The Inside Story Podcast

Many were hailing a new beginning for Afghanistan less than a fortnight ago, after the United States and the Afghan Taliban signed a deal towards ending two decades of war.

The Afghan government wasn't part of the talks.

And a long-standing political rivalry is complicating things further.

President Ashraf Ghani and former Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah both say they won the presidential election in September.

And both held presidential inauguration ceremonies on Monday.

Ghani is supposed to finalise the government's team for the first direct negotiations with the Taliban.

At the same time, the U.S. has started withdrawing troops, despite more questions being raised about the Taliban deal.

Can Ghani and Abdullah settle their differences?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Shafiq Hamdam - Former Adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

Zainab Homam - Chief Executive Officer, Afghan Action aid group

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#InsideStory #Afghanistan #Taliban

Italy's government has ordered some of the harshest measures outside China to try and contain the Coronavirus.

The country has the worst outbreak in Europe.

16 million people a quarter of the population have been forced into quarantine until early next month.

Everyone is banned from leaving 16 provinces in northern Italy, the country's economic heart.

All weddings, funerals, sporting matches and public gatherings are cancelled.

Italy's government is asking the European Union to implement urgent measures as the virus spreads quickly across the continent.

Should other countries follow the measures imposed by Italy and China?

Or is it too little, too late?

Presenter: James Bays

Guests:

Andreas Kappes - Lecturer in the Department of Psychology at the University of London

Marilisa Palumbo - Journalist and Editor at the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Serra

Annie Sparrow - Professor of Population Health Science and Policy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #Italy #CoronavirusOutbreak

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman has had a controversial rise to power, and he appears to be tightening his grip even further.

Media reports suggest at least 20 Princes, officials and army officers have been arrested in the Kingdom's latest purge.

They include former Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Nayef and the King's last-surviving full brother, Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz.

The Saudi government hasn't officially responded to reports that the princes were accused of a coup plot.

In just three years, Mohammed Bin Salman has silenced nearly all voices of dissent at home, with critics jailed, even killed.

So, what are the implications of this crackdown?

Presenter: Jonah Hull

Guests:

Roxane Farmanfamaian - Lecturer on Middle East Politics at the University of Cambridge.

David Hearst - Editor in Chief of the online publication Middle East Eye.

Ali Al-Ahmed - Director of the Gulf Affairs Institute and a former Saudi political prisoner.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, so is the fear and anxiety, despite scientists telling people not to panic.

Many countries have suspended schools and public events.

Some are denying entry to visitors from high-risk regions, or putting them in quarantine.

This goes against guidelines from the World Health Organization, which says these measures aren't always effective.

Share markets from New York to Hong Kong have fallen by up to three percent this week.

Panic over the outbreak has caused a run on basic goods including toilet paper, as people fear they'll run out of supplies if they are forced into isolation.

So how do we deal with the anxiety surrounding this virus?

Presenter: Maryam Nemazee

Guests:

Dr Anthony Renshaw - Medical Director in Northern Europe for International SOS, a health and travel security risk services company.

Philippe Legrain - Financial Analyst and Economist.

Burton Paul - Healthcare Engagement Specialist.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #Coronavirus

As the coronavirus spreads around the world, so is the fear and anxiety, despite scientists telling people not to panic.

Many countries have suspended schools and public events.

Some are denying entry to visitors from high-risk regions, or putting them in quarantine.

This goes against guidelines from the World Health Organization, which says these measures aren't always effective.

Share markets from New York to Hong Kong have fallen by up to three percent this week.

Panic over the outbreak has caused a run on basic goods including toilet paper, as people fear they'll run out of supplies if they are forced into isolation.

So how do we deal with the anxiety surrounding this virus?

Presenter: Maryam Nemazee

Guests:

Dr Anthony Renshaw - Medical Director in Northern Europe for International SOS, a health and travel security risk services company.

Philippe Legrain - Financial Analyst and Economist.

Burton Paul - Healthcare Engagement Specialist.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #Coronavirus

The International Criminal Court has authorised an investigation into accusations of war crimes in Afghanistan.

An appeal by the ICC's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was approved after being rejected last year.

