Podcast appearances and mentions of samira shackle

Samira Shackle and Jeff Goodell explain the dangers resulting from extreme heat, and what society can do to mitigate them. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

On this first episode, host Caroline Crampton is interviewed by the author and journalist Samira Shackle, to introduce how this series about hypochondria came about. They discuss Caroline's past as a cancer patient, all the ways in which hypochondria shows up in her life, and why she decided to write about it now after keeping much of this a secret for her entire writing career to date. Plus: some behind-the-scenes chat about how to write a book. Caroline's new book, A Body Made of Glass: A History of Hypochondria, is available to order now. The audiobook, read by Caroline, is also available. Find out more information at her website, carolinecrampton.com, or by following her on Instagram @cacrampton. Samira's book, Karachi Vice, is out everywhere and very much worth your time. You can find out more about her and her work at samirashackle.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Handing cash to rough sleepers has always been a controversial act, but is it actually the solution to our homelessness crisis? It's an idea that award-winning journalist and author Samira Shackle explored in a feature for the most recent issue of Prospect. Shackle joins Ellen Halliday and Jonathan Tan, chief executive of non-profit Greater Change, on the podcast to discuss cash transfers, universal basic income and other measures that could ease Britain's growing homelessness problem. Read Samira Shackle's feature here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holly Dagres and Samira Shackle discuss Antony Blinken's diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, assess plans for a joint naval drill by Iran, Russia and China, and see how Pakistan is voting under the shadow of an imprisoned Imran Khan. Plus: we visit Ganni's Copenhagen studio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan is sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaking a confidential diplomatic cable. Samira Shackle has more details. Plus: Washington weighs its options following an airstrike that killed US troops over the weekend and Northern Ireland's devolved parliament looks set to return.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since becoming a parent to a now-toddler, Samira Shackle has been bombarded with advice on social media - sometimes useful, sometimes not-so. She meets Helen Oliver, mother to two teenagers and school counsellor, to discuss navigating this online world and the affect it has on mothers, in particular.Samira Shackle is a journalist and the author of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City.Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.

Since becoming a parent to a now-toddler, Samira Shackle has been bombarded with advice on social media - sometimes useful, sometimes not-so. She meets Lucy Jones, mother-of-three, to discuss navigating this online world and the affect it has on mothers, in particular.Samira Shackle is a journalist and the author of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City; Lucy Jones is the author of Matrescence: On The Metamorphosis of Pregnancy, Childbirth and Motherhood.Produced by Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio, Bristol.

Is it ever right to lie? Is honesty ever wrong?Looking for a link we mentioned? Find it here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesHonesty is upheld as an age-old virtue of civilisation. Yet there are many instances where we deem lying desirable. Few would think it right for parents to be honest with their offspring about their favourite child, or to be honest about talents or abilities if it is likely to be hurtful for a relative, colleague or friend. Nor are we critical of Churchill for his rousing wartime speeches even if we now know he did not always believe them himself.Should we recognise that lying can be valuable, and sometimes necessary, for ourselves and those in power? Or is honesty not only essential in public life but vital in all aspects of our everyday life as well? Alternatively, is the mistake to see honesty as a virtue and instead recognise it as an act that can be both good and ill.Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, Rebecca Roache, Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Cambridge University, Simon Baron-Cohen, and non-realist philosopher, Hilary Lawson join Samira Shackle to scrutinize honesty and deception.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/podcast-offers?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=necessity-and-liesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the podcast this week we discuss the art of Long Reads and how to pitch, research and write them. We receive excellent insights from GQ features editor Oliver Franklin-Wallis and Guardian writer Samira Shackle.The guestsOliver Franklin-WallisWebsite: https://oliverfranklinwallis.com/Book: The Wasteland https://oliverfranklinwallis.com/wasteland/Twitter: https://twitter.com/olifranklinSamira ShackleWebsite: https://samirashackle.com/Book: Karachi Vice https://samirashackle.com/books/Twitter: https://twitter.com/samirashackleResourcesGuardian The Long Read https://www.theguardian.com/news/series/the-long-readGQ Long Reads https://www.gq.com/about/long-readsLong Reads submission details https://longreads.com/submissions/RecommendationsSophie Elmhirst Long Read https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/27/man-who-wants-to-make-condoms-sexy-durexTom Lamont Long Read https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/the-race-to-catch-the-last-nazis

