Spain pushes back after the independence vote by firing the government and the police chief.
In less than 24 hours Catalonia has declared independence and Spain has responded by stripping the region of its autonomy and taking control of its government and police. The Spanish prime minister dismissed Catalan's leaders including Carles Puigdemont. Mariano Rajoy called for a snap election in the region on December 21. And handed over Catalonia's reins to Spain's deputy prime minister, Soraya Saenz de Santamaria. But will that simply exacerbate Catalans’ ambitions to split.
Presenter: Patty Culhane | Guests: Enric Ucelay-da Cal - Senior Professor emeritus at University of Barcelona; Daniel Gasconid - Spanish writer and political analyst; Luk Van Langenhove - senior researcher at the Institute for European Studies
Every third week, a British Royal Mail ship begins its journey from Cape Town to Saint Helena, the remote island in the Atlantic where Napoleon was once in exile.
It’s like the end of the world in the middle of the Atlantic. Five days, with a northwesterly course, and only then do the sheer black cliffs appear in front of RMS St. Helena. The island’s 45000 residents are often waiting impatiently for the ship’s arrival and panic if the schedule changes. Director Thomas Denzel and his team went on the journey to Saint Helena and met the people living on the island. Many of the residents are descendants of people who were sent into exile there by the British crown - the most famous among them, the French Emperor Napoleon. This is a report about life at the end of the world, loneliness, unique vegetation, and a very special journey.
Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi president, was executed on December 30, 2006. His death, like his life, was filled with controversy.
Saddam Hussein was born into humble beginnings, but his straightforward, brutal efficiency eventually propelled him to power. By 1979 he had absolute control of Iraq, and had become a prominent figure on the world stage.
I Knew Saddam was first broadcast on Al Jazeera English in 2007.
GQ’s arch interrogator Alastair Campbell finally does God, as he meets the man leading the Church of England, Justin Welby, to discuss the Queen's death, gay sex and battling depression.
The British Government is set to expand terrorism offenses to include the act of viewing content online. Jim Killock of Open Rights Group says the move amounts to criminalizing thought
How should we view Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's promise of reform? Evan Davis asks Saudi journalist Abeer Mishkhas and Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik.
We've all heard that a glass of wine a day is healthy or that spinach is a good source of iron. But what is true and what is a myth?
There are many misconceptions about what is healthy and what is unhealthy. Insight is a constant process: what was accepted as true yesterday could be scientifically refuted today. But how do myths become embedded, even in the scientific community? Why can’t we simply replace old insights with new ones? Everything from methodological errors to manipulation can play a role. New myths aren’t just created in spite of science, but sometimes even with its help. One example: detoxing is a very popular myth at the moment. Removing toxins from the body is based on an understanding of medicine dating back to the early 20th Century. But modern medical experts say this notion of a build-up of toxins is nonsense. So why is it so hard to debunk the detox myth when it has no scientific basis? Dr. Lilian Krist, an epidemiologist at the Charité Hospital in Berlin says: "People want to believe in something. For many, these diet hypes and lifestyle trends have become a substitute religion." New studies often throw up more questions than answers and more room for wrong interpretations - or even deliberately false conclusions. Once wrong information has become embedded in our brains, it’s difficult to get rid of again. Cognitive psychologist Ullrich Ecker has discovered that established myths people have believed in for generations are incredibly resilient. There’s even a boomerang effect: the more we try to destroy a myth, the more people believe in it.
Saudi Arabia's new crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has become the de facto ruler of the kingdom given his father's poor health. Bin Salman's record of reckless decisions over the past two years has triggered fears that he may take the Kingdom into uncharted territory and further destabilize the Middle East.
In the three years since he emerged as a central player in Saudi Arabia's government, Mohammed Bin Salman - also known as MBS - has seemed to be a young man in a hurry. The 32-year-old formally became Crown Prince earlier this year, but well before that he had announced broad plans to transform both Saudi Arabia's culture and its economy.
