As the easternmost European Union member, Finland, historically neutral, pivots towards NATO in response to Russia’s Ukraine invasion, new geopolitical challenges arise: increased Russian espionage, cyberattacks and potential election interference, the Finnish government says. Additionally, a surge of asylum seekers, allegedly directed by Russia, strains stability. Amid these tensions, Finland’s $345m Israeli defence deal, which many see as conflicting with its stance on Gaza, sparks debate. Dis...
Nov 25, 2023•23 min
Following his return from strategic talks in Germany and as the war on Gaza nears its 50th day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delves into Turkey’s role in humanitarian efforts. At a pivotal moment, he discusses Turkey’s relationship with Hamas and whether Western pressure exists. Fidan also reflects on what it would take to sever diplomatic ties with Israel completely. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan shares these insights with Al Jazeera.
Nov 22, 2023•25 min
Lisbon, famed for its golden sunsets and cobbled streets, stands rich in history and resilience. It has weathered earthquakes and political and economic turmoil, cultivating a strong spirit. Currently, the city navigates issues like gentrification, a housing crisis and climate threats. As Portugal’s capital evolves into a leading tech and remote-working hub, it faces the challenge of evenly distributing financial benefits among its citizens. Amid Portugal’s political upheaval, including Prime Mi...
Nov 18, 2023•26 min
As the war on Gaza escalates, the United Nations’ stark divisions delayed a resolution for three weeks. Senior human rights official Craig Mokhiber resigned, protesting against the UN’s silence on the "wholesale slaughter of the Palestinian people" by the Israeli army. In his resignation, Mokhiber criticised the UN’s inaction in the face of “genocide” in the Gaza Strip. With Israel’s war on Gaza intensifying, Craig Mokhiber, the former director of the New York office of the UN High Commissioner ...
Nov 09, 2023•25 min
It’s been 10 years since Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez died. In the years that followed, the country, home to the world’s largest oil reserves, suffered economic collapse, political chaos and a mass exodus. As Venezuelans face poverty and struggle to survive, more than 7 million have left the country in search of protection and a better life, according to the United Nations. Have foreign powers played a role in the country’s stalemate? And is there still a way out of Venezuela’s impasse? Venezue...
Nov 04, 2023•26 min
As the war on Gaza continues to escalate, the Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi talks to Al Jazeera about his country’s position on the continuing ground offensive.
Nov 04, 2023•25 min
Navi Pillay chairs the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. Weeks before Hamas carried out its October 7 surprise offensive in southern Israel, and Israel launched a major military operation in Gaza, Pillay released a report. It says: "The commission finds the increasingly militarised law enforcement operations of Israel and repeated attacks by Israel on Gaza are aimed at maintaining its unlawful 56-year occupation." With the latest escalation no...
Oct 28, 2023•26 min
As the war on Gaza is well into its third week, many are alarmed about the impact it could have on the occupied West Bank. While Gaza is governed by Hamas, the occupied West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah. Both factions want an independent Palestinian state. However, their struggle for self-determination and autonomy has substantial historical differences. But will a further escalation of the conflict in Gaza result in Fatah and Hamas putting aside their differences ...
Oct 27, 2023•26 min
Following Hamas's offensive in southern Israel on October 7, the Israeli army has targeted apartment blocks, hospitals, mosques and churches in Gaza, killing thousands of Palestinians. Only on October 21, 14 days into the war, a few trucks carrying food, medicine and water were allowed into the Gaza Strip. Will there be unconditional access to life-saving aid in Gaza as the conflict escalates? We spoke to one of the regional heads of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) involved i...
Oct 26, 2023•24 min
Last year, hundreds of people in Sierra Leone took to the streets in frustration at rising inflation and economic hardship. The protests turned violent and led to deaths. Since then, President Julius Maada Bio has been re-elected, but there were accusations of widespread irregularities in the poll in June. A former coup leader in the 1990s, Bio’s first civilian term was recognised for championing education and women’s rights. But after the recent coups in the region, does Sierra Leone face a sim...