Samira Shackle and Yossi Mekelberg discuss the UN's report on China's human rights abuses, the Pakistan floods and whether India will help, and Israel's deadlocked election. Plus: as Ukrainian children return to class today, a report from school #35 in Chernihiv.

The UK's health secretary and chancellor resign from Boris Johnson's government. Our guests Samira Shackle and Yossi Mekelberg discuss Finland and Sweden's routes to Nato membership, rumours of a Donald Trump 2024 bid, the Israeli reaction to Shireen Abu Akleh's killing and how Hong Kong's new leader wasted €1m. Plus: an interview with Osnat Lubrani, the UN's humanitarian co-ordinator in Ukraine.

Samira Shackle and Philippe Marlière are with Emma Nelson to discuss the US sending longer-range missiles to Ukraine, the slippery slope of election meddling, favourite transformations of disused public spaces and the longest they've been kept waiting by a call-centre operator. Plus: the latest in our Paris Quality of Life series.

Lew Lukens and Samira Shackle discuss a shift in the EU balance of power amid the war in Ukraine. Plus: Priti Patel's attempts to blame lawyers for a delay to her Rwanda asylum plan, Jill Biden's visit to Ukraine and the Eurovision Song Contest with Fernando Augusto Pacheco.

Shehbaz Sharif has been sworn in as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister, following the ousting of Imran Khan. How did we get here and what's next for the politically volatile country? Andrew Mueller speaks to Ian Talbot, Samira Shackle and Ahmed Rashid. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One December day, Samira Shackle found herself in the midst of an unfolding, global story. Drones had been spotted flying around Gatwick Airport. But weeks, then months passed, and no drone operators were ever found.Samira lays out how she dug into the mystery and revealed all was not as it first seemed. Read all about it:https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/01/the-mystery-of-the-gatwick-drone https://samirashackle.com/karachi-vice/ This show is a co-production of Studio to be. Hosted and produced: Maeve McClenaghan Co-Executive Producers: Joaquin Alvarado and Ken IkedaProducer: Olivia AylmerAudio Editor: Chloe BehrensSound design, audio mixing and original music: Claudia MezaTranscription support: Soobin KimTheme music: Dice muse See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Karachi. The capital of Pakistan is a sprawling mega-city of 20 million people. It is a place of political turbulence in which those who have power wield it with brutal and partisan force, a place in which it pays to have friends in the right places and to avoid making deadly enemies. It is a society where lavish wealth and absolute poverty live side by side, and where the lines between idealism and corruption can quickly blur. It takes an insider to know where is safe, who to trust, and what makes Karachi tick, and in this powerful debut, Samira Shackle explores the city of her mother's birth in the company of a handful of Karachiites. Among them is Safdar the ambulance driver, who knows the city's streets and shortcuts intimately and will stop at nothing to help his fellow citizens. There is Parveen, the activist whose outspoken views on injustice corruption repeatedly lead her towards danger. And there is Zille, the hardened journalist whose commitment to getting the best scoops puts him at increasing risk. As their individual experiences unfold, so Shackle tells the bigger story of Karachi over the past decade: a period in which the Taliban arrive in Pakistan, adding to the daily perils for its residents and pushing their city into the international spotlight. Writing with intimate local knowledge and a global perspective, Shackle paints a nuanced and vivid portrait of one of the most complex, most compelling cities in the world. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pbliving/support