At a conference this week in Riyadh, the prince made headlines by calling for the Kingdom to "return to moderate Islam." He suggested that his country's embrace of a particularly strict version of Islam, was a reaction to Iran's 1979 revolution. But questions are being asked as to whether the prince will be able to push his reforms through the country's conservative bureaucracy and religious establishment.
At the same time he's spending $2tn on the 'Vision 2030' plan which seeks to lessen the country's dependence on oil revenue. Will Mohammed Bin Salman be successful in both, or even just one of these ambitious projects?
Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Abdullah al-Shayji - Chair, Political Science Department, Kuwait University; Yasemin Saib - Saudi Activist; Jane Kinninmont - Deputy Head, Middle East & North Africa Programme, Chatham House, London
Catalan companies are leaving Catalonia because of uncertainty; Famine as a weapon in South Sudan; Conservative party MP's in Germany are pushing for a quota; Fears of a new refugee route to Romania.
The president of the European council says the EU 27 are united in negotiations on Brexit. Speaking on Tuesday, he was addressing a plenary session at the European parliament when he said the talks could result in 'a good deal, no deal or no Brexit'. The president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, told MEPs that the EU was seeking a fair deal with the UK European council president suggests Brexit could be halted
Thailand’s former King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world’s longest-serving monarch, will be cremated on Thursday, over a year after he died.
While millions of people are mourning the revered monarch, who ruled for 70 years, Thailand's military government is ramping up its crackdown on people insulting or criticizing the royal family.
Over the past three years, more than 100 people have been charged or convicted for violating the country’s strict draconian lèse-majesté law (violating the dignity of a ruler), which forbids insult of the monarchy.
The military leadership says some sort of democracy will return next year, but there is no indication that will mean freedom of speech when it comes to the monarchy.
Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay reports from the capital, Bangkok.
Saudi Arabia - a key ally of the UK and America - has been ruled as an absolute monarchy since its foundation. Any opposition in the country is often brutally oppressed. BBC Arabic has been investigating allegations the Saudi monarchy has operated a system of illegal abduction and capture of dissident princes who have criticised the government, including evidence of princes kidnapped in Europe and forced back to Saudi Arabia, where they've not been heard from since. Reda El Mawy reports.
As the Senate narrowly passes a budget bill that clears the path for a historic tax reform, we’ll look at how President Trump’s proposed tax overhaul would shower billions of dollars in tax cuts upon the wealthiest Americans—including President Trump’s family and members of his administration. An analysis by the Center for American Progress Action Fund shows President Trump’s family and Trump’s Cabinet members would, combined, reap a $3.5 billion windfall from the proposed repeal of the estate tax alone. Trump’s plan would cap the tax rate on “pass-through income” at 25 percent—a move that would also shower millions in savings upon millionaires and billionaires. We speak with economist James Henry of the Tax Justice Network and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston, whose latest piece is titled “Nine Reasons Trump’s Tax Plan Will Hurt You.”
In Austria, conservative leader Sebastian Kurz has been tasked with forming a government after he won a slim majority in the snap elections earlier this month. His conservative party, which campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, is now weighing whether to form a coalition with Austria’s far-right populist Freedom Party, which won 26 percent of the vote in the Austrian elections. The Freedom Party was founded by former Nazis six decades ago. This comes as hate crimes in Britain hit a record high and anti-immigrant nationalist movements are surging across Europe. For more, we speak with Dominic Thomas, professor at UCLA who specializes in European politics. Thomas is chair of the Department of French and Francophone Studies.
It is a case of try and try again for America’s top diplomat. The US Secretary of State‘s back in the Gulf reviving mediation efforts in a bid to end the four-month-long Gulf crisis.
Rex Tillerson is visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar as part of a regional tour. His last visit was in July for intense talks, but no deal was made. Tillerson is playing down the chances of a quick solution in his latest shuttle diplomacy.
He is already been blaming the Saudi-led group of countries for the lack of progress.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in June, and imposed a land, sea and air travel blockade on the country.
