Yesterday

Songs of disenchantment: the sorrow of Nigeria

Nigeria is suffering a worsening security crisis, compounded by a lean harvest, global aid cuts and rising energy prices. So why is President Bola Tinubu likely to win January’s election? Europe is struggling to develop a rival to Starlink and reduce reliance on American satellit ... Show More

24m 40s

Oct 22

Dunes and gloom: MBS’s annus horribilis

This week, Muhammad bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was forced to postpone his annual investment summit. His other big bets on the kingdom’s future are also floundering. Sam Bankman-Fried, a crypto-billionaire supporter of effective altruism, calls our correspondent fro ... Show More

24m 21s

Oct 21

Cash test: can Europe support Ukraine alone?

Donald Trump’s administration is turning against Ukraine. But as European powers confront trouble at home, they are struggling to replace American support. Are US private science institutions entering a golden age? And the climb in art crime.Guests and host:Anton La Guardia, dipl ... Show More

23m 50s

Aug 2024

The human strain: can mpox be contained?

<p>Mpox is spreading fast across Africa, yet public information campaigns are scant and vaccines in short supply. Is a new pandemic in the offing? Strategists are pondering a new potential threat from Russia: the possibility that it could detonate a <a href="https://www.economist ... Show More

25m 18s

May 2024

Fear on draft: Ukraine’s fraught mobilisation

<p>A chat with the deputy boss of Ukraine’s military intelligence reveals <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/05/02/a-fresh-russian-push-will-test-ukraine-severely-says-a-senior-general?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_conten ... Show More

22m 43s

Aug 2022

Sunday Edition: Did We Miss Our Chance to Contain Monkeypox?

As monkeypox continues to spread around the US, federal health officials have rolled out a new strategy they say will stretch vaccine supply amid high demand. We break down what you should know about virus and look at why we may have already missed our chance at effectively conta ... Show More

15m 28s

Aug 2024

Weekly: Could mpox be the next covid-19?; Science of beat drops; Clothes made from potatoes

🎧 Episode 265 ⚡️ The latest mpox variant has infected a record number of people in central Africa, has been found in travellers in Sweden and Thailand, and the World Health Organization has now declared it a public health emergency of international concern – just 15 months after ... Show More

29m 45s

Aug 2022

Monkeypox Declared Public Health Emergency. Now What?

This episode is available to everyone, though on some platforms there may be a short delay in availability between the version for subscribers (which is sponsor-free) and non-subscribers (which includes sponsor interruptions). Thank you for your patience! The Department of Health ... Show More

12m 43s

Jul 2024

Mpox: What does the new strain mean for you?

A new strain of the mpox virus is spreading quickly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and experts say it is the most dangerous variant they have seen.We chat to Makuochi Okafor, a BBC Africa health reporter, who explains the symptoms of mpox, why scientists changed its name, a ... Show More

12m 23s

Sep 2024

The race to understand mpox

Last month the World Health Organization declared the recent mpox outbreak that began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo a public health emergency of international concern. As scientists race to find out more about the new strain, Ian Sample talks to Trudie Lang, professor o ... Show More

16m 35s

Nov 2021

Can governments handle an ever-changing virus?

Countries are closing their borders and imposing travel restrictions in a race to contain the new Omicron Covid-19 variant. While little is known about it, there are fears it may be highly infectious and more resistant to vaccines. So, are governments prepared to deal with an eve ... Show More

24m 1s