Racism is not an externality to British policing but is integral to its history, says sociologist and ex-youth worker, Adam Elliott-Cooper. He tells Samira Shackle about the ideas behind his book ‘Black Resistance to British Policing'. Recognising racism as far more than just interpersonal or about prejudice alone, he connects it to colonialism and the state, and highlights the role of resistance - including by women of colour who have long championed justice and radical change.Plus: why the tendency in the UK to see racism as "something that happens somewhere else"? What's obscured when we talk about “knife crime”? And why must we insist on continuing to talk about whiteness?Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONHosts: Samira Shackle and Alice BlochExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsReading list:‘Black Resistance to British Policing' (2021) Adam Elliott-Cooper W.E.B Du Bois (1868-1963) collected works‘Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State, and Law and Order' (1978) Stuart Hall et al.‘Folk Devils and Moral Panics', (1972) Stanley Cohen ‘There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack' (1987) Paul Gilroy‘Women, Race and Class' (1981) Angela Davis Frantz Fanon (1925-1962) collected works ‘And Still I Rise' (2006) Doreen Lawrence ‘Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays' (1950) George Orwell ‘Leviathan' (1651) Thomas Hobbes ‘On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life' (2012) Sara Ahmed‘Assembly' (2021) Natasha Brown‘In Search of Whiteness' (2017), Lola Okolosie for New Humanist magazine, with Vron Ware

Alice Roberts, one of the UK's leading public scientists, talks to Samira Shackle about what we can learn from the burial sites of the earliest Britons, as explored in her new book ‘Ancestors'. What does our prehistory – cannibalism and all - tell us about who we are? How does the way we mark death illuminate our perspective on life? And how are genetics and archaeology shaping each other today? Plus, Alice tells Samira how she came to be a humanist, and discusses the value of storytelling and science communication in our pandemic age, and beyond.Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON Reading list: Alice Roberts, ‘Ancestors: A Prehistory of Britain in Seven Burials' (2021)Alice Roberts and Andrew Copson, ‘The Little Book of Humanism: Universal Lessons on Finding Purpose, Meaning and Joy' (2020)David Reich ‘Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human' (2018)Peter Forbes ‘What Ancient DNA says about us', New Humanist magazine (2018)‘Digging for Britain' presented by Alice Roberts Alice Roberts is President of Humanists UKHosts: Samira Shackle and Niki Seth-SmithExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsImage: Photo by Dave Stevens, artwork by Ed Dingli

A young man who turns his desire to join the army into a long stint as a volunteer ambulance driver. A teacher living in an old slum who is the only one brave—or foolish—enough to confront the gangs. A refugee who becomes a community organiser. A woman in a traditional village looking at the new development quickly encroaching on their land. A bored engineer who finds his calling as a crime reporter. These people are subjects of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City (Melville House, 2021), the debut by Samira Shackle. Samira travels to Karachi, the home city of her mother, and tells the stories of ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of terrible violence: first by the gangs, then by the Taliban. In this interview, I ask Samira to talk about the city of Karachi, and the five people she writes about in her book. We'll talk about the turning points in the violence there, and what it was like to write about her mother's home city. Samira Shackle is a freelance British-Pakistani writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. She can be followed on Twitter at @samirashackle. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Karachi Vice. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

