seeing evidence that President Bashar al-Assad had allegedly used chemical weapons on civilians has divided the international commu...

The State of the Unions from 2018-04-13T08:00

The French President, Emmanuel Macron is taking on the country's powerful unions. The response to his proposed labour reforms has been a wave of public sector strikes across France. It's a batt...

How Do We Cure Our Plastic Addiction? from 2018-04-05T23:01

We have a problem with plastic. We're making too much of it and not re-using and re-cycling enough of it. Plastic is contaminating our oceans and polluting our world. Until this year China took ...

How Do We Build a Better Internet? from 2018-03-29T23:06

When the first website went live just over 25 years ago, there was hope that the internet would change life for the better. These days, though, there is deep unease about the direction the inter...

What is Fuelling War in Yemen? from 2018-03-23T00:01

The UN calls Yemen 'the world's worst humanitarian crisis'. It says more than three-fourths of the population - over 22 million people - are in need of humanitarian assistance. Yemenis face hung...

What Does Putin Want? from 2018-03-16T00:01

Major Western powers are united in their conclusion. Russia, they say, carried out the first offensive use of a nerve agent in Europe since World War Two. The attack happened in the English city...

Does the US Still Want Free Trade? from 2018-03-09T00:01

Donald Trump campaigned on a pledge to put 'America first'. In his first year in office the policy was pursued in a number of areas including immigration and national security, but, when it came...

Xi Who Would be King from 2018-03-02T00:01

The announcement was low key but the implications are big. The Communist Party of China has recommended that the constitution be amended to allow President Xi Jinping to serve longer than the cu...

Russia's Information Wars from 2018-02-23T00:01

The first edition with our new name: Newshour Extra is now The Real Story with Carrie Gracie.

Has Russia changed the rules of the game with the use of fake accounts on social media to med...

Does Europe Need an Army? from 2018-02-16T00:01

As European intelligence chiefs meet in Germany calling for greater co-operation to tackle common security threats, we take a look Europe's move towards a more unified defence strategy. Since t...

Should Your Pay be Private? from 2018-02-09T00:01

Our pay is still largely a private matter - but why is that? What would happen if pay was transparent? Would it be good or bad for business? Would employers have to address inequality and discri...

Afghanistan: Time to Talk to the Taliban? from 2018-02-02T09:00

January has been bloody in the Afghan capital Kabul, where more than 130 civilians have been killed and many more wounded in a series of attacks by the Taliban and the Islamic State group. Suici...

What are Turkey's Aims in Syria? from 2018-01-26T00:01

Turkey has sent tanks and warplanes into northern Syria. Their stated target is a Kurdish militia group, the YPG, regarded by Ankara as a terrorist organisation allied to the Kurdistan Workers' ...

Does Coal Have a Future? from 2018-01-19T00:01

President Trump says he is a friend of coal country. He promised to end the "war on coal" and bring back jobs in the coal mines. A year on from his inauguration and he seems to have made good on...

Addicted to the Game from 2018-01-12T00:01

Gaming is big business. More that 2 billion gamers around the world generated more than 100 billion dollars in game revenues last year. But for some people all the fun is coming at a cost. The W...

What is Wrong with Eating Meat? from 2018-01-05T09:00

It's the first week of the new year, which means many people are recovering from consuming large quantities of meat over the festive season. In fact, people around the world are eating more mea...

What Now For the Palestinians? from 2017-12-15T09:00

Donald Trump's announcement that he's formally recognising Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and setting in motion a plan to move the US embassy there has been condemned by many world leaders. ...

Bitcoin: Bubble or Brave New World? from 2017-12-08T00:01

In March you could buy a Bitcoin, one of a number of ‘cryptocurrencies’, for about US$1,200. Since then its value has increased more than tenfold to over US$15,000. So why the excitement? Is it...

Brexit's First Big Test from 2017-12-01T00:01

A key deadline is looming for Brexit Britain. The British government has until Monday, December 4th, to finalise its offer on three key issues: the Irish border, a financial settlement and Europ...

The Battle for Lebanon from 2017-11-24T00:01

Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri shocked his country when he recently resigned while in Saudi Arabia citing fears for his safety. The move plunged Lebanon into a crisis as Lebanese leaders accus...

Europe's Growing Culture Wars from 2017-11-17T09:00

One of the explanations for the victory of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the US presidential election was that Trump had pushed back against the progressive cultural values that had been occ...

