Putting his first boot forward: Russian troops move
President Vladimir Putin has declared the independence of the two Ukrainian provinces of Donbas—and sent in "peacekeepers". We ask what is next. The African Union was founded two decades ago this year...
22 Feb 202223min
Trial run: genocide claims against Myanmar
The Gambia’s first-of-its-kind case at the International Court of Justice might bring a rebuke and shine light on Myanmar’s brutal tactics. It might not, alas, bring succour for the Rohingyas. Our cor...
21 Feb 202224min
On the brinkmanship: a special episode on Ukraine and Russia
We unpick the week’s torrent of headlines; an invasion may yet come but either way President Vladimir Putin has already harmed Russia. The country’s digital self-isolation project is quietly forging a...
18 Feb 202226min
Sharpest tools, in a box: miniature vaccine factories
BioNTech, the German firm behind the first licensed coronavirus jab, reveals its attempts to stuff its technology into shipping containers—to be used where they are most needed. In the second instalme...
17 Feb 202222min
Judge, jury and executive: another power-grab in Tunisia
Last summer President Kais Saied nobbled the legislature; now he has abolished the judiciary. We ask where the country is headed, and why there is so little protest. Brazil’s modern-art scene, born a ...
16 Feb 202221min
Yen here before: Japan’s “new capitalism”
Today’s figures showing the first annual economic growth in three years may seem promising. But the grand plans of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio resemble past policies that have not worked. The finely ...
15 Feb 202220min
Not trucking around: Canada’s protests spread
It has become much more than a fight against proof-of-vaccination strictures. The anti-government mood has spread in Canada and abroad. What happens next? Haiti has received billions upon billions in ...
14 Feb 202222min
Withdrawal symptoms: Afghanistan goes hungry
Since American forces left, pessimism has skyrocketed—and with good reason. Starvation is driving Afghans to sell their organs and even their children in order to eat. The artificial snow of this year...
11 Feb 202223min
