The Truth

Days after Shein opened its first location in Paris, France is threatening to ban the Chinese fast-fashion giant. The threat follows months of hand-wringing over Shein’s growing footprint in France, topped off by the discovery of child-like sex dolls and weapons from third-party sellers on its website. on its third-party online marketplace. With growing backlash, will the controversial company sur...

Is success really earned, or is meritocracy an illusion? We’re told that hard work pays off and talent rises to the top. But do we all really start from the same point? Around the world, debates continue over whether success is determined by ability and effort or by race, geography and class. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

Rio de Janeiro’s deadliest police raid in years left bodies in the streets and a city reeling. Officials called it a success, while residents called it a massacre. What really happened in the favela, who was targeted, and does this mark a turning point for state violence in Brazil? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

China has been Russia's largest trading partner for 15 consecutive years. But commerce between the two has slumped recent months, following pressure by Donald Trump. The US President has imposed sanctions and secondary tariffs on Moscow and its business partners, in his attempt to end the war in Ukraine. Russia and China are now pledging a joint response against what they say are "unilateral sanct...

Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer has spent years using humor to face pain, break silence, and speak for a people under fire. In a moment of deep loss, he turns to the stage again. What can comedy still cut through? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

As Israel’s two-year war on Gaza has unfolded, Al Jazeera has told the story through its journalists on the ground, who’ve risked everything to bring the conflict to the world’s attention. This three-part series chronicles the network’s coverage and the personal toll on its staff, at least 10 of whom have been killed since the war began on October 7, 2023. It begins by following Gaza bureau chief...

Governments around the world now owe nearly $100 trillion in public debt. That's almost double what they owed just a decade ago. The International Monetary Fund warns that by 2029, global debt will surpass 100 percent of the world's gross domestic product, meaning the world's borrowing could soon exceed the size of the entire global economy. But there is a stark contrast: Richer nations can - for...

Trump’s tariffs are headed to the US Supreme Court as Washington and New Delhi pursue a trade deal. On the ground in India, export hubs are seeing cancelled orders, layoffs, and falling pay rates. As uncertainty deepens, what does this mean for factory workers? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

Who is not talking about artificial intelligence these days? It is already weaving into virtually every industry and beginning to reshape how we work. But what many professionals are now asking is: What does this mean for our careers? AI is not just a buzzword any more; it is starting to affect job security, career trajectories, skills demands, and how we position ourselves in the evolving work la...

Should ancient traditions guide our societies today? Across the world, societies are divided between holding onto long-standing traditions and embracing new ways of living. Some say we’ve drifted too far from the values that once gave our lives meaning, while others argue those old systems don’t fit in with the modern world. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-...

New York’s new Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won amid Islamophobic attacks, and is set to become the city's first Muslim mayor. He pledged to serve all communities, and to challenge US President Trump's policies. His win is being compared to that of London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan, a counterweight to then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Are city mayors the new resistance to right-wing governments?...

From embracing Zionism as a Holocaust survivor to becoming a vocal critic of Israeli policies, renowned author and doctor Gabor Maté reflects on the evolution in his thinking, on trauma as a driving force behind Zionism and Israel, and on how collective Jewish trauma has been exploited by Israel to justify its war in Gaza. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-tr...

China and the US have agreed to ease their trade war...for now. Concessions from both, with some of the most painful measures put on hold for a year. So, what tactics did each side use in the battle between the world's two biggest economies? Will they work? And what's the longer-term outlook - agreement, or more trouble ahead? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/th...

A coalition of ethnic armies and civilian militia forces are fighting a civil war against Myanmar’s military rulers, who seized power through a coup in 2021. Through unearthed documents, rare testimonies from defectors, and never before seen frontline footage, Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit goes beyond the battlefield to expose what is really happening in the wartorn Asian nation. From forced con...

India’s southern city of Bengaluru, formerly known as Bangalore, is famous for making the nation a global software hub, leading to rapid urbanisation. But it has another claim to fame: snakes. More than 30 species of snakes can be found in the metropolis, including the highly venomous Russell Viper, King Cobra, and Spectacled Cobra, leading to dozens of deaths every year. Become a supporter of thi...

US President Donald Trump threatens Nigeria with military action, claiming Christians are being persecuted. The government and Christian groups in Nigeria deny this, saying armed groups have killed people of all faiths. So what's behind Trump's claims? And what's the security situation? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

The United States and China have declared a truce in the trade war launched by US President Donald Trump in April, argues Evan Medeiros, former US National Security Council director for China. Medeiros tells host Steve Clemons that the deal reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Trump resolves the urgent trade issues between the two sides - tariff rates, soya beans and rare earth mineral...

This major investigative documentary examines the facts surrounding the murder of Palestinian American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, as she was reporting in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, in May 2022. It sets out to discover who killed her - and after months of painstaking research, succeeds in identifying the Israeli sniper who pulled the trigger. It gets through the smokescreens of...

America's longest government shutdown is becoming more painful by the day. 40 million people are now struggling to get food More than a million federal workers haven't been paid. And flights are getting disrupted. Congress is locked in a standoff over a bill to fund government services, with Democrats demanding an extension to tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of American...

It is the world's fifth-largest economy, with a combined gross domestic product of more than $3.6 trillion dollars. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) brings together 11 states, representing nearly 700 million people. As a fast-growing hub for trade, manufacturing and supply chains, ASEAN is a vital partner for both China and the United States. However, Donald Trump's tariffs on so...

There is no sign of an end to the US government shutdown. 1.4 million workers are going without pay, while some people on federal aid are worrying how they will get their next meal. How can the stand-off between Republicans and Democrats be resolved and what will happen if it goes on? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, just upgraded their free trade agreement, strengthening economic ties amid Trump’s tariff war. But key US ally president of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to assume the ASEAN chair in 2026 — what does this mean for the future China-ASEAN relations? For tensions in the South China Sea? Become a supporter of this podcast: h...

A surge in chikungunya cases has hit southern China, fuelled by climate change, urbanisation and global travel. Experts warn the next pandemic is inevitable - but have we learned enough from COVID-19 to be prepared? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .

As Israel continues its relentless assault on Gaza, killing and starving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with Western backing, even during so-called ceasefires, one thing has become clear: this isn’t just about Palestine. It’s about Western supremacy, empire, and the racism that underpins them both. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/suppo...

Tanzania's incumbent President has been declared re-elected with with 98% of the vote in an election, denounced by the opposition as a sham. The government denies that hundreds of people have been killed in a police crackdown. So what's behind this crisis and what's next? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-truth--6487495/support .