The Inside Story Podcast

Imagine being able to control your smartphone with your mind...or type using thought instead of fingers.

Tesla's CEO Elon Musk says that could soon become a reality particularly for people with paralysis.

His brain-chip startup Neuralink has just enabled a monkey to play a videogame by thinking.

They did it by embedding two chips on each side of the animal's brain to record his mind activity.

As part of the experiment the macaque was trained to move a joystick.

Data sent to the computer was then used to allow the monkey to control the stick just by thinking about moving its hand up or down.

So, what could be the downsides?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Nick Ramsey is Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience at University of Utrecht

Ruta Liepiņa, Assistant Professor in Digital Legal Studies at Maastricht University

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#Neuralink

The 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought peace to Northern Ireland.

But the issues that divided the region haven't gone away.

And now, in the aftermath of the UK's departure from the EU - the situation has got worse and threatens to derail that agreement.

Pro-British loyalists say, the post-Brexit trade agreements threaten Northern Ireland's place in the UK, while Irish nationalists accuse them of using the issue to stoke trouble.

Dozes of police officers have been hurt in a week of riots, prompting regional and international governments to appeal for calm.

So, can the tension be contained?

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #NorthernIreland

Mozambique has a seen a rise in attacks across its northern region in recent months.

Dozens of people were killed when ISIL-linked fighters raided a hotel in the northern town of Palma last month.

And now, it's emerged that 12 of the victims - possibly foreigners - were beheaded during that siege.

The attack prompted southern African leaders to hold emergency talks and come up with a response to the growing crisis.

But is a regional intervention the answer?

And could it fend off the threat from ISIL?

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Mozambique #ISIL

Many countries have been relying on the Astrazeneca vaccine to get them out of the coronavirus pandemic.

But there have been problems from supply to side effects.

Now, European regulators say the vaccine can, in rare cases, cause blood clots.

The UK is to offer alternative jabs to young people, who appear to be more at risk.

But both the UK and the EU say they remain confident in the Astrazeneca vaccine's effectiveness and safety.

There have been fewer than 80 cases reported in the UK despite more than 20 million doses being given out.

So, should people be worried?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Chris Smith, Consultant Virologist at Cambridge University and Podcast Host of 'The Naked Scientists'

Oksana Pyzik, Lead on the outbreak of infectious diseases for University College London's global citizenship programme.

Jeffrey Lazarus, Head of the Health Systems Research Group at Barcelona Institute for Global Health

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#Astrazeneca #Europe

For more than 20 years he's been the most powerful man in Russia.

And this week, President Vladimir Putin made sure he could retain that position for another 15 years.

With the signing of a new law, he can now run for another two six-year terms once his current stint ends in 2024.

It would make him Russia's longest ruling leader, surpassing Joseph Stalin.

His critics call it a constitutional coup, designed to make Putin 'President for life'

His supporters say it means stability for the government.

But what's behind Putin's hunger for control?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests

Dmitry Babich, Political Analyst at InoSMI Internet project .

Marco Di Liddo, Head of Russia & Balkans Desk at The Center for International Studies.

Alexander Soloviev, Member of Russian opposition and Former Chairman of the Open Russia.

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#Russia

Salvage crews have set free the Ever Given, a container ship that's been wedged across Egypt's Suez Canal for nearly a week.

It created a major traffic jam on the main shipping route between Asia and Europe, costing billions of dollars.

How long will it take for business to resume on the canal?

And can another mishap like this be avoided?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Stuart Neil - Communiations Director, International Chamber of Shipping

Christina Bueger - Professor of International Relations, University of Copenhagen

Maged Mandour - Egyptian Political Analyst

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#InsideStory #SuezCanal #Egypt

A hotel is the latest flashpoint in a long running conflict in Cabo Delgado, in northern Mozambique.

ISIL-linked fighters besieged the town of Palma, forcing nearly 200 people to seek refuge in a resort.

Many are foreign nationals working on a natural gas project.

The latest assault by the ISIL-linked Al Shabab (not related to the Somali group of the same name) highlights increasing instability in the gas-rich province.

Could the unrest intensify?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Zenaida Machado - Human Rights Watch

Jasmine Opperman - Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project

Fernando Lima - Journalist and political commentator Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro.

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#Mozambique #InsideStory

North Korea often practises 'weaponised diplomacy': firing ballistic missiles to send a message.

It appears Thursday's missile test was aimed at the United States.

President Joe Biden says the U.S. will respond if threatened, but he's open to diplomacy.

North Korea hit back by labelling Biden's comments a 'provocation'.

So how will Biden approach the challenge?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Yang UK - Graduate School of National Defense Strategy, Hannam University

Robert Kelly - Professor of Political Science and Diplomacy, Pusan National University

Tariq Rauf - Former Head of the Verification and Security Policy Co-ordination Office, International Atomic Energy Agency

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #UnitedStates #NorthKorea #NuclearProgramme

Global shipping is in chaos because of a mishap on a major waterway.

The Ever Given container ship became jammed on the Suez Canal in Egypt.

That's created a tailback of other cargo vessels carrying goods in both directions between Asia and Europe.

Egypt says it hopes to be able to dislodge the ship and reopen the canal.

So what will happen if the blockage isn't cleared soon?

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Egypt #SuezCanal

The European Union has unveiled a 'digital green pass' to help revive travel during the pandemic.

The app would allow people who've been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from COVID-19, to move more freely within the 27-member bloc.

However, the World Health Organization says it's too early, given the slow pace of vaccination in the EU and the rise in COVID-19 variants.

Is the idea too premature?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom

Guests:

Ulrich Brueckner - Professor for European Studies, Stanford University in Berlin.

Alex Macheras - Aviation and Travel Analyst.

Muhammad Munir - Virologist and Lecturer in Biomedicine, Lancaster University.

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#InsideStory COVID-19 #Vaccine