A young man who turns his desire to join the army into a long stint as a volunteer ambulance driver. A teacher living in an old slum who is the only one brave—or foolish—enough to confront the gangs. A refugee who becomes a community organiser. A woman in a traditional village looking at the new development quickly encroaching on their land. A bored engineer who finds his calling as a crime reporter. These people are subjects of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City (Melville House, 2021), the debut by Samira Shackle. Samira travels to Karachi, the home city of her mother, and tells the stories of ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of terrible violence: first by the gangs, then by the Taliban. In this interview, I ask Samira to talk about the city of Karachi, and the five people she writes about in her book. We'll talk about the turning points in the violence there, and what it was like to write about her mother's home city. Samira Shackle is a freelance British-Pakistani writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. She can be followed on Twitter at @samirashackle. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Karachi Vice. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A young man who turns his desire to join the army into a long stint as a volunteer ambulance driver. A teacher living in an old slum who is the only one brave—or foolish—enough to confront the gangs. A refugee who becomes a community organiser. A woman in a traditional village looking at the new development quickly encroaching on their land. A bored engineer who finds his calling as a crime reporter. These people are subjects of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City (Melville House, 2021), the debut by Samira Shackle. Samira travels to Karachi, the home city of her mother, and tells the stories of ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of terrible violence: first by the gangs, then by the Taliban. In this interview, I ask Samira to talk about the city of Karachi, and the five people she writes about in her book. We'll talk about the turning points in the violence there, and what it was like to write about her mother's home city. Samira Shackle is a freelance British-Pakistani writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. She can be followed on Twitter at @samirashackle. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Karachi Vice. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

A young man who turns his desire to join the army into a long stint as a volunteer ambulance driver. A teacher living in an old slum who is the only one brave—or foolish—enough to confront the gangs. A refugee who becomes a community organiser. A woman in a traditional village looking at the new development quickly encroaching on their land. A bored engineer who finds his calling as a crime reporter. These people are subjects of Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City (Melville House, 2021), the debut by Samira Shackle. Samira travels to Karachi, the home city of her mother, and tells the stories of ordinary people trying to live their lives in the midst of terrible violence: first by the gangs, then by the Taliban. In this interview, I ask Samira to talk about the city of Karachi, and the five people she writes about in her book. We'll talk about the turning points in the violence there, and what it was like to write about her mother's home city. Samira Shackle is a freelance British-Pakistani writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. She can be followed on Twitter at @samirashackle. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Karachi Vice. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Polarisation is seen as a threat to democracy - and social media is seen as a cause. But what can be done? Does the blame really lie with tech alone? And what could the virtual public square look like if we dared to hit "reset" and redesigned our apps from scratch? A radical and counter-intuitive conversation between Chris Bail, head of the Polarization Lab at Duke University, and Samira Shackle, editor of New Humanist magazine, on tribalism,  extremism, and not logging off. For fans of Azeem Azhar, Jonathan Haidt, Nick Srnicek and Shoshana Zuboff.Podcast listeners can get a year's subscription to New Humanist magazine for just £13.50. Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASONHosts: Samira Shackle and Niki Seth-SmithExecutive producer: Alice BlochSound engineer: David CracklesMusic: DanosongsFurther Reading:"Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing" (2021) Chris Bailwww.polarizationlab.com"Terrified: How Anti-Muslim Fringe Organizations Became Mainstream" (2014) Chris Bail"The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion" (2012), Jonathan Haidt"The Age of Surveillance Capitalism" (2018) Shoshana Zuboff"Platform Capitalism" (2016) Nick Srnicek"Does the Left Have a Problem with Empathy?" (2020) Nicola Cutcher, New Humanist Magazine

The poet, author and broadcaster Michael Rosen almost died of COVID-19. He talks to Samira Shackle about that experience, described in his new book ‘Many Different Kinds of Love'. They discuss the value of kindness, touch and practical atheism, and reflect on liminality in life and literature. Plus, Michael describes his anger at the “unethical and immoral” decisions made by the British government, and urges against the dangerous devaluing of some lives over others, amidst our present pandemic. Hosts: Samira Shackle and Alice BlochProducer: Alice BlochMusic: DanosongsIf you want to access more fresh thinking, why not subscribe to New Humanist magazine? Head to newhumanist.org.uk/subscribe and enter the code WITHREASON to get a whole year's subscription for just £13.50Further reading: “Many Different Kinds of Love: A Story of Life, Death and the NHS” (2021) Michael Rosen“In A Word: Quarantine” (2020) Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine “In A Word: Wellbeing” (2018), Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine“In A Word: Deniers” (2021) Michael Rosen, New Humanist Magazine "King Lear" (c1606) William Shakespeare“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (1916) James Joyce“Ulysses” (1922) James JoyceThe Poetry of William Carlos Williams (1883-1963)"Alice in Wonderland" (1865) Lewis Carroll  