The Saudi-led bloc accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism, allegations strongly denied by Doha.
What will it take to find a solution? And does the Saudi-led quartet want to talk?
Presenter: Jane Dutton | Guests: Fahad Bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, Qatar Ambassador to Russia; Andreas Krieg, Assistant Professor at the Defense Studies Dept. King's College London; Khalil Jahshan, Executive Director of the Arab Centre of WashingtonMAIL
Lord Heseltine remained adamant the UK would adopt the currency when the “circumstances are right”. Joining Iain Dale in the studio, he also said it was “very possible” that Britain does not end up leaving the European Union.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is set to launch a fresh bid on Sunday to ease a crisis between Riyadh and Doha, both allies of Washington, but without high hopes of a breakthrough.
Omar Ashour, a senior lecturer in Middle East Politics and Security Studies at the University of Exeter, speaks to Al Jazeera about Tillerson's Middle East tour.
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) responds to Chief of Staff John Kelly's criticism of her following President Trump's phone call to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson.
Former President Barack Obama, back on the campaign trail for the first time since he left the White House, has appealed for unity in America. Without mentioning Donald Trump by name, Obama said: 'Instead of our politics reflecting our values, we've got politics infecting our communities.' He went on: 'If you have to win a campaign by dividing people, you won't be able to govern them.'
Conservative politician Sebastian Kurz has won Austria's elections by espousing right-wing positions. What consequences will that have for Europe? Guests this time: Ulrike Herrmann (taz), Frank Hofmann (DW), Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico).
It's been almost a year since Clinton lost the election and one Russian collusion believer has mapped out a scenario where she could be installed as president.
The former president spoke at an event held at the George W Bush Institute on Thursday in New York. Bush says bigotry seems emboldened in modern America, along with a climate of discontent. He added that US politics appeared more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication.
Who is the most powerful person in the world? Many would say US President Donald Trump. But the international news publication, The Economist, argues it is actually China's President Xi Jinping. While Trump talks protectionism, Xi is bidding for global leadership on multiple fronts. Among them - a grand infrastructure plan to link large parts of the world economy, an Asia-focused bank to counter the World Bank, China's first overseas military base and a military buildup in the South China Sea.
Analysts say Xi wants to be a transformative leader along the lines of Deng Xiaoping and Mao Zedong. He has eliminated rival power centres in an anti-corruption campaign, and has amassed more personal power than any recent predecessor.
So, what will the latest Communist party congress reveal about China's global aspirations as the US turns inward?
Presenter: James Bays | Guests: Einar Tangen - Political and Economic Affairs Analyst; Jabin Jacob - Fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies; Isaac Stone Fish - Senior fellow at the Asia Society's Center on US- China Relations.
On Saturday 14 October 2017, former US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, received an honorary doctorate from Swansea University in recognition of her work in promoting children's rights. During the congregation, Mrs Clinton delivered a speech entitled, Children's Rights Are Human Rights.
President Donald Trump has disavowed the Iran nuclear deal, but won’t pull out of it – yet. The same neocons who pushed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq are now arguing that the US needs to abandon the multi-party international agreement. Investigative reporter Max Blumenthal says that the end goal for decertifying the Iran deal is the same as the Iraq invasion, even though members of the Trump administration say pulling out would empower Iranian hardliners.
A Florida congresswoman alleged on Tuesday that Donald Trump told the widow of a soldier who died in combat that he ‘knew what he signed up for’. Representative Frederica Wilson said she was in the car with Myeshia Johnson on the way to Miami airport to receive the body of Johnson's husband, Sgt La David Johnson, when Trump called. Wilson said she heard part of the conversation on speak
Ende des letzten Jahrhunderts setzt die verkehrstechnische Erschließung der Alpen ein. Die geheimnisvolle, wilde und unheimliche Welt des Hochgebirges wird für jedermann zugänglich. Mit innovativem Pioniergeist entstehen großartige touristische Attraktionen. Vor 100 Jahren fuhr die erste elektrische Zahnradbahn der Schweiz von Zermatt auf den Gornergrat. Seither haben Millionen Berg-Enthusiasten, aber auch Halbschuh-Alpinisten, die eindrückliche Aussicht auf 29 Viertausender der Walliser Alpen genossen. Die erste Luftseilbahn der Schweiz wurde in Grindelwald von deutschen Ingenieuren gebaut. Der in seiner Konstruktion außerordentlich kühne Wetterhorn-Aufzug war schon damals außerordentlich sicher.