What does Trump want from China? from 2017-11-10T09:00

When President Trump was elected a year ago he promised tough action on China. During his campaign he called the rising Asian power a currency manipulator and threatened tariffs on Chinese goods. ...

Do We Need Economic Growth? from 2017-11-03T09:00

Donald Trump has said his proposed tax cuts will be 'rocket fuel' for the US economy. He is the latest in a long line of political leaders chasing economic growth as a key policy objective. We are ...

Is Democracy Working For Africa? from 2017-10-30T15:36

Kenya's disputed presidential election has plunged the country into crisis and brought the legitimacy of the whole democratic process there into question. So on this week's Newshour Extra we take ...

Is a Stronger Japan Good for the World? from 2017-10-20T08:00

After its traumatic defeat in the Second World War, Japan turned its back on military power and concentrated instead on economic growth. Japan’s alliance with the US was enough to protect it from t...

Iran: Deal or no Deal? from 2017-10-13T08:00

A nuclear weapon in the hands of the Ayatollahs has long been a nightmare of Iran's opponents in the Middle East and beyond. So when, in 2015, the world's big powers signed a deal with Iran that pr...

What Does it Take to Make Peace? from 2017-10-06T08:00

We live in dangerous times. Conflicts in the Middle East continue unabated; President Trump threatens to "totally destroy" North Korea; and Catalonia opts to secede from Spain with potentially vio...

Why Secede? from 2017-09-29T08:00

What’s so important about having your own country? On Monday many Kurds in Northern Iraq voted for independence, and the Spanish government is seeking to stop a separatist referendum in Catalonia t...

Who Do You Trust? from 2017-09-22T08:00

With journalists disbelieved, politicians distrusted, judges called ‘enemies of the people’, and scientists and experts dismissed out of hand, established democracies seem to be undergoing a crisis...

Extreme Weather: Who Foots the Bill? from 2017-09-15T08:00

The trail of wrecked buildings, overturned cars, and broken boats in the wake of hurricanes Harvey and Irma have reminded the world of the ferocious power of nature. Extreme weather events are beco...

What's Gone Wrong in Myanmar? from 2017-09-08T08:00

As tens of thousands of Muslim Rohingya refugees flee Myanmar for Bangladesh we ask who's responsible for the violence in Rakhine state that's forcing them out. It all looked so different two years...

Are Smartphones Harming Teenagers? from 2017-09-01T08:00

The spread of smartphones has come with increasing rates of depression in teenagers. Psychologists are debating whether too much time online and looking at screens is causing rising rates of obesit...

Toppling statues: When should they come down? from 2017-08-25T08:00

The violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia - which left one woman dead and many others injured - have intensified the debate about the hundreds of statues and plaques commemorating Confedera...

Facing the Future from 2017-08-18T08:00

Facial recognition technology - once a thing of science fiction - is coming to a screen near you. It’s already helping to smooth our travel experiences and assisting police to track and arrest susp...

Pakistan at 70 - Success or Failure? from 2017-08-11T08:00

As the 70th anniversary of the partition of British India approaches, Owen Bennett Jones is in Pakistan. In the massive, energetic, creative and sometimes violent city of Karachi, Owen and his gues...

How secular is India 70 years after Partition? from 2017-08-04T08:00

In 2014 Narendra Modi's BJP returned to power winning a majority in India's parliament. He offered a billion Indians a blend of pro-business economics and a vision of India as primarily a Hindu sta...

Water: The Stuff of Life from 2017-07-28T08:00

Water supplies are coming under pressure in many parts of the world. Too much water is taken out of rivers or pumped from underground aquifers to be sustainable. While water has been used as a wea...

Living Longer Lives: Blessing or Curse? from 2017-07-21T08:00

Half of all people born in industrialised countries today can expect to live to 100. What implications does that have for individuals and for societies around the world? Owen Bennett Jones and his ...

What Next For Islamic State? from 2017-07-14T08:00

'Their fictitious state has fallen,' announced an Iraqi spokesman following the retaking of Mosul this week after a long and brutal battle with Islamic State militants. With IS also in retreat in ...

Globalisation: Winners and Losers from 2017-07-07T08:00

Globalisation is under fire. Many voters in Britain and America have turned against it, and in President Trump protectionism has found a champion. But the promoters of globalisation are regrouping....

What's the Best Healthcare System? from 2017-06-30T08:00

Cost, coverage, choice - some of the trade-offs needed to make a healthy nation. As the US Congress struggles to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act - widely known as Obamacare - we ask what...