Samira Shackle discusses private cities, Eliza Haywood and the Gish Gallop Samira Shackle discusses with Ivan six things which she thinks should be better known. Samira Shackle is a freelance writer and reporter based in London. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. Her first book, Karachi Vice, is a work of narrative nonfiction telling the story of five ordinary citizens of Pakistan's largest city. Private cities https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jul/08/inspired-by-central-park-the-new-city-for-a-million-outside-karachi Rosemary Tonks https://www.poetrybyheart.org.uk/poems/badly-chosen-lover/ The Gish Gallop https://effectiviology.com/gish-gallop/ Pakistan's Sufi shrines https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/pakistans-sufis-preach-faith-and-ecstasy-92998056/ Eliza Haywood http://jasna.org/publications-2/persuasions-online/vol38no1/dow-simpson-seth-intro/exhibit-1-article/ Albanian sworn virgins https://slate.com/culture/2012/12/jill-peters-documenting-sworn-virgins-women-who-live-as-men-in-albania-photos.html This podcast is powered by ZenCast.fm

Simon and Rachel speak with Samira Shackle, a freelance writer and author. Her first book, “Karachi Vice”, is a modern history of Pakistan's largest city through the testimony of five ordinary citizens. It was chosen as a Radio 4 Book of the Week in February. She is the editor of the New Humanist magazine, a quarterly journal of ideas, science and culture, and a regular contributor to the Guardian Long Read. We spoke to Samira about the research and reporting of “Karachi Vice”, writing narrative non-fiction and the mysterious case of the Gatwick drone. You can find us online at alwaystakenotes.com, on Twitter @takenotesalways, and on Facebook at facebook.com/alwaystakenotes. Our crowdfunding page is patreon.com/alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Journalist Samira Shackle joins the Prospect podcast to discuss life and death in modern Karachi. In her new book, Karachi Vice, Samira tells the story of the fast-changing place through the eyes of locals, including a journalist with a taste for risky scoops and an ambulance driver who sees tragedy daily. Samira joins arts and books editor Sameer Rahim, to talk about her own personal ties to Karachi, confronting British stereotypes of Pakistan, and where this compelling and fast-changing city goes next. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Karachi Vice, journalist Samira Shackle tracks the lives of a Karachi ambulance driver, street school teacher and crime reporter amongst others - and uses their story to map a history of different political groupings across the city and the recent decades. New Generation Thinker Majed Akhter from Kings College, London researches water shortages and dam building. Ejaz Haider is a journalist based in Lahore. They share their views of Pakistan with Rana Mitter. Karachi Vice: Life and Death in a Contested City by Samira Shackle is out now from Granta and has been a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week available to listen on BBC Sounds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p034wrq4 Majed Akhter is a New Generation Thinker on the scheme run by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council which turns research into radio. You can hear more about his work in a conversation with Dustin Garrick in an episode of Free Thinking called Rivers and Geopolitics https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00051hb Ejaz Haider is one of Pakistan’s most prominent journalists, writing for the Friday Times independent paper and presenter of a TV show. In the Free Thinking archives we hear from novelists Neel Mukherjee, Preti Taneja, Mohsin Hamid and Nadeem Aslam about their view of Partition https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b090tnyp Kamila Shamsie discusses her novel Home Fire https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b095qhsm Philip Dodd explores Islam, Mecca and the Qur'an with professor of Islamic and interreligious studies Mona Siddiqui, and scholars Ziauddin Sardar and Navid Kermani https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tcc1l Producer: Harry Parker