Allegations of atrocities committed by U-S soldiers, the Taliban and Afghan forces will be investigated.

The torture of prisoners, sexual violence and the indiscriminate mass killing of civilians are among the claims the ICC wants to look into.

But the U.S. does not recognise the court's authority and the White House has even imposed a travel ban on its judges.

So can justice be done in this war-torn country?

And are politics at play?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Mushtaq Rahim, founding member of the think tank, the Afghanistan Affairs Unit.

Shafiq Hamdam, Former Adviser to NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan

Kevin Jon Heller, Law Professor at the University of Amsterdam and the Australian National University.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #Aghanistan

The International Criminal Court has authorised an investigation into accusations of war crimes in Afghanistan.

An appeal by the ICC's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was approved after being rejected last year.

Allegations of atrocities committed by U-S soldiers, the Taliban and Afghan forces will be investigated.

The torture of prisoners, sexual violence and the indiscriminate mass killing of civilians are among the claims the ICC wants to look into.

But the U.S. does not recognise the court's authority and the White House has even imposed a travel ban on its judges.

So can justice be done in this war-torn country?

And are politics at play?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Mushtaq Rahim, founding member of the think tank, the Afghanistan Affairs Unit.

Shafiq Hamdam, Former Adviser to NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan

Kevin Jon Heller, Law Professor at the University of Amsterdam and the Australian National University.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #Aghanistan

Its products can help hack the phone of a political activist, a journalist or even a prince.

The spying technology owned by the Israeli NSO Group is allegedly being used by authoritarian regimes and within that its changing traditional relationships - good and bad.

But its also increasingly helping governments to crackdown on whoever opposes them. NSO has faced a number of lawsuits, one of them by Whatsapp.

The messaging app seems to be getting close to winning that case, if only as a default ruling.

The spyware manufacturer failed to show up in court in the US after it had said it would “vigorously fight” the allegations.

A default was entered on Monday in San Francisco after WhatsApp said that its efforts to give NSO Group notice of the law suit all went unanswered.

So what does this case tell us about digital privacy protection?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Raphael Satter, Cybersecurity Correspondent for Reuters.

Tanya O'Carroll, Director of Amnesty Tech.

James Shires, Professor at the University of Leiden who researches cybersecurity in the Middle East.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Its products can help hack the phone of a political activist, a journalist or even a prince.

The spying technology owned by the Israeli NSO Group is allegedly being used by authoritarian regimes and within that its changing traditional relationships - good and bad.

But its also increasingly helping governments to crackdown on whoever opposes them. NSO has faced a number of lawsuits, one of them by Whatsapp.

The messaging app seems to be getting close to winning that case, if only as a default ruling.

The spyware manufacturer failed to show up in court in the US after it had said it would “vigorously fight” the allegations.

A default was entered on Monday in San Francisco after WhatsApp said that its efforts to give NSO Group notice of the law suit all went unanswered.

So what does this case tell us about digital privacy protection?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

Raphael Satter, Cybersecurity Correspondent for Reuters.

Tanya O'Carroll, Director of Amnesty Tech.

James Shires, Professor at the University of Leiden who researches cybersecurity in the Middle East.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

Super Tuesday: a big group of states get to have their say, and it was super for Joe Biden.

The states have given him a lead in delegates - he is the party's frontrunner so far.

It's a remarkable comeback when all expectations favoured his main rival Bernie Sanders.

Biden seized sweeping victories during the most important voting day in the Democrats' race for the White house.

Mike Bloomberg and Elizbeth Warren might be dead in the political water, but Bernie Sanders still has a good chance.

He's grabbed California, the day's big prize with the most number of delegates.

It looks like these two will now slug it out state by state until the party convention, and then on and into the election.

So, what does that mean for the party's nomination in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests

James Pindell, Politics Reporter for the Boston Globe.

Linda Sarsour, activist and a campaigner known as a 'National Surrogate' for Bernie Sanders.

Scott Lucas, Professor of American Studies at the University of Birmingham and co-founder of the news and analysis website 'the Trump Project'.

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe

- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish

- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera

- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/

#AlJazeeraEnglish #SuperTuesday #JoeBiden