Greece: A Long Road to Recovery from 2017-06-23T08:00

Greece has been through dark economic times over the past decade. Last week a European Union loan of 8.5bn Euros enabled Greece to meet its latest debt payments. The IMF says this deal will help Gr...

Qatar Under Siege from 2017-06-16T08:00

Qatar has been economically and diplomatically isolated by its powerful neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain. They accuse the small Gulf state of supporting terrorist groups and of being too...

UK Election 2017: The World View from 2017-06-09T18:50

The UK election has produced a much closer result than expected, with the Conservative Party now seeking to form a minority government. On Newshour Extra this week, Owen Bennett Jones and his pane...

Brazil’s Corruption Crisis from 2017-06-02T08:00

Brazil has been rocked by a series of corruption scandals in recent years - Operation 'Car Wash' is just one of the many ongoing investigations that stretch into the highest levels of business and ...

How Can We Make Our Cities Safe? from 2017-05-26T08:00

In the wake of the suicide bomb attack at a concert venue in Manchester, Newshour Extra this week is asking how major cities around the world can minimise the risk to their citizens from such atroc...

Trump and Russia: A Long Relationship from 2017-05-19T08:00

President Trump’s connections with Russia is a story that won’t go away. There are so many allegations flying around that it can be difficult to separate what is actually known and what is rumour. ...

Iran: Voting for Change? from 2017-05-12T08:00

Next week Iranians go to the polls to elect a new president. But how much of a choice do they really have? All six candidates are men, and all six have been chosen by the unelected Guardian Council...

What's Wrong with Science? from 2017-05-05T08:00

Science has changed the world - it helps us live longer and more productive lives. It helps us communicate, explore the universe, understand our planet and cure our illnesses. It's so powerful a fo...

Trump’s World: 100 Days of Change from 2017-04-28T08:00

Donald Trump came into the White House promising to tear up the US foreign policy playbook: Russia could be a friend, NATO was ‘obsolete’, and trade deals hurt American jobs. In his first hundred d...

Hungary: Protest and Populism from 2017-04-21T08:00

Is the increasingly autocratic brand of populism adopted by Hungary’s right-wing government becoming a laboratory for right wing parties around the world? Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s tough polic...

Hacking the Vote from 2017-04-14T08:00

Highly sophisticated techniques to ‘micro-target’ voters, using personal data and demographics have been credited with contributing to the recent outcomes of both the Brexit vote in the UK and Dona...

President Trump's Promises to America’s Farmers from 2017-04-07T08:00

How will President Trump's pledge to remove illegal immigrants and create jobs for Americans impact America's agricultural heartlands? Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are in the rural American st...

Under Scrutiny: America’s Somali Community from 2017-03-31T08:00

The state of Minnesota is home to America’s largest Somali community. This week, Owen Bennett Jones and the Newshour Extra team are there for a special edition of the programme. In front of a liv...

South Sudan: The Creation of a Failed State from 2017-03-24T09:00

South Sudan, the world’s newest state, faces a humanitarian catastrophe from famine driven by conflict. According to the United Nations many millions are threatened by severe food insecurity, with ...

Brexit: Now for the Hard Part from 2017-03-17T09:00

This week the UK’s parliament gave Prime Minister Theresa May permission to trigger the process that will take the UK out of the European Union. Two years of negotiations will follow. But what kind...

What is an Islamic State? from 2017-03-10T10:05

Pakistan was conceived of as a country where Muslims could live free of Hindu domination and discrimination but was that the extent of the project? Was it meant to be a country in which Muslims cou...

De-Extinction: Return of the Woolly Mammoth? from 2017-03-03T09:00

If we had the scientific capability to bring back extinct species should we do it? Which ones would we choose and why? How about woolly mammoths roaming across the Arctic tundra, or vast flocks of...

The French Election: What's at Stake? from 2017-02-24T09:00

A presidential race for the Elysee Palace that has torn up the rule book is nearing its tumultuous conclusion. France’s two main parties have cast aside their old leaders and an independent candid...

Libya: Return of the Strongman from 2017-02-17T09:00

Six years ago this week the brutal repression of a protest in Libya's second city of Benghazi inspired a revolution that led to the fall of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Today the country is preyed on b...

Will Your Children Have A Job? from 2017-02-10T10:23

Robots, artificial intelligence and automation are spreading beyond the assembly line to compete for many of our jobs. Economists forecast that as many as half of current jobs in the developed worl...