Oct 20, 2023•25 min
For many, the Maldives represents the perfect Indian Ocean beach holiday destination. But beyond the five-star resorts, turquoise waters and white sand lie major geopolitical interests. The archipelago has turned into a political battleground for India and China. As preparations for president-elect Mohamed Muizzu's swearing-in ceremony on November 17 get under way, Talk to Al Jazeera travels to Male, the capital of the Maldives, to find out how regional dynamics may change under his administrati...
Oct 14, 2023•26 min
Paul Kagame has ruled Rwanda for 23 years. The small, landlocked country of 13 million people has come a long way since the civil war and genocide of 1994. Rwanda’s significant progress in education, technology, healthcare and security has made the nation an African success story. But is living under Kagame’s government an African utopia? And as his influence in the region expands along with the country’s geopolitical role, is Rwanda proving a disruptive force in the region? The president of Rwa...
Oct 07, 2023•26 min
The military seized power in oil-rich Gabon on August 30, 2023. It put President Ali Bongo Ondimba under house arrest, ending the Bongo family’s 56-year rule. General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, a cousin of the president, led that coup. The military leader appointed Raymond Ndong Sima as the prime minister of his transitional government. Was the coup in Gabon just a family crisis to push the country’s rule into the hands of a different branch of the same elite? Raymond Ndong Sima, prime minist...
Sep 30, 2023•25 min
As world leaders gathered in New York for the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte led his country's delegation for the last time. After 13 years in power, the Netherlands' longest-serving premier is leaving office after a dispute about immigration led to the collapse of his coalition government. In this episode, we examine the political and diplomatic legacy of the politician nicknamed "Teflon Mark", who is known for being a resilient operator. The prime ministe...
Sep 23, 2023•26 min
For almost two decades, Somali forces, backed by the international community, have been fighting al-Shabab. But despite international support, the armed group remains influential in the south and centre of Somalia. Now, the government is launching a sweeping offensive to retake al-Shabab territory. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is personally leading the fight, but that is not the only challenge facing the government. Long years of drought, political divisions and the rise of autonomous regions...
Sep 16, 2023•25 min
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the world's 20 largest economies in New Delhi. The G20 bloc accounts for more than 80 percent of global gross domestic product and 75 percent of international trade. But as the international community increasingly deals with opposing interests and geopolitical dynamics, many question if it serves any purpose. The United Nations secretary-general is mandated to help resolve situations threatening global peace and security. Can a summit overshadowed...
Sep 09, 2023•25 min
In 2015, a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Syria made it to the Greek island of Lesbos in a rubber boat. Ryyan Alshebl’s journey continued by train, bus and on foot across Europe until he reached Germany. German officials sent him to the rural Swabia region. He arrived seeking asylum, not knowing what the future had in store for him. At 29, and against all odds, Alshebl is now the mayor of the town of Ostelsheim. In this edition of Talk to Al Jazeera, we speak to Mayor Ryyan Alshebl and explore h...
Sep 02, 2023•25 min
As AI-driven robots become more intelligent and more autonomous, could they also become powerful or harmful? The robot named Sophia was created in 2016 by the Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics. Sophia’s AI technology has surpassed a simple combination of science and engineering. She has also become an innovation ambassador for the United Nations. But what should we humans expect as we begin to accept the presence of AI robots in our everyday life? Sophia talks to Al Jazeera. Subscribe to o...
Aug 19, 2023•25 min
Yoshua Bengio's work in the 1990s and 2000s has contributed to the foundations of chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. Today, Bengio is one of the biggest voices warning the world about the necessity of having control and regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. He testified before a United States congressional hearing, warning that the frantic pace of AI development, in the wrong hands, could be used to create biological weapons. So, is AI an existential threat to hu...
Aug 12, 2023•25 min
Many regard the United States as a superpower. Yet more than 13 percent of adults in the country cannot read or write above third-grade level. That’s the same as an eight-year-old. Censorship of library books is also on the rise. The American Library Association reported a record number of demands to censor books last year. The more than 1,600 contested titles address mainly race and gender issues. With more calls for censorship, the issue has become increasingly politicised. So will the "land o...