In Episode Five, we welcome our first non pilot guest! Cast your mind back to the end of 2018 when an alleged drone sighting sent Gatwick Airport into complete meltdown; the airport was closed, 1000 flights were either cancelled or redirected, 140,000 passengers had their travel plans put into complete disarray. Arrests were made, conspiracy theories surfaced, it cost millions of pounds but ultimately, nobody was ever charged. Nobody was ever blamed, and nobody ever really got to the bottom of it. Fast forward to 2020 when renowned author and journalist Samira Shackle - this week's podcast guest - took a deep dive. She did the long read for The Guardian, she spent months doing research, she talked to pretty much everyone she could speak to and produced a fabulous piece of journalism. If you've not read it, I recommend you do! On the day it was released, it got so many reads on the Guardian website that the office actually contacted Samira to tell her and I'm told on good authority that very rarely happens. She's a brilliant guest with lots going on and it's a fascinating conversation.If you want to read her article, you can find it here: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/dec/01/the-mystery-of-the-gatwick-drone

Monocle’s Chris Cermak and Yemen expert Iona Craig unpack Joe Biden’s first major foreign-policy speech. Plus: Ben Fletcher from Make UK on post-Brexit trade woes, Samira Shackle on her new book ‘Karachi Vice’ and Andrew Mueller reflects on the past seven days.

In December 2018 a series of drone sightings forced the closure of Gatwick airport, causing chaos for Christmas travellers. Two years on and with the mystery still unsolved, Samira Shackle investigates what really happened. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

With Reason offers intelligent thinking for turbulent times, from New Humanist magazine and the Rationalist Association. Enjoy interviews with writers, researchers and academics who speak to our age – on subjects including religion, belief, race, politics, sex, technology, science, work and more. Hosted by New Humanist editor Samira Shackle, deputy editor Niki Seth-Smith, and series producer Alice Bloch.

In Karachi, with a population of around 20 million people, ambulance drivers are on the front lines of this megacity’s shifting conflicts. Samira Shackle joins one of these drivers, Muhammad Safdar, on his relentless round of call-outs. As a first-responder for more than 15 years, Safdar has witnessed Karachi wracked by gang wars, political violence and terrorism. At the height of the unrest, the number of fatalities was often overwhelming. With no state ambulance service in Pakistan, the Edhi Foundation, set up by the late Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1954, stepped in to offer services to the poor. Safdar drives one of its fleet of 400 ambulances: rudimentary converted vans with basic emergency provision. His missions bring him to many of Karachi’s most deprived and troubled areas, revealing the complex social and economic problems at the heart of the country.

In Karachi, with a population of around 20 million people, ambulance drivers are on the front lines of this megacity’s shifting conflicts. Samira Shackle joins one of these drivers, Muhammad Safdar, on his relentless round of call-outs. As a first-responder for more than fifteen years, Safdar has witnessed Karachi wracked by gang wars, political violence and terrorism. At the height of the unrest, the number of fatalities was often overwhelming.

One in three French people think vaccines are unsafe, but across the country vaccine coverage is rising. Alex Whiting looks at how France is fighting back against vaccine scepticism. Written by Alex Whiting Read by Kirsten Irving Produced by Graihagh Jackson For more stories and to read this story, visit mosaicscience.com. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mosa…ast/id964928211 RSS mosaicscience.libsyn.com/rss If you liked this story, we recommend Violent crime is like infectious disease – and we know how to stop it spreading, by Samira Shackle, also available as a podcast.

E-cigarettes were invented by business, not medicine. But as more smokers make the switch, some health experts believe we’ve finally hit on something that could stub out smoking for good. Written by Simon Usborne Read by Brian Yim Lim Produced by Graihagh Jackson For more stories and to read this story, visit mosaicscience.com. Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mosaic-science-podcast/id964928211 SoundCloud @mosaicscience RSS mosaicscience.libsyn.com/rss If you liked this story, we recommend Violent crime is like infectious disease – and we know how to stop it spreading, by Samira Shackle, also available as a podcast.