What Does Steve Bannon Think? from 2017-02-03T09:00

Steve Bannon is widely seen as one of the most influential – and in some quarters one of the most dangerous - men in President Trump’s administration. He holds the key post of White House Chief St...

Nuclear Weapons: How Safe are We? from 2017-01-27T09:00

Nuclear weapons and mutually assured destruction are associated with the Cold War but today more countries have the bomb than ever. An American president has the power to unilaterally start a nucle...

Turkey: Democracy and Crisis from 2017-01-20T09:00

Turkey straddles the divide between Europe and Asia and is seen as a key ally against the rise of islamist extremism. Yet Turkey is at the same time facing its own potentially destabilising politic...

What Future for Ukraine? from 2017-01-13T09:00

Three years ago this winter hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians gathered in Kiev's Independence Square, demanding closer integration with Europe instead of Russia, and, eventually, forcing the gove...

Tackling Urban Violence from 2017-01-06T09:00

In 2016 the murder rate in the American city of Chicago went up by 50% - there were were 762 killings. That's more killings in Chicago than Los Angeles and New York combined. The fact other cities...

What to Look Out for in 2017 from 2017-01-04T11:50

BBC correspondents predict what's going to happen on the world stage in the coming year. Joining Owen Bennett Jones to look into the global crystal ball are Lyse Doucet, Jon Sopel, James Robbins a...

After Aleppo? from 2016-12-23T09:00

What should we make of the growing influence of Iran in the politics of the region? Along with Russia, Iran has been a key ally to President Assad in turning the tide the Syrian conflict. So is it...

Just a Phone Call: Shaking up US-China Relations from 2016-12-16T09:00

The delicate balancing act over Taiwan has been a cornerstone of US-China relations for decades, but it appears that Donald Trump wants to shake it up. In early December he broke decades of diplom...

Congo in Crisis from 2016-12-09T09:00

Opposition leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo are warning that the country faces civil war if the current president, Joseph Kabila, refuses to step down at the end of his term of office. T...

Why is Guantanamo Still Open? from 2016-12-02T10:00

On just his second day in office, President Obama signed an executive order to close the Guantanamo Bay prison within a year. It’s now approaching the end of his second term and prisoners are still...

Trade Wars: the End of Globalisation? from 2016-11-25T10:00

Donald Trump has promised to tear up the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal – or TPP – on his first day in office. The massive trade deal agreed in 2015 would have lowered tariffs and de...

Syria: A Complicated War from 2016-11-18T10:00

This week, a special programme recorded in Damascus and Beirut looking at the Syrian conflict and its possible solutions. It’s a highly complex struggle. But is it right to characterise it as a civ...

Trump’s World from 2016-11-11T10:00

What might American foreign policy look like under a Donald Trump presidency? Based on his rhetoric during the campaign, the scale of the departure from the status quo will be profound. He promise...

The Anti-Establishment Revolt from 2016-11-04T10:00

Across the world we’re seeing the rise of a new kind of popular politics. The old established order is under threat and voters are turning to politicians who offer bold promises for a fresh start. ...

Election Rigging: Safeguarding the Vote from 2016-10-28T09:00

Donald Trump says the US presidential election is rigged. To what extent are his complaints justified and just how do politicians and their supporters manipulate the results of elections in their f...

South Africa: an Uncertain Future from 2016-10-21T09:00

South Africa’s universities are being rocked by increasingly violent student protests over tuition fees. The issue has become a flashpoint for a country struggling to provide education, jobs and ho...

Debt: Borrowers Beware? from 2016-10-14T09:00

Is debt essential for economic growth? We look at the economics and morality of debt. Should countries burdened with huge debts be forced to repay them in full? And, if it is fine for an individual...

Mercenaries: Guns for Hire from 2016-10-07T09:00

The use of mercenaries in warfare has a very long history, and still very much in evidence today. African governments seeking to push back rebel insurgents often employ mercenaries to carry out th...

Challenging America's Two Party System from 2016-09-30T08:00

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are seen as the most unpopular candidates to have ever stood for the presidency of the United States. So why is it so difficult for a third party candidate to break...

Kashmir in Crisis from 2016-09-23T08:00

Tensions are high in the disputed region of Kashmir. Weeks of protest in the Indian-administered part have left dozens dead and hundreds injured many of them blinded by crowd-control pellets fired...

