Sensemaker

Lots of GPs are leaving the profession, and we can't recruit or train new ones fast enough to fill the gaps. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abiy Ahmed, prime minister of Ethiopia, won the Nobel Peace Prize two years ago. How has he ended up accused of war crimes? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boris Johnson tried to save his colleague Owen Paterson from accusations of sleaze. He failed, but by trying he's damaged himself and the reputation of Parliament. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Cumbria, there's a plan for a new coal mine. Should we say no to it for the sake of the planet? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In much of the world, rates of HIV infection are falling. In Russia, they're going through the roof. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

France has decided to return some artefacts from one of its museums which were looted from Benin more than a century ago. Might museums in other western countries have to follow suit? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United Nations’ Climate Change Conference is underway in Glasgow. Whatever it agrees, how do we measure it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government is under increasing pressure to reintroduce Covid restrictions. Why are they holding off? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation is on the rise, and Rishi Sunak’s high-spending budget could push it up further. Will the Bank of England step in and draw the purse strings? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a reported £150m, David Beckham has agreed to become the face of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – and an ambassador for the country. It's a move that might put his reputation at risk... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the UK, we're having fewer children than ever before. What's going on? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Facebook has just announced that it is creating 10,000 jobs to make a metaverse. A what? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Covid cases are rising fast in the UK, and the government is under pressure to take steps to slow them down. Is it time for the government to to turn to Plan B? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More workers than ever before are quitting their jobs. Why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prevent is the British government's first line of defence against radicalisation and extremism. How does it work? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Outside every huge shipping port in the world there's a queue of ships waiting to unload. What's holding everything up? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation - a rise in the cost of living - used to be a huge problem in the UK. Is it about to become one again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did an overabundance of caution help cause a Covid crisis among pregnant women? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK has left the European Union. Why is trying now to renegotiate the way it left? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund took a controlling stake of Newcastle United for £300m. It’s the most controversial Premier League takeover to date. But who’s pulling all the strings?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gas bills are rocketing - but there's supposed to be a 'price cap' on them to protect consumers. Why isn't it working? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A British court ruled last week that Sheikh Mohammed, the ruler of Dubai, had used one of the most powerful surveillance tools available to security services to spy on his ex-wife in the middle of a custody case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Russian actor and director are about to become the first to film a movie in space. Why are they doing it? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The leak of financial documents known as the Pandora Papers shines a light on 'shell companies' which allow people to hide their wealth. Has the time come for tax authorities to clamp down on them? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Sarah Everard's murder, there are now going to be two separate inquiries into the culture of the Metropolitan Police. What chance do they have of bringing about real change? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year Boris Johnson announced a lockdown and Christmas was cancelled. This time round, things are looking up. But as food, fuel and toy shortages worsen, will Christmas be cancelled again?You can get the Sensemaker newsletter as an email delivered to your inbox once a day. It’s our editors’ pick of the stories that matter most right now, and why, in brief. You can sign up here for free. Or, if you’d like to join Tortoise as a fully-fledged member, activate your 30-day free trial to access all our journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the Taliban took over in Afghanistan, the UK agreed to take thousands of refugees. What's happening to them? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right wing extremists have started to turn to cryptocurrencies as they've been sidelined by big financial institutions. But they might prosper in the shadows. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pfizer makes one of the most important vaccines against Covid-19. Did it go beyond supporting its own vaccine and start undermining others? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After almost three years, a tit-for-tat row over the arrest of a Huawei executive for fraud has finally come to an end. Two men called Michael paid a heavy price. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A shocking report into the birth and death of a baby in prison has sparked a debate about whether prison can ever be a safe place for pregnant women. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heidi Crowter has Down's Syndrome. She fought to change a UK law which allows women with a Down's baby to have an abortion much later in pregnancy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The streaming giant has bought the rights to Roald Dahl’s estate. Is this the start of a new cinematic universe?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The looming energy crisis erupted this week. Gas prices rocketed and more energy suppliers went bust. So why didn't we see it coming? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Apple and Google removed a voting app developed by the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, just as Russians head to the polls. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

GB News faces an uncertain future. Its star and chairman, Andrew Neil, has left. Viewer figures make for grim reading. So is there an audience for an 'anti-woke', Fox News style channel? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The story of Shamima Begum is one of the most notorious examples of radicalisation in Britain. Now she’s back in the news, why is her appearance getting so much attention? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When an internal presentation by Instagram was leaked this week, it showed the social media giant knows how harmful its platform can be. So why aren't they being transparent about it?The aim of the Molly Rose Foundation is suicide prevention, targeted towards young people under the age of 25. The foundation connects those suffering with the help, support and practical advice they need: https://mollyrosefoundation.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

... so how is Boris Johnson going to prepare for the possible rise in Covid cases? This week, he announced his plan. The question is: will it work, and will we avoid another lockdown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The UK's home secretary, Priti Patel, has announced plans to authorise "pushbacks" of migrant boats in the English Channel. It is a policy condemned as dangerous and... possibly, illegal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsene Wenger, the former Arsenal manager, is leading the charge to hold the World Cup every two years not four. Is this an innovation too far from one of football's change-makers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Syria descended into a bloody and brutal civil war ten years ago, many multinational companies pulled out of the country. One stayed. Now, it's facing allegations that it was complicit in crimes against humanity.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

El Salvador has become the first country in the world to make Bitcoin legal tender. Will it come to regret its decision? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There was a real concern at the start of the pandemic that lockdowns would lead to a spike in suicides. But recent figures show an opposite trend. It’s a positive shift, but the question is: why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The government has just put up National Insurance to help pay for the NHS to recover from Covid and to improve social care. Did they choose to increase that particular tax because a lot of us don't know what it is? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Schools in England have gone back this week, and there's real worry about a surge in Covid infections. What can we learn from what's happened to infections this summer?You can get the Sensemaker newsletter as an email delivered to your inbox once a day. It’s our editors’ pick of the stories that matter most right now, and why, in brief. You can sign up here for free. Or, if you’d like to join Tortoise as a fully-fledged member, activate your 30-day free trial to access all our journalism.For more information on today's episode, visit tortoisemedia.com/listen. Transcripts of each episode will be made available on the same day.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big opioid case has been settled in court. Purdue Pharma, one of the drugs companies behind the opioid epidemic has been dissolved, and the family that ran it agreed to pay a mammoth $4.5 billion court settlement. The payout will go to help victims of the crisis, but is money enough? What about justice? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Kabul fell, the Foreign Secretary tripped up. Dominic Raab was famously on holiday. But was it an accident that he became front-page news? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Orleans gets its fair share of hurricanes and Hurricane Ida was one of the biggest. But it did less damage and killed fewer people than Hurricane Katrina. Is New Orleans finally learning the lessons of past disasters? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Molly Mae turned reality TV into real success Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.