Plus: The European Commission has opened an antitrust probe into Meta Platforms over WhatsApp’s AI policy. And the FBI has arrested a Virginia man in connection with Jan. 6, 2021, pipe bombs placed in Washington, D.C. Pierre Bienaimé hosts.
An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
Russia's leader visits India for the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. India's prime minister is under pressure to stop buying Russian oil over accusations the trade is financing the war. Also: The New York Times is suing the Pentagon over its attempt to make journalists sign a pledge to only report authorised information. A study by the Gates Foundation has found that the number of preventable child deaths is due to rise this year for the first time this century. We go to New Orleans to examine the controversy surrounding an operation to arrest undocumented immigrants. A US senator gives us his view on President Trump's comments in which he describes America's Somali community as "garbage". The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest debate whether Israel should be allowed to continue in the competition.
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Spain's radically different approach to migration, how Norway is taking the fun out of gambling and a rare glimpse into an Italian prison amid a push to reform. Then: the brutal murder of journalist and environmental defender Hakan Tosun, NVIDIA's new AI hub in Armenia, and our first Age is Just a Number profile, featuring Lefteris Arapakis – a man on a mission to clean up the Mediterranean.
The Lane Kiffin saga has dominated sports headlines this past week, highlighting the sea changes that have come over college sports—an especially college football—in the past decade. Much of this change is being driven by the easy money regime of the Federal Reserve.
Is Pete Hegseth really in more trouble than he was last week? You'd think that from the network news, but it's probably wrong. Is anyone even watching network news? How about cable news? Or is everybody just listening to podcasts? We discuss these matters, and Trump's pardons, today, and Christine Rosen recommends a work of Japanese crime fiction called Out. Give a listen.
Bronx-based Public defender & DSA organizer Delourny Nemorin recently launched her campaign to unseat Ritchie Torres in New York's 15th district. She weighs in on the rest of the field, including Michael Blake, who is emerging as an establishment-left favorite, why she's running, and the needs of the district. But first, she engages in an extended debate on the value of running to become a Democratic congress member when so many progressives before her seem to have been more changed by the system than the other way around. Does Rashida Tlaib provide an example of what is possible through entryism, or does she remain an outlier who, despite her ideological consistency, has not made the party more like her? How does Delourny interpret various squad members' pro-Israel votes, and how does she intend to insulate herself against whatever influences caused AOC to, for example, claim that Kamala Harris was "tirelessly working for a ceasefire"? What does Delourny make of Zohran's endorsement of Hakeem Jeferries as speaker of the house? And as a prospective colleague of Jefferies, does does Delourny agree that it is not the right time for a challenger?
Zambian-American influencer Ethel Chisono Edwards, also known as 'One Boss Lady', has been a vocal critic of Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema. She was convicted under the Cyber Security Act and the Cyber Crimes Act, two controversial laws that were recently amended to stipulate harsher penalties. The case has raised concerns about freedom of speech in Zambia.
Also, did you know that the trafficking and sale of ants is on the rise? We look at the impact of this illegal phenomenon on the environment.
Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine, Ly Truong and Makuochi Okafor
Technical Producers: Jonathan Mwangi and Philip Bull
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
As President Putin arrives for talks with Prime Minister Modi, will India's imports of cheap Russian crude oil scupper its relationship with the US, which says they are fuelling the war in Ukraine?
Also in the programme: what will the publication of tens of thousands of new photos and files mean for the Syrian families still looking for answers about their missing relatives? And we remember the American guitarist Steve Cropper, the man behind countless '60s soul classics.
(IMAGE: Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) sit in a car after Putin's arrival at the Palam Air Base in New Delhi, India, 04 December 2025. CREDIT: GRIGORY SYSOEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock (16009955i))
Plus: The European Union plans to launch a formal bidding process for AI gigafactories early next year. And Democratic lawmakers press tech companies about White House ballroom donations. Julie Chang hosts.
These days, Americans are drinking less alcohol. While that may be a positive from a health perspective, it’s not great news for California grape growers. Industry groups predict that 2025 will be the smallest harvest since the mid-’90s. These changing consumption habits are changing the landscape of California vineyards. Also, the Trump administration is reducing fuel efficiency standards, and layoffs are running high ahead of the next Federal Reserve meeting.
