Yesterday

Dhaka matters: an election for Bangladesh

The toppling of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hassina in Bangladesh in 2024 was celebrated as a triumph for democracy. Tomorrow the country finally heads to the polls. Our correspondent weighs the choice. Can Mars and other bleak planets be made fit for human habitation? And why AI ... Show More

20m 32s

Feb 10

A Keir-death experience: Britain's PM clings on

Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls for his resignation from a senior party member. He has survived – but Britain’s prime minister is now fighting for his political survival. Assisted dying legislation is catching up with public opinion in America. And what happens when skiing meets ... Show More

20m 53s

Feb 9

Snap judgement: Japan PM’s electoral landslide

Takaichi Sanae’s gamble to call a general election has paid off. How will the prime minister’s thumping victory change Japan? New legislation in Republican states could imperil academic freedom. And why “Taxi Driver” resonates 50 years after the film’s release.Guests and host:Ros ... Show More

23m 9s

Aug 2024

The human strain: can mpox be contained?

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 nuclear weapon in space (09:42). ... Show More

25m 18s

Sep 2025

Call the shots: vaccine cuts imperil global health

America’s health secretary, RFK Jr, is known for his opposition to vaccines, particularly mRNA jabs, that have the potential to treat a large swathe of diseases. Slashing funding will have long term implications beyond America. Our correspondent visits Britain’s biggest and newes ... Show More

21m 26s

Jul 2025

Hawks v talks: barriers to peace in Gaza

Even as Western countries band together to condemn Israel’s actions, aid remains at a trickle and the war is expanding into a central-Gazan city. We ask how the horrors might end. As with many technologies before it, many worry artificial intelligence will ultimately dumb down it ... Show More

24m 44s

Sep 2025

Wary pharma: AstraZeneca sours on UK

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has paused a £200m investment in Britain and could move its primary listing to America. Can the UK maintain its status as a “life-science superpower”? Why autonomous air wings are the future of war in the sky. And how scientists in the Caribbean a ... Show More

22m 31s

Mar 2025

One week in the life of Volodymyr Zelensky

After a turbulent seven days, how will President Volodymyr Zelensky tackle the domestic and international challenges ahead? Our correspondent attends “Ode to Resilience”, a concert of defiance in Ukraine (9:55). And how “The Economist” reported on the Allies’ advance across Europ ... Show More

22m 59s

Sep 2025

Honey, we shrunk the kids: population fall

Falling fertility makes a global decline in population inevitable. That will change the shape and make up of societies. But it may not make us poorer. Are large language models really woke? And reading is on the wane – and why that matters. Listen to what matters most, from globa ... Show More

23m 46s

Feb 2025

How Close Are We to Another Pandemic?

<p>An outbreak of bird flu has been tearing through the nation’s dairy farms and infecting more and more people.</p><p>Now there are troubling signs that the United States may be closer to another pandemic, even as President Trump dismantles the country’s public health system.</p ... Show More

25m 6s

Sep 2025

Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slowing?

The collapse of Russia’s wartime economy has long been foretold, yet massive fiscal stimulus has compensated for the effect of sanctions. Though the pinch is now being felt, the labour market is surprisingly resilient. Protesters in China are getting more creative. And why car to ... Show More

23m 30s

Aug 2025

Peace by piece? Zelensky and Trump meet again

After an inconclusive summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the stakes are high for Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with the US president in Washington today. Enter the “solopreneur”: why AI is allowing entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses on thei ... Show More

21m 6s

Jan 2025

Putty people: can Trump get his picks?

As some of Donald Trump’s most controversial choices for top jobs are questioned this week, our correspondent analyses how supine Republicans may be in his second term. Has the luxury business passed its peak (09:57)? And why scientists are finding new ways to deal with an invasi ... Show More

23m 20s