French President Emmanuel Macron no longer holds the bragging rights to the title "Europe's fresh face". Sebastian Kurz, the 31-year-old leader of Austria's Christian Democrats and the winner of Sunday's snap election now holds that distinction. So what can we expect from this new leader whose ideas were supported by one quarter of the vote? The issues of immigration dominated his campaign and he openly embraced the prospect of forming a coalition with the far-right.
France's Emmanuel Macron no longer holds bragging rights to the title of "Europe's fresh face." That distinction now the property of Sebastian Kurz, leader of Austria's Christian Democrats, winner of Sunday's snap general election, and at 31, eight years the junior of Macron. So what are the new ideas behind the new face?
Candid, open and at times angry, this riveting conversation takes us into the heart and mind of the woman at the centre of the most stunning election loss in modern US history. What really happened? Sarah Ferguson reports for ABC Four Corners.
Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to Matt Frei about why she lost the U.S. Presidential election, how Trump's rhetoric and actions are a threat to world peace and her views on Harvey Weinstein after the recent publication of her new book "What Happened"
US President Donald Trump announced he will not certify Tehran’s compliance with the Iran nuclear deal.
This means the US Congress now has 60 days to decide whether to re-impose sanctions against Iran and come up with new legislation to try and amend the deal.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani responded to Trump, saying it’s not up to any individual leader to make decisions about a global agreement.
US President Donald Trump is refusing to endorse the-two year old agreement between Tehran and world powers.
After months of bold talk and threats against Iran, the US president is laying out a new strategy to challenge the leadership in Tehran.
Donald Trump is refusing to certify the major nuclear deal signed with Iran two years ago. The Obama administration and six world powers agreed to lift long-running sanctions in return for Iranian promises to limit development of nuclear weapons. Trump says Iran is not meeting the conditions of the agreement. But he stopped short of completely withdrawing from it. Instead, he is asking Congress to consider new sanctions on Iran. Iran says Trump's allegations are delusional and world leaders have also been quick to condemn the US president.
Is the US risking isolation from its allies?
Presenter: James Bays | Guests: Ali Vaez - International Crisis Group; Daryl Kimball - Arms Control Association; Mostafa Khoscheshm, Applied Sciences University, Tehran
As President Trump moves to dismantle the Affordable Care Act in an executive order, and the White House announces it will stop paying billions of dollars in federal subsidies to insurance companies to help cover low-income people’s healthcare plans, we get response from Congress member Luis Gutiérrez, who says Trump’s dismantling of the ACA is an attempt to balance the budget. “It’s no coincidence that their next move is to give a tax break to the wealthiest in this nation,” Gutiérrez notes.
From pundits to US Senators and former officials, many have expressed concern that US President Donald Trump is mentally unfit for office. But the profession most capable of making this judgement—psychiatric and mental health experts and practitioners— have remained largely silent.
Mental health professionals usually abide by an ethical norm called the "Goldwater Rule", which states that "it is unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion [on a public figure] unless he or she has conducted an examination and has been granted proper authorisation for such a statement."
President Trump, however, is prompting some psychiatrists to speak out, arguing that his mental unfitness for office is apparent and uniquely dangerous.
"The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump" is a new book that offers a collection of essays from 27 psychiatrists and mental health experts, all offering a bleak assessment of the president’s mental state. But is it even possible to diagnose Trump from afar in this way?
