Talk to Al Jazeera

The military seized power in oil-rich Gabon on August 30, 2023. It put President Ali Bongo Ondimba under house arrest, ending the Bongo family’s 56-year rule. General Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, a cousin of the president, led that coup. The military leader appointed Raymond Ndong Sima as the prime minister of his transitional government. Was the coup in Gabon just a family crisis to push the cou...

As world leaders gathered in New York for the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte led his country's delegation for the last time. After 13 years in power, the Netherlands' longest-serving premier is leaving office after a dispute about immigration led to the collapse of his coalition government. In this episode, we examine the political and diplomatic legacy of th...

For almost two decades, Somali forces, backed by the international community, have been fighting al-Shabab. But despite international support, the armed group remains influential in the south and centre of Somalia. Now, the government is launching a sweeping offensive to retake al-Shabab territory. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is personally leading the fight, but that is not the only challenge...

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the world's 20 largest economies in New Delhi. The G20 bloc accounts for more than 80 percent of global gross domestic product and 75 percent of international trade. But as the international community increasingly deals with opposing interests and geopolitical dynamics, many question if it serves any purpose. The United Nations secretary-general is...

In 2015, a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Syria made it to the Greek island of Lesbos in a rubber boat. Ryyan Alshebl’s journey continued by train, bus and on foot across Europe until he reached Germany. German officials sent him to the rural Swabia region. He arrived seeking asylum, not knowing what the future had in store for him. At 29, and against all odds, Alshebl is now the mayor of the town...

As AI-driven robots become more intelligent and more autonomous, could they also become powerful or harmful? The robot named Sophia was created in 2016 by the Hong Kong-based company Hanson Robotics. Sophia’s AI technology has surpassed a simple combination of science and engineering. She has also become an innovation ambassador for the United Nations. But what should we humans expect as we begin...

Yoshua Bengio's work in the 1990s and 2000s has contributed to the foundations of chatbots like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard. Today, Bengio is one of the biggest voices warning the world about the necessity of having control and regulations on artificial intelligence (AI) technology. He testified before a United States congressional hearing, warning that the frantic pace of AI development, i...

Many regard the United States as a superpower. Yet more than 13 percent of adults in the country cannot read or write above third-grade level. That’s the same as an eight-year-old. Censorship of library books is also on the rise. The American Library Association reported a record number of demands to censor books last year. The more than 1,600 contested titles address mainly race and gender issues...

Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide, and its most common form, Alzheimer's, accounts for about 70 percent of all cases. At the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, the largest congress advocating dementia science, held in Amsterdam this month, a pharmaceutical company disclosed details of its trials of a new drug: donanemab. The American company, Eli Lilly, expects the United...

In 2017 in Nigeria, Dr Dimie Ogoina diagnosed the world’s first known case of mpox in nearly 40 years. He rang the alarm bells, but the world refused to listen. Five years later, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization declared mpox a public health emergency of international concern. As the crisis unfolded, Ogoina’s observations became critical to developing strategies to preve...

What the United Nations describes as "a state of mental well-being" is crucial for our socioeconomic development. Despite an increasing acknowledgement of the critical role mental health plays in our lives, sufferers of mental health conditions are often stigmatised and discriminated against. For more than 25 years, Devora Kestel, who leads mental health efforts at the World Health Organization (W...

Kenya is known for its geography, wildlife and rich culture. It is also home to some of the world's best athletes. It is the country with the most Olympic medals in Africa, 113 since it first participated at the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956. But what are the sacrifices and challenges Kenyan athletes face to become sporting legends? Kenya’s own Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon talk to Al Jaz...

As the United States Supreme Court considers the role of race in college admissions, we explore the many challenges facing education with the first African American woman to lead one of the world's highest-ranked institutions. The alumni and faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have been awarded 100 Nobel prizes. But how is it dealing with diversity and equal opportunity? Melissa N...

Augusto Pinochet’s military coup in 1973 was followed by 17 years of systematic human rights violations and the disappearance of some 1,500 Chileans who have never been found. Relatives say they must find their remains to end their long mourning period. Many of them have died waiting. As in many countries where the armed forces have committed atrocities against civilians, those who know where the...

Pakistan’s geopolitical location seems to offer it vast economic opportunities. But in a region long troubled by political instability, the challenges are also formidable. And the conflicts are not just external. International cooperation seems critical if Pakistan is to successfully confront its crises. The country's top diplomat, who took the job in April last year, comes from a family with a lo...

According to the World Bank, Mexico is Latin America's second largest economy and one of the world's top 15. But the wealthiest 10 percent of Mexicans control nearly half of the country’s total income, while the poorest 10 percent have access to less than 2 percent of it. President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador came to power in 2018, promising to turn that around. But a year later, Mexico's poverty...

With an acting career spanning more than 30 years, Cate Blanchett is considered one of the greatest actors of her generation. But she also plays important non-fictional roles. In 2016, Blanchett became a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR. She has since travelled to Bangladesh, where she met Rohingya Muslims who fled persecution in Myanmar; Lebanon, where she met Syria...

Frenchman Arsene Wenger arrived in London in 1996 to take charge of the Arsenal Football Club at a time when foreign coaches were still a rarity in English football. He started a revolution in how to prepare for matches, and his approach helped change the game forever. Wenger's methods were initially greeted with scepticism, but they soon proved to be successful. He was in charge for 828 Premier L...

For centuries, Africa has been plundered by foreign powers, who have seized territory and reaped the benefits of profitable trade routes. Despite Africa’s abundant natural resources, it remains the poorest continent. A new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) supports an African Union initiative to remove trade barriers to increase the flow of goods among African nations. It says the Af...

Born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14, 1948, he was four when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, was crowned and 20 when she formally made him Prince of Wales. At 73, he became King Charles III upon the queen's death in September. Buckingham Palace said his coronation, which takes place on Saturday, would reflect the monarch's role today. But what challenges await King Charles as he reigns ov...

Humanity has tried to define and debate what art is for centuries. Perhaps those definitions are driven by our desperate need to better understand our existence. Throughout history, art has been a way we tell our stories, express our faith and beliefs, and depict the phases that have marked our social evolutions. In this edition of Talk to Al Jazeera, we explore the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, accom...

It has been more than two years since Myanmar’s military seized control of the country. The fight between the army and those opposing the coup deepened when ethnic armed groups joined the conflict. Even as violence escalates, the persecution of Rohingya Muslims has dragged on since 2017, when thousands fled to Bangladesh as they came under attack. Diplomatic efforts are pushing Myanmar’s leaders t...

It has been more than two years since Myanmar’s military seized control of the country. The fight between the army and those opposing the coup deepened when ethnic armed groups joined the conflict. Even as violence escalates, the persecution of Rohingya Muslims has dragged on since 2017, when thousands fled to Bangladesh as they came under attack. Diplomatic efforts are pushing Myanmar’s leaders t...

The United Nations has faced criticism for decades over its effectiveness, especially its means to resolve conflicts and ease the suffering of the most vulnerable. Many argue that veto powers held by its Security Council permanent members, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, create an uneven balance of power. Delegates from 46 of the poorest nations have come together...

Since President Ebrahim Raisi took office in 2021, he has pushed for a foreign policy focused on the Eastern Hemisphere, while developing closer ties with Iran's neighbours. Evidence of that is an agreement signed in Beijing in early March for Iran to restore diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia. But Iran remains heavily sanctioned by the West, as the long process to revive the landmark 2015 nuc...