Thousands of people in Sudan remain displaced with many seeking shelter in schools. The impact of the war has had a devastating effect on the country's youth who now have no formal schools to attend. We'll hear how this ongoing conflict is disrupting the lives of young people in Sudan.
Also, there's frustration in Nigeria as the country grapples with ongoing power outages, despite investment in the energy sector. We find out what's behind the perennial blackouts and get analysis from Nigeria.
And how Ethiopians are praying for peace and unity as they begin celebrating the annual religious holiday of Meskel.
What did a 465-million-year-old trilobite eat for dinner? And how can we possibly know? Archaeologist Per Ahlberg has used x-ray to peer into the guts of one ancient scuttling creature and worked out what it what was munching on in its final moments.
From life in ancient earth rocks to potential life in space rocks, mineralogist and astrobiologist Bob Hazen has been training AI to spot signatures of life on Earth. He now hopes to use this tool on space samples.
We also ask experimental particle physicist Jeffrey Hangst how antimatter, the last mystery of the universe, responds to gravity - was Einstein's theory of general relativity right?
And the antiviral Covid medication, Molnupiravir, may be causing the virus to mutate. Theo Sanderson discusses how he figured this out and how concerned we should be.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Ella Hubber
Editor: Martin Smith
Production co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
The World Health Organization says the African continent has the highest prevalence of the "silent killer" hypertension. What are the signs and what can be done?
Why is the DR Congo government now calling for an accelerated withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission?
And good news for Morocco ,a chance to host the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and after 50 years ,East Africa will host the tournament in 2027.
This week on the show that brings you the science behind the news, there are lots of stories about inflation in economies across the world. When inflation happens your money doesn’t go as far, so what does psychology say about how much money you really need to make you happy?
We humans aren’t the only ones experiencing inflation either, trees are suffering from it too. We find out what happens when the balance of supply and demand of nutrients between trees and fungi is disrupted by climate change.
And then we take a look at the bigger picture - the much bigger picture - as cosmologist Ghazal Geshnizjani tells us about how the entire universe once existed in a space smaller than a marble.
Plus, are Romanian bear populations inflating? We probe a scientist about spider webs – why do they look the way they do? And we look at vaping – it’s illegal in some countries while smokers in other countries are encouraged to take it up.
All that plus your emails, WhatsApps and some unexpected elephants.
Presenter: Caroline Steel, with Godfred Boafo and Andrada Fiscutean.
Produced by Ben Motley, with Alex Mansfield, Sophie Ormiston and Margaret Sessa Hawkins.
Kenya says it's confident the deployment of hundreds of its police to Haiti by January will end gang warfare in the country. Last year Haiti's government appealed for help because of spiralling gang violence. Kenya's Foreign Minister Alfred Mutua says it will be an intervention force to disarm what he called the "thugs and the gangs". So does Kenya really have the capabilities to help end Haiti's violence and how do Kenyan's feel about this deployment?
Also, why Zambia's former President Edgar Lungu has been warned against jogging in public. The police have described his weekly workouts as "political activism". We hear from Mr Lungu's lawyer and get analysis on the wider political situation in the country.
And how AI technology in South Africa is helping with immediate health concerns.
Fighting has reportedly erupted in Ethiopia’s turbulent Amhara region. Reports say local militia fighters clashed with the military, over government plans to disarm local forces. What's behind this escalation, and what does it portend for the future of Africa's second most populous country?
We look into why the Egyptian government has ordered a three-month ban on onion exports.
And why young women admired Zoleka Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela, who has died of cancer aged 43.
The story of the billionaire who wasn't. When Charles "Chuck" Feeney first appeared on the world's rich lists in the 1980s, he had built a billion-dollar business selling duty free goods to tourists. But he'd also given most of his money away to charity.
BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng follow Feeney's journey from Depression-era New Jersey through living the high life during the Jet Age to making $8 billion worth of donations to causes across the planet. Then they judge him - is he good, bad, or just another billionaire?
The podcast that uncovers how the world's wealthiest people made their money and asks if they are good or bad for the planet discusses a billionaire outlier with a life that spans history. Taking in the Korean War, the 20th Century tourist boom and the Irish peace process, Simon and Zing tell the tale of "the James Bond of philanthropy".
We’d love to hear your feedback. Email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or drop us a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176.
To find out more about the show and read our privacy notice, visit www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire
Further reading: The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Secretly Made and Gave Away a Fortune by Conor O'Clery
France says it will withdraw its troops and ambassador from Niger. The military junta which seized power in July has welcomed the move. But what impact will this have on Niger’s ability to deal with insurgency?
Also, in Ghana protestors demand their right to protest amid the arrest of several people by police. For three days demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest against the high cost of living.
And we speak to Zawadi Ya Mungu and Kerolin Govender two South African singers from different backgrounds who are collaborating to heal racial divides.
Philosophers have long pondered the concept of a brain in a jar, hooked up to a simulated world. Though this has largely remained a thought experiment, CrowdScience listener JP wants to know if it might become reality in the not-too-distant future, with advances in stem cell research.
In the two decades since stem cell research began, scientists have learned how to use these cells to create the myriad of cell types in our bodies, including those in our brains, offering researchers ways to study neurological injuries and neurodegenerative disorders. Some labs have actually started 3D printing stem cells into sections of brain tissue in order to study specific interactions in the brain. Human brain organoids offer another way to study brain development and diseases from autism to the Zika virus.
So, might stem cell research one day lead to a fully-grown human brain, or is that resolutely in the realm of science fiction? If something resembling our brains is on the horizon, is there any chance that it could actually become conscious? And how would we even know if it was?
Host Marnie Chesterton takes a peek inside the human brain and speaks with leading scientists in the field, including a philosopher and ethicist who talks about the benefits – and potential pitfalls – of growing human brain models. Along the way, we'll pull apart the science from what still remains (at least for now) fiction.
Presenter: Marnie Chesterton
Producer: Sam Baker
Assistant Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Editor: Richard Collings
Production Coordinator: Jonathan Harris
Studio Manager: Jackie Margerum
(Image: Brain in a jar. Credit: Mike Kemp / Getty Images)
Mohbad: There's been controversy and outrage following mysterious death and hasty burial of Nigerian Afrobeats rapper Mohbad. Authorities have now carried out an exhumation of his body for autopsy following protests on streets and social media
How is climate change affecting Africa's pastoralists. We hear from a representative attending Climate Week in New York
And at the rugby World Cup in France this weekend it is reigning champions South Africa against Grand Slam winners -Ireland. What are Africa's chances?