Who would risk their own safety tending to the injured and recovering the dead in one of the most violent cities on earth? Samira Shackle rides along with a driver from the world’s largest voluntary ambulance service. Written by Samira Shackle Read by Michael Regnier Produced by Barry J Gibb To read this story and more, visit mosaicscience.com.   Subscribe to our podcast: iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/mosaic-science-podcast/id964928211  RSS: http://mosaicscience.libsyn.com/rss  If you liked this story, we also recommend Fear and loathing in Thet Kal Pyin: Myanmar's healthcare crisis by Mike Ives.  

Pakistan has endured decades of unsettled politics, extremist violence and war. But can a new generation of young political activists take the country in a new direction? Samira Shackle discusses her recent article for Prospect on the emerging voices in Pakistani politics which are challenging both the government and the army—a dangerous thing to do. With Steve Bloomfield, Tom Clark, Alex Dean and Sameer Rahim. Produced by Jay Elwes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Kate Adie introduces stories from around the world. Saudi Arabia's investment conference put on quite a show - and unlike many foreign investors scared off by the aftershocks of Jamal Khashoggi's death, Sebastian Usher was there to see it for himself. Lyse Doucet was in Afghanistan to cover its parliamentary elections, and found many changes to the streetscape in Kabul - as the city survives a rising tide of attacks. Airport security measures provided clues of their own to the way life is changing. Erbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, was sometimes hyped as the "next Dubai" in the 2000s - but Samira Shackle found that many of its building sites, supposed to give rise to four-star opulence, are now abandoned shells occupied by internally displaced people who fled the advance of the so-called Islamic State. Tequila? No, mezcal - a smoother, smokier, and arguably more authentically Mexican product. Graeme Green takes a tipple or two in the state of Oaxaca, to hear how its aficionados and producers are torn between excitement and apprehension as their drink grows more famous abroad. And BANG goes the auctioneer's whalebone hammer at the Hotel Druot, a storied Paris auction house which sells everything from randomly-baled belongings from house clearances to great works of art. Hugh Schofield went along ... and picked up a thing or two.

Inside the room where the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is picked. A committee spends six months discussing hundreds of nominees before the latest Nobel Laureate is announced. In Norway, Matt Pickles meets one of the five people tasked with making that weighty decision. Caroline Wyatt introduces this and other stories from correspondents around the world. Samira Shackle travels to the Pakistani city of Kasur which generated headlines around the world after a spate of child abuse cases. There she meets a young man trying to break free of what he calls the “stigma” and “dishonour” that can come from being sexually abused. Martin Vennard spots signs of change in Moscow, where airport arrival and departure boards now alternate between Russian, English, and Mandarin. Mark Stratton finds out why traditional or ‘country’ foods are getting harder to find in Arctic Canada – from blubber to boiled seal. And Louise Cooper takes an economic road trip around post-financial crash Greece.

Independent magazines with a social or ideological mission are hugely popular at the moment, but can they really affect change in the world? Recorded live at The Book Club in London on 30 January 2018, this panel discussion brings together a group of the people behind those independent magazines, speaking about the challenges and opportunities they face. Featuring: James Cartwright, editor of Weapons of Reason; Rob Orchard, editor of Delayed Gratification; Sean Dagan Wood, editor of Positive News; Samira Shackle, editor of New Humanist; and Justinien Tribillon, editor of Migrant Journal.

Not so long ago the web was on the quirky edges of life, but today it is at its heart. John Naughton started out as an enthusiast, but today he joins Tom Clark to explain why it has fallen prey to corporate capture and bred a new surveillance capitalism. James Ball explains how social media has been used to brainwash voters. Meanwhile, Samira Shackle comes back from a trip to Mosul, the Iraqi city until recently under IS control, and explains how blameless citizens there are today paying the price for having been unwilling appendages to the jihaddi killing machine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.