Aug 05, 2023•25 min
Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide, and its most common form, Alzheimer's, accounts for about 70 percent of all cases. At the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, the largest congress advocating dementia science, held in Amsterdam this month, a pharmaceutical company disclosed details of its trials of a new drug: donanemab. The American company, Eli Lilly, expects the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to decide by the end of 2023 whether to approve what it i...
Jul 22, 2023•26 min
In 2017 in Nigeria, Dr Dimie Ogoina diagnosed the world’s first known case of mpox in nearly 40 years. He rang the alarm bells, but the world refused to listen. Five years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. As the crisis unfolded, Ogoina’s observations became critical to developing strategies to prevent and control the outbreak. In May this year, the WHO ended the mpox health emergency after 10 mont...
Jul 15, 2023•26 min
What the United Nations describes as "a state of mental well-being" is crucial for our socioeconomic development. Despite an increasing acknowledgement of the critical role mental health plays in our lives, sufferers of mental health conditions are often stigmatised and discriminated against. For more than 25 years, Devora Kestel, who leads mental health efforts at the World Health Organization (WHO), has been one of the loudest voices in the field, implementing and advising governments on polic...
Jul 08, 2023•25 min
Kenya is known for its geography, wildlife and rich culture. It is also home to some of the world's best athletes. It is the country with the most Olympic medals in Africa, 113 since it first participated at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956. But what are the sacrifices and challenges Kenyan athletes face to become sporting legends? Kenya’s own Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon talk to Al Jazeera. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJ...
Jul 01, 2023•26 min
As the United States Supreme Court considers the role of race in college admissions, we explore the many challenges facing education with the first African American woman to lead one of the world's highest-ranked institutions. The alumni and faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been awarded 100 Nobel prizes. But how is it dealing with diversity and equal opportunity? Melissa Nobles, chancellor of MIT, talks to Al Jazeera. Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Fo...
Jun 24, 2023•26 min
Augusto Pinochet’s military coup in 1973 was followed by 17 years of systematic human rights violations and the disappearance of some 1,500 Chileans who have never been found. Relatives say they must find their remains to end their long mourning period. Many of them have died waiting. As in many countries where the armed forces have committed atrocities against civilians, those who know where the remains of their victims were buried or destroyed have been reluctant to cooperate. But the Chilean ...
Jun 17, 2023•25 min
Pakistan’s geopolitical location seems to offer it vast economic opportunities. But in a region long troubled by political instability, the challenges are also formidable. And the conflicts are not just external. International cooperation seems critical if Pakistan is to successfully confront its crises. The country's top diplomat, who took the job in April last year, comes from a family with a long political history. He is the son of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was kille...
Jun 10, 2023•26 min
According to the World Bank, Mexico is Latin America's second largest economy and one of the world's top 15. But the wealthiest 10 percent of Mexicans control nearly half of the country’s total income, while the poorest 10 percent have access to less than 2 percent of it. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador came to power in 2018, promising to turn that around. But a year later, Mexico's poverty rate had grown to nearly 44 percent. With a general election next year, could he fail to fulfil his ...
Jun 03, 2023•25 min
With an acting career spanning more than 30 years, Cate Blanchett is considered one of the greatest actors of her generation. But she also plays important non-fictional roles. In 2016, Blanchett became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. She has since travelled to Bangladesh, where she met Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution in Myanmar; Lebanon, where she met Syrians forced from their homes by war; and most recently to Jordan, which hosts more than 743,000 refuge...
May 27, 2023•26 min
Frenchman Arsene Wenger arrived in London in 1996 to take charge of the Arsenal Football Club at a time when foreign coaches were still a rarity in English football. He started a revolution in how to prepare for matches, and his approach helped change the game forever. Wenger's methods were initially greeted with scepticism, but they soon proved to be successful. He was in charge for 828 Premier League matches over 22 seasons, making him the league's longest-serving manager. Looking back, were a...
May 20, 2023•24 min
