The Frontline Club

With Sarah Chayes, Helena Wood and Daria Kaleniuk. Moderated by Oliver Bullough

A discussion with Alan Rusbridger, Deborah Turness, Shawna Thomas and Richard Sambrook.

A discussion with Charles Lister, Samya Kullab and Wassim Nasr

A discussion with Nobel prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, ex Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and award winning financial columnist Stephanie Flanders to discuss the how the world comes back from the stupendous coronavirus pandemic public debt, how the world order will change and who the winners and losers are likely to be.

With Jack Stubbs, Antonella Napolitanno and Chris Yiu

A discussion with Bill McKibben, Nicole Itano, Jonathon Porritt.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time – we know, beyond reasonable doubt, what that science now tells us. Just as climate change is accelerating, so too must we – summoning up a greater sense of urgency, courage and shared endeavour than humankind has ever seen before.

The second episode from our 'Up Close & Personal', Frontline Club Podcast series with Sean Langan. This week Sean speaks to Anthony Loyd.

China’s usually bullish economy shrank 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020, a clear indication of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Depressed demand from abroad is likely to impact the economy further.

Many businesses are suffering - low-skilled workers in hospitality, retail, real estate, and travel sectors fearing long-term unemployment with state economic support relatively limited compared to other countries.

China’s woes are worsening as it is dragged into this year’s US presidential elections with Trump escalating his attacks by claiming the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan. Will Beijing retaliate and bring down more sanctions, damaging the economy further?

With Covid-19 resulting in less global trade and a reduced appetite for international collaboration what might be the impacts be on China?

With Anthony Loyd, Mujib Mashal, Michael Semple, Hassina Syed. Moderator Elizabeth Palmer.

As Afghanistan’s 18-year conflict continues, with 34 people killed recently in separate attacks on a maternity hospital and funeral, Covid-19 provides another source of despair in a country with a non-functioning healthcare system, widespread poverty and malnutrition. Will desperately needed aid continue to flow as donor economies shrink under the effects of the global pandemic?

While it is not clear who is behind these attacks nor what their purpose is, Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani has ordered new offensives against the Taliban and other armed groups.

But what future is there for the US-brokered peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government now that Ashraf Ghani and his presidential rival Abdullah Abdullah have agreed to share power? And what of the planned draw-down of Nato and coalition forces amid the spike in attacks on civilians?

The pandemic of 1918, which became known as Spanish flu, was the most severe recorded in recent history. The outbreak was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes thought be of avian origin. From 1918-19, with unprecedented severity and speed, the virus spread across the globe. An estimated 50 to 100 million people may have died – as much as 5% of the world’s population.

Frequently quoted in relation to the current Covid-19 pandemic, what lessons can we draw from the 1917-18 (1918-19) outbreak? How did measures such as travel bans help to end it? What epidemiological similarities can be seen between the 1918 and current outbreaks and how reliable is the scientific data from then that could inform our approach today? What therapies were tried and how effective were they? And did the 1918 pandemic dominate the world’s news cycle as much as the present one does?