Bandy Lee, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine and the editor of this new book, and Betty Teng, a trauma therapist and one of the contributors to it, join us to discuss their views and why they believe the US president is a danger to the world.
Editor’s note: Bandy Lee's assessments are her own views and do not represent those of Yale University.
Iran's National Jewelry Museum is home to priceless and dazzling gems and jewels. This sea of light reflects the grandeur of ancient Iran and is a clear manifestation of its rich history.
Failure to repeal Obamacare, doubts about tax reform, and lingering questions over his integrity – how long will Donald Trump’s supporters stay the course? Tim Sebastian meets Republican Congressman Don Bacon on Conflict Zone.
NEW YORK, September 27, 2017 — Foreign Minister of Iran Mohammad Javad Zarif discusses the Iran Nuclear Deal and issues such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Yemen with journalist and broadcaster Charlie Rose at Asia Society in New York.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is considered to be unpredictable and dangerous. His nuclear weapons and rocket tests signal his disregard for UN sanctions.
Our report features eyewitness accounts and interviews with experts, and offers exclusive insight into the life of the world's most enigmatic dictator. Kim was declared North Korea's supreme leader in 2011. North Korean sources say he was born in 1982 -- the son of Kim Jong-Il, the country's supreme leader at the time. Reports say he attended school in Switzerland from 1993 - 2000. Some classmates described him as shy, but a good student and a basketball fan. Our report sheds some light on Kim's personality and personal relationships -- including his marriage to a former singer, and his friendship with a Japanese sushi chef.
Saudi Arabia recently made headlines for finally allowing women to drive. But women's rights activists Moudhi Aljahoni says the situation for women is still dire. Aljohani had to flee her home country due to her activism and now continues to speak out against the male guardian system that treats women as minors. We caught up with her after she safely reached the US, where she is now seeking asylum.
The majority of Spaniards outside Catalonia are bitterly opposed to it declaring independence. Many say the claim by some Catalan nationalists that they were the only ones who suffered under Franco's 1939-75 dictatorship ignores history. Al Jazeera’s Laurence Lee reports from Jarama Valley in central Spain.
Saudi Arabia and Russia have been rivals, but the Saudi king’s historic visit suggests a new relationship. There is a shift in global power structures. Two world leaders who back rival sides in Syria's war are cementing a new friendship. Together they could also determine the world's oil prices.
Saudi Arabia's King Salman has been meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow - the first Saudi monarch to visit Russia. Investment deals worth billions of dollars have been signed. Some argue the visit reflects the growing Russian influence in the Middle East But can they trust each other? And what does this visit mean for the Middle East?
Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Ibrahim Fraihat, associate professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Nikolay Surkov, Foreign policy analyst at the Russian International Affairs Council; Lawrence Korb, former US Assistant Secretary of Defence
As French President Emmanuel Macron continues his push for a stronger EU, it's becoming 'very clear that his agenda is a traditionally right-wing, pro-business agenda,' says author and journalist Laura Raim
In his latest book, The Golden House, Salman Rushdie describes an Indian family fleeing to a new life in America. It's a novel that explores and explodes identity - of race and gender, and it's a novel that begins in the era of Obama and ends in the era of Trump. He speaks to Emily Maitlis.
Saudi Arabia was the only country in the world where women were not permitted to drive – until now.
King Salman’s has issued a decree to lift the ban. It is a victory for women’s rights, though many other restrictions remain. A new generation is pushing for change.
This film presents some of the pioneers who are seeking to improve the lot of Saudi women and reshape Saudi society. In December 2015, women were allowed to vote and to run as candidates in municipal elections for the first time. Rasha Hefzi was elected as a city councillor in Jeddah. When conservative men on the council said she should not sit in the chamber with them, she refused to play along. Hefzi belongs to a new generation of independent-minded Saudi women who are staking claims in the professions, business and, now, politics, and who are not afraid to voice criticism of Saudi society. Two female film makers from Germany spent several weeks in Saudi Arabia making this film about such exceptional women.
