Beyond the Headlines

Coronavirus: How close are we to a Covid-19 vaccine?

Top scientists across the world are putting their best foot forward to produce a vaccine for Covid-19 as soon as possible. There are more than 90 vaccines for the virus at different stages of development. At least six of these are already being tested for safety in people. What remains to be seen is which of these vaccines will be ready first and which one will be the most effective.

We talk to a senior lecturer in virology at the University of Kent, Dr Jeremy Rossman, and a visiting professor of science at Aston University in Birmingham, Robert Matthews about the search for an effective vaccine. This podcast was hosted by Suhail Akram.

Ramadan 2020: How muslims are coping during coronavirus

This year the holy month of Ramadan comes at an unprecedented time. Covid-19 has impacted just about everything and Ramadan is no different. The usual scenes of mosques buzzing with worshippers and bazaar’s bustling with shoppers are missing. This Ramadan, those fasting are indoors like everybody else. While the fear of the virus lurks in the streets, inside their houses, most of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims are seeking help and peace in their solitary prayers.

Host Suhail Akram talks to Khola Hassan, a religious scholar in the UK and Dr. Saad Al Ameri, an Emirati doctor treating coronavirus patients in the UAE. We also hear from The National's correspondents, Sunniva Rose in Lebanon and Hamza Hendawi in Egypt, about how life is different for Muslims this Ramadan.

What is cloud seeding and cloud brightening?

This week, host Willy Lowry looks at how the UAE harnesses the rain with cloud seeding and Australia's effort to save the Great Barrier Reef through cloud brightening.

We hear from Dr Deon Terblanche, a consultant in weather and climate at the World Bank, and Omar Al Yazeedi from the National Centre for Meteorology. We also speak to Daniel Harrison at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.

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Births, marriages and death in the time of coronavirus

Everyone has been affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic.
But some have had the most significant moments of their lives dramatically altered by the times.

In a special edition of Beyond the Headlines, we look at births, marriages and deaths with three special stories. Host Willy Lowry talks to his sister, Alexis, who gave birth to her first child on March 26 just outside New York City, the epicenter of the pandemic in America. Izbel Mengel was supposed to get married on Easter day but had her dream wedding stolen when lockdown meant her 500 guests couldn't travel. Peter Wheeland lost his father Kenneth to Covid-19. Tight restrictions at the nursing home meant he didn't know if he would be allowed to be with his father when the time came. We also hear from Jo Beddington, a celebrant based in London who recently conducted a virtual funeral.

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Coronavirus: Lessons from Wuhan China

The unprecedented lockdown in Wuhan, China lifted at the stroke of midnight on April 8th. The city of Wuhan, where the Covid-19 pandemic began, has re-opened to the world. In this is a hope, not just for China but for the entire world battling the coronavirus outbreak. With its widespread testing, severe restrictions on movement, social distancing and the use of technology, China managed to flatten the curve and significantly slow the spread of the coronavirus. 

This week on Beyond The Headlines, host Suhail Akram talks to Dr Xi Chen, assistant professor of Public Health at Yale School of Medicine, about how China brought the coronavirus outbreak under control in just 100 days and what lessons can be learned from it. We also hear from Raymond Ferguson, an Irish national who lives in China’s Guangzhou city, and Ajlan Al Zaki, a UAE doctor at Stanford University's hospital in California.

Chris Hadfield: An astronaut's guide to self-isolation

In this week's Beyond the Headlines podcast host Willy Lowry speaks to fellow Canadian Chris Hadfield. The astronaut has been into space three times and worked as an astronaut, training in extreme conditions and preparing physically and mentally to be cooped up in the International Space Station. What does he have to say about our current state of self isolation, the fear of the pandemic and the break from our normal life patterns? 

How Iran became the epicentre of coronavirus in the Middle East

This week James Haines-Young, foreign editor at The National, talks about how a slow response and official denials turned Iran’s Covid-19 outbreak into a national emergency. We also speak to Ali Alfoneh, senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Coronavirus: What is it, how does it spread and how to stay safe?

It’s the word on everyone’s lips, and has been for months now -coronavirus. We haven’t seen an international response to a crisis on this scale before. One in which every single one of the world’s 195 countries are at risk. Nations are closing their borders, halting flights, limiting social interaction and closing workplaces... except for the most essential. The world's stock market has tumbled and shows no signs of stability. These are unprecedented times, when fake news and panic travel faster than the virus.

Host Suhail Akram talks to Dr Tarik Jasarevic of World Health Organisation and science historian Simon Ings about the Coronavirus. We also hear from Dr Thoraiya Kanafani, a clinical psychologist, and Ali Khawaja, a self-proclaimed prepper based in the UAE.

Are we on the precipice of another refugee crisis in Europe?

The dull thud of bullets smacking into water, followed by the panicked cries of desperate people trying to get to Europe. That was the scene off the coast of Bodrum, Turkey when the Greek Coast Guard confronted refugees and migrants. It’s an extreme example of scenes that have been playing out daily on land and sea.

Host Willy Lowry looks at the latest wave of refugees and migrants trying to get into Europe and why Turkey is encouraging them. We talk to Fadi Hakura, an analyst at Chatham House, Kareem Shaheen, a journalist based in Canada, and Rami Jarrah, a Syrian-British journalist. We also hear from Tony Rigopoulos, who works for the Athens-based newspaper Documento, Andreas Mountzourlias and Pål Nesse from the Norwegian Council for Refugees.

The new Taliban deal: Will it bring peace in Afghanistan?

The United States has just signed a deal with the Taliban that it hopes will end nearly two decades of fighting in Afghanistan. The US government has spent $2 trillion on the conflict. At least a hundred thousand Afghans have been killed or wounded in the last ten years of the war. At least 3,500 American and NATO coalition troops have lost their lives since the US invasion. To understand how long the United States has been in Afghanistan, consider this: the youngest American troops being sent to Afghanistan these days were born after the 9/11 attacks. Many of the Taliban fighters they’re battling don’t know a time before the US invasion. Will the new deal with the Taliban bring peace to the country?

Host Suhail Akram speaks to Jasmine Bhatia, research fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies London, and Stefanie Glinksi, reporting for The National in Afghanistan. We also hear from Afghan-American Sulaiman Hakemy, the Deputy Comment Editor at The National.