Driving into the Future from 2016-09-16T09:00

How comfortable would you feel getting into a vehicle driven by a computer? Versions of the driver-less car are now a reality, already on public roads in Singapore and as a taxi service in the city...

Aleppo: Syria’s Stalingrad? from 2016-09-09T08:00

The battle of Stalingrad was arguably the most important strategic battle of the Second World War. The Germans and their allies were eventually defeated by Russian forces after a long, brutal conf...

The End of Cash? from 2016-09-02T08:00

In the UK most payments now made do not involve cash. Rather than handing over notes and coins, most transfers are made electronically. South Korea's central bank has a target of eliminating cash b...

What is the Cost of Preserving the Past? from 2016-08-26T09:00

There was widespread shock and international condemnation when the Islamic State group destroyed the ancient Syrian site of Palmyra in 2015. But why does preserving heritage matter? Does an explora...

Online Harassment: the Plague of Social Media from 2016-08-19T08:00

This week it was announced that London was getting a new team of specialist police officers to investigate online hate crimes, including abuse on Twitter and Facebook. But how widespread is the pro...

Is it time to Abolish India’s Caste System? from 2016-08-12T09:00

Is India’s caste system a discriminatory and divisive anachronism that’s had its day, or does it provide stability and order in a complex society with its roots in ancient traditions? Members of th...

Zimbabwe after Mugabe from 2016-08-05T09:00

Zimbabwe’s economy is in severe crisis and President Robert Mugabe’s opponents are growing increasingly bold with widespread public sector strikes and protests on the streets of the capital Harare ...

A Flickering Flame: is the Olympic Ideal Dead? from 2016-07-29T09:00

“The important thing in life is not to win but to take part, the essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well”. So said the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Baron Pierre ...

Turkey’s Failed Coup: What Next? from 2016-07-22T09:00

This week, Owen Bennett Jones is in Istanbul for a special edition of the programme looking at the aftermath of the failed coup attempt in Turkey. We ask who was really behind the putsch and what ...

Bangladesh: Extremism on the Rise from 2016-07-15T07:56

Is Bangladesh losing control to violent fundamentalists? That’s the question Razia Iqbal and her guests are discussing on this week’s Newshour Extra. In early July Islamist gunmen took hostages in ...

Power to the People? from 2016-07-08T09:00

British politics is in turmoil following the EU referendum result, and the American political establishment has been turned upside down by the rise of populist candidates. Is this a sign that democ...

Don’t Be Evil: Technology and Power from 2016-07-01T09:00

Google famously said "don't be evil" in its mission statement. But what does this actually mean in practice? The giants of the internet such as Google, Facebook and Amazon have transformed our worl...

Does the EU Have a Future? from 2016-06-24T16:56

What does the UK leaving the EU say about the strength of the organisation going forward? Can it perhaps accomplish more with a reluctant partner gone? Or is the ambition of ever-closer political a...

The Shameful Game: Understanding Hooliganism from 2016-06-17T07:00

This week Owen Bennett Jones and his guests on Newshour Extra explore the reasons behind the shocking level of fan violence at the Euro 2016 football championships in France. English and Russian s...

America’s Global Challenge from 2016-06-10T08:00

What might foreign policy look like under the next president of the United States? This week, Ritula Shah presents the programmes from Washington, asking how President Trump or President Clinton mi...

Cyberwarfare: The Digital Battlefield from 2016-06-03T09:00

Will future wars be fought online? Just how much damage can be done by cyber terrorists hacking into to top secret military sites, secure government networks, or perhaps vital public utilities runn...

Venezuela on the Brink from 2016-05-27T08:00

How has a country so rich in natural resources ended up so poor? That’s the question Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are discussing in this week’s Newshour Extra. Venezuela’s economy is in freefa...

Saudi Arabia's Grand Vision from 2016-05-20T08:38

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are looking at a radical new economic and social vision for the country proposed by the Saudi monarchy. It’s not simply a set of proposals to end Saudi...

The Cost of Corruption from 2016-05-13T09:00

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and his guests tackle the world of tax havens, financial transparency and money laundering. World leaders, activists and experts met in London for a major conference ...

The Philippines: a Pivotal Election? from 2016-05-06T09:00

On Monday the Philippines holds what are seen as the most hotly contested elections in its history. The country is a key regional ally for the United States as part of its ‘Pivot to Asia’ strategy,...

