The Inside Story Podcast

A growing number of European countries are suspending the Oxford-Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

There are concerns the jab may have caused some recipients to develop blood clots.

But health agencies say there is no evidence such conditions are linked to the vaccine.

And they insist the benefits outweigh any potential risk.

This comes as Europe is already short on vaccine supplies and struggling to contain a surge in new infections.

The European Medicines regulator and the World Health Organization are now investigating the possible side effects.

But as new cases surge - how will this affect Euorpe's vaccination rollout?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

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

Azeddine Ibrahimi - Head of Biotechnology Lab at the Rabat Medical School, Mohammed V University.

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#Vaccine #InsideStory

Nigeria's school kidnappings have become a major security challenge for its government and security forces.

At least 700 students have been abducted in Northern states since December.

And that figure is changing every day with reports of more attacks and abductions.

Dozens of students managed to escape a raid on Monday, while their three teachers were taken.

It happened in the northwestern Kaduna state and it's the first such attack on a primary school.

Armed gangs locally known as bandits are suspected.

They usually seek lucrative ransom to release the victims.

So, how challenging are they to President Muhammadu Buhari?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Mike Ejiofor - Former Director of Nigeria's State Security Service

Ini Dele-Adedeji - Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Center for African Studies.

Anietie Ewang - Nigeria Researcher at Human Rights Watch.

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#InsideStory #Nigeria

South Africa and India are urging the World Trade Organization to remove patent restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines.

For developing nations, many of which haven't received a single shot, this would allow them to mass produce vaccines.

The U.S. and European countries, where major drugmakers are based, are against patents being available free for all.

So who should own the rights to make and distribute medicines during a global health crisis?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Max Lawson - Oxfam International

Rajeshwari Hariharan - Legal Counsel for Natco Pharma

Jeffrey Lazarus - Barcelona Institute for Global Health

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#InsideStory #COVID-19 #Coronavirus #Vaccine

Senegal is one of the most stable and democratic countries in West Africa.

But days of violent protests in its capital Dakar, are causing concern about a possible escalation.

At least ten people have been killed in what's been described as the worst unrest in nearly a decade.

The anger began after the detention of a prominent opposition leader on rape charges.

It soon spread to broader grievances including high unemployment and government corruption.

The opposition leader is widely seen as president Macky Sall's main challenger in the 2024 elections.

So, how will the government contain the growing anger?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Aminata Toure - Former Prime Minister of Senegal.

Ousmane Diallo - Francophone West Africa Researcher at Amnesty International.

Yassine Fall - Economist and Social Justice Advocate.

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#InsideStory #Senegal

Yemen is heading towards large-scale starvation and could face the world's worst famine in decades.

The UN's warning comes as malnutrition rates hit record highs after years of conflict.

The world body estimates more than 16 million Yemenis could go hungry this year.

Children are particularly affected with 400,000 at risk of severe malnutrition.

The UN has appealed for $3.8 billion to avert a catastrophe.

But it says it only got half of what's needed last year and millions of people have not received food.

So, who will step in to help the people of Yemen?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Riona Judge McCormack - Spokeswoman for Norwegian Refugee Council.

Afrah Nasser - Yemen Researcher at Human Rights Watch.

Elisabeth Kendall - Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University's Pembroke College.

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#InsideStory #Yemen #Famine

The Conservative Political Action Conference is usually an indicator of where the U.S. Republican party is headed.

But at this year's gathering in Florida, there was only one man who stole the spotlight: former president Donald Trump.

In his first major speech since leaving the White House - he criticised president Joe Biden and hinted at a possible run in four years.

Those who've spoken against him in the past, were largely absent from the stage..

For many, his appearance on Sunday is an indication of just how much influence he still has within his base.

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Proposed Description (Max 4 sentences) So, where does that leave the Republican party? And will Trump make a comeback in 2024?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Jack Kingston - A former Republican Congressman for the state of Georgia.

Lincoln Mitchell - Author and Political Analyst focussing on American politics and democracy.

He's affiliated with the Arnold A. Saltzman Institute for War and Peace Studies at Columbia University.

Jennifer Lim - Co-Founder of Republican Women for Progress.

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#US #Trump #Republicans

Nearly 2,500 Rohingya refugees risked their lives last year by taking dangerous boat journeys.

They're looking for safety, and better living conditions after years of systematic discrimination and persecution.

Rights groups are warning - thousands more could take such journeys hoping to reach countries mainly in Southeast Asia.

81 Rohingya who had been stranded in the Andaman sea for nearly two weeks - were rescued by the Indian coastguard on Friday.

Eight people died and many fell ill-- suffering severe dehydration as they ran out of food and water.

The Indian government has been trying to arrange for their .....

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Proposed Description (Max 4 sentences) return to Bangladesh.

But Bangladeshi officials say they have no obligation to shelter the Rohingya --who were found closer to Myanmar and Indian territories.

So, what are the consequences if they're sent back to Myanmar?

Presenter: Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar - Retired Navy Officer and Director of Society for Policy Studies, an independent Geo-political think tank.

Yasmin Ullah - A Rohingya Activist and Advocate.

Saad Hammadi - South Asia Campaigner with a focus on Bangladesh for Amnesty International.

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#InsideStory #Myanmar #Rohingya

Ending extreme poverty has been a key initiative of the Chinese president since he came to power in 2012.

Almost a decade later, Xi Jinping says his country has achieved the 'miracle that would go down in history'.

His government says that over an eight-year period, nearly 100 million people have been lifted out of destitution.

But critics are questioning China's bar for measuring poverty and the sustainability of the project.

There's also been controversy around the timing of the announcement.

The country says it has been victorious over coronavirus and......

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #China #Poverty

Somalia has been working towards stability since its first democratically-elected government in decades came to power in 2012.

But a dispute about this month's delayed election is fuelling divisions and worsening clan-based grievances.

The presidential vote was missed after the government failed to agree with regional leaders on how the poll should be held.

Now, there's anger and confusion as to whether the president should remain in office after his term expired.

The standoff led to gunfire on the streets of Mogadishu on Friday.

So, will this crisis derail Somalia's recent progress towards stability?

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Somalia

A resurgence of Ebola in Guinea is raising fears of an uncontrolled spread of the disease.

It's already been detected in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The World Health Organization has asked six countries to be on high alert.

The crisis comes as Africa is seeing a sharp rise in covid-19 deaths, with South Africa accounting for almost half.

Healthcare systems are also overstretched.

It's feared there could be more fatalities if Ebola is left unchecked.

The W.H.O. has shipped more than 11,000 doses of vaccines to help fight Ebola in Guinea.

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #Africa #COVID19