Sensemaker

 Kim Jong Un has sent thousands of military personnel to Russia as part of a deal with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called it a “clear escalation” of the war.

Writer: Nina Kuryata

Producer: Rebecca Moore

Host: Tomini Babs

Episode photography: Jon Jones

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world was shocked last week by the news of pop star Liam Payne's death. What does the lurid media coverage that followed tell us about the press’s relationship with celebrities? 

Writers: Eleanor Biggs and Tomini Babs

Producer: Eleanor Biggs

Host: Tomini Babs

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big tech is hunting away for new sources of power to supply the boom in generative artificial intelligence. Recently, both Google and Microsoft revealed plans to purchase electricity from nuclear power plants. But what impact could this have on the planet? 

Writer: Barney Macintyre

Producer: Casey Magloire

Host: Tomini Babs

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two Just Stop Oil protestors were arrested after throwing a can of Heinz tomato soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. What do their lengthy prison sentences tell us about the changing laws around protest in the UK? 

Writer: Jess Swinburne

Producer: Casey Magloire

Host: Tomini Babs

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon remain in a standoff, with the safety of UN peacekeepers on the line. What could happen next? 

Writer: Xavier Greenwood

Producer: Xavier Greenwood

Host: Tomini Babs

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Assisted dying could become law in England and Wales for terminally ill adults. But opponents fear it could lead to a “slippery slope”. What is being proposed, and what has happened in other countries that have adopted similar laws?

Writer: Elaine McCallig

Producer: Katie Gunning

Host: Claudia Williams

Executive Producer: Jasper Corbett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Atlantic migration route from West Africa to Spain is even more dangerous than crossing the Mediterranean, so why is it growing busier as migration by sea elsewhere in Europe has declined?

Writer: Serena Cesareo

Producer: Ada Barume

Host: Tomini Babs

Executive Producer: Japer Corbett

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing...The Animal Sensemaker

One animal, every week, to make sense of the world. Brought to you by Tortoise and On the Edge.

You can listen to the rest of the series here, make sure to follow the feed so you don't miss an episode.

You can find out more about Tortoise:

Download the Tortoise app - for a listening experience curated by our journalists

Subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts for early access and ad-free content

Become a member and get access to all of Tortoise's premium audio offerings and more

If you want to get in touch with us directly about a story, or tell us more about the stories you want to hear about contact [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Brazilian cattle rancher who destroyed large areas of the Amazon has been ordered to pay $50 million to restore the land he logged. As deforestation rates soar in countries around the world, can we ever reverse them?

Writer: Jess Swinburne

Producer: Jess Swinburne

Host: Claudia Williams

Executive Producers: Rebecca Moore

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the wake of violence and racism during the riots this summer, one of Britain’s leading public intellectuals reflects on how racism - and his experience of it - has changed over the last 50 years. 

To read Anand Menon’s article in full, click here

Writer: Ada Barume

Producer: Ada Barume

Host: Tomini Babs

Photograph by Malcolm Clarke/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Executive Producer: Rebecca Moore 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.