US Sport: Money and Power from 2016-04-29T08:00

Owen Bennett-Jones is at the University of Texas in Austin, discussing sport and empowerment in the United States. The major professional sports in America make billions of dollars in revenue, and ...

The End of Feminism? from 2016-04-22T08:00

Owen Bennett Jones is in New Orleans, debating with his guests the relevance of feminism today. In many ways things have never been better for women; there are more female college graduates than me...

Oklahoma: Reclaiming Native America? from 2016-04-15T08:00

Oklahoma has one of the largest Native American populations in the United States. By using their right to govern themselves, Oklahoma’s tribes have become economic powerhouses, contributing hugely ...

Should Britain Be Ashamed Of Its Colonial Past? from 2016-04-08T10:10

This week, Owen Bennett Jones and guests are at the Oxford Literary Festival. Across the world student bodies have been have been asking universities to distance themselves from historical symbols...

Can Iraq Avoid Fragmentation? from 2016-04-01T09:00

Ever since the invasion in 2003 Iraq has faced ceaseless conflict. Today there are two parallel crises. In Baghdad protesters are demanding an end to elite corruption. And, on the battlefield, the ...

Tanzania: Can Language Unite a Nation? from 2016-03-25T08:00

We travel to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania - a country that many believe can teach a lesson to others seeking unity and stability, because right from the start the first post-independence leader Julius...

Colombia: Peace at Last? from 2016-03-18T10:00

Is half a century of civil war about to come to an end in Colombia? Negotiators from the government and the FARC rebels are currently hammering out the final terms of a deal. The agreement will ul...

Understanding North Korea from 2016-03-11T10:00

What does North Korea’s leader want? And, what do we really know about who runs the country? As the international community ramps up sanctions in response to Pyongyang’s latest nuclear test, will a...

Money for Nothing? from 2016-03-04T10:00

What if governments paid all their citizens a basic income? Whether rich or poor, you would receive the same amount of money, and you would keep it whether you went out to work and received a salar...

Is Iran Changing? from 2016-02-26T10:00

Iran is holding its first elections since the nuclear agreement was signed last year under which international sanctions against Iran were lifted. We take a look inside Iran and asking whether real...

What Hope For Peace in Syria? from 2016-02-22T10:49

In the four years since the Syrian conflict began, a quarter of a million people have been killed and 11 million people - half the country’s population - have fled their homes. Despite each new set...

Getting the World Online from 2016-02-12T10:00

Billions of the world’s poorest people have no access to the internet. Connectivity is growing fast in many parts of the globe, but not everywhere. In large parts of Africa and South Asia, for exa...

Zika and the Next Global Pandemic from 2016-02-05T11:35

As fears grow over the impact of the Zika virus and its suspected links to birth defects, Newshour Extra brings together a panel of global experts to discuss how best to tackle the virus and the da...

Cities of the Future from 2016-01-29T10:00

What will the cities of the future look like, and will we like living in them? Vast mega-cities are emerging, notably in the developing world, as people migrate towards urban centres in search of w...

One Rule for the Rich… from 2016-01-22T10:00

The world’s wealthiest business executives and most influential politicians are meeting this weekend in the exclusive Swiss ski resort, Davos. They’ll be striking deals, making decisions that will ...

A New Deal for Libya? from 2016-01-18T13:51

After the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has descended into a chaos of warring factions. Western forces that initially supported the uprising are now largely absent and Islamic State milit...

The End of Oil? from 2016-01-08T10:00

In recent months oil prices have fallen to historically low levels. The impact is being felt from Saudi Arabia to Venezuela – revenues are collapsing, and producers are in trouble. Why has the pric...

Reaching for the Stars from 2015-12-18T10:00

What does the future hold for human space exploration? With more countries getting involved and costs falling, increasingly ambitious projects are being proposed. Is a permanent base on the Moon ...

Exodus from Eritrea from 2015-12-11T10:00

Why are so many Eritreans fleeing their country? With a population of just six million, this young country in the Horn of Africa has accounted for the third largest flow of refugees into Europe th...

Adapting to a Warmer World from 2015-12-04T10:00

Our world is getting warmer despite the best efforts of the scientists, politicians and diplomats. A global agreement in Paris on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions may help slow the rise in temp...

Editing the Human Genome from 2015-11-27T10:00

Remarkable new techniques for ‘editing’ DNA – chemically cutting and splicing sections of genetic code – are revolutionising research in laboratories around the world. The potential for eradicating...

What Drives Islamic State? from 2015-11-20T11:30

The rise of the Islamic State group has been both shocking and unprecedented. With ever more violent attacks on civilian targets come outpourings of anger and frustration at the inability of gover...

Global Trade: the New Imperialism? from 2015-11-13T10:00

In December, the World Trade Organisation will hold major talks in Nairobi, Kenya – the first time ever one of its high-level summits has been in Africa. Global trade has brought enormous economic ...

The Obama Doctrine from 2015-11-06T10:00

When Obama first came to office there was a huge amount of global expectation riding on his foreign policy. He promised to heal the breach with the Islamic world, restore America’s good name, and f...

Egypt: Democracy or Dictatorship? from 2015-10-30T10:00

More than two years after the overthrow of elected president Mohammed Morsi, Egyptians are going to the polls in the final stage of a promised return to parliamentary democracy. Morsi, whose govern...

A Scramble for the Arctic from 2015-10-23T09:00

The Arctic is the fastest-warming region of the globe, with temperatures rising at least twice as quickly as the rest of the planet. While that means hardship for much of the area’s wildlife and in...

Is Europe Broken? from 2015-10-16T12:52

As European leaders gather in Brussels to discuss the many crises facing the continent, we ask whether the Union can survive the multiple shocks of migration, economic stress and the possibility of...

Doing Business with Mr Putin from 2015-10-09T08:45

A special edition of Newshour Extra, recorded at the annual conference of the governing UK Conservative Party, discussing appropriate responses to Russia's actions in Ukraine and Syria. Should EU a...

Watching Big Brother from 2015-10-02T09:09

When former CIA employee Edward Snowden blew the lid on the extent of digital surveillance by western governments two years ago, it sparked a fierce debate about the rights of citizens to privacy v...

Does Power Make You Mad? from 2015-09-29T12:46

Should political leaders be subject to term limits? Is power so intoxicating that too much of it sends you mad? There are those in power who seem convinced that if they stood aside the consequence...

Who Runs Pakistan? from 2015-09-25T09:34

Owen Bennett Jones and his guests are in Islamabad to discuss who is actually governing Pakistan. Two years into the civilian premiership of Nawaz Sharif, there is much talk of the growing influenc...

Argentina's Lessons for Greece? from 2015-09-23T12:48

The Greek government is facing a critical test. Wracked with debt, can it keep its economy afloat whilst staying within the European currency zone? And if it does fail to reach a deal with credito...

Britain's Battle with Radical Islam from 2015-09-23T12:14

This week a young British suicide-bomber has been killed in Iraq; three sisters travelled to Syria taking their children along with them; and a white British muslim convert died fighting with the S...

Have we Forgotten to Fear the Bomb? from 2015-09-23T11:03

Have we lost our fear of the bomb? And, how successful have efforts been to limit its spread? Seventy years ago, the very first nuclear weapon was detonated by the US army in the deserts of New Mex...

How Close Are We to an Independent Kurdistan? from 2015-09-23T10:22

***This broadcast features an interview with an individual, 28, referred to as Macer Gifford. We have been asked to clarify that this is not his real name but a pseudonym.***
For millions of Ku...

Haiti Aid: Throwing Good Money After Bad? from 2015-09-23T10:17

Five and a half years ago Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake, affecting three million people. It was already the poorest country in the Americas, and the disaster prompted an unprecedented respo...

China's Embattled Lawyers from 2015-09-23T09:28

In the past two months over 200 Chinese lawyers and their associates have been detained – some have even vanished completely. The Chinese government says that they’ve been abusing their positions t...

Dangerous Games from 2015-09-18T09:00

There is now compelling scientific evidence that repeated head injuries in contact sports can result in permanent brain damage. But how seriously are sporting authorities taking this latest researc...

India’s Education Boom from 2015-09-15T08:54

Across the developing world there is an unprecedented demand for education, and to meet it countries are rapidly developing their higher education systems. It’s seen as a vital path to success and ...

Yemen's Forgotten War from 2015-09-04T09:00

The conflict in Yemen has descended into a humanitarian crisis of devastating proportions, largely unseen by the rest of the world. What began during the Arab Spring with a popular uprising to ous...

Crash, Contagion or Correction? from 2015-08-28T09:00

Are global financial markets on the edge of a precipice, or have the dramatic falls in China’s markets been contained? After the crash of 2008, President Obama assured the world that secure measur...