How the Scimitar-Horned Oryx Became a Conservation Unicorn
After decades of drought and poaching, the scimitar-horned oryx went extinct in the wild across the Sahel. But in the early 2000s, a team of conservationists devised an audacious plan: breed a “world herd” in captivity — from Abu Dhabi to Texas — to reintroduce the species to the wild.
How the World Order We Know Came Into Being – and Why It’s Breaking
Writer Rana Dasgupta joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss why the nation-state is failing its citizens, a world in crisis from China to Iran, and his new book, "After Nations.”
The Surprising Roots of Italy’s Food Festivals
Italy’s “sagre” or food festivals have less to do with ancient roots and more to do with modern politics than many now realize. From fascists to communists, politicians have long sought to use these celebrations of cuisine and locality to construct political identities.
From ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ to ‘Anyone Is Better Than These’
In December and January, the Islamic Republic faced the largest popular uprising in its history, which it crushed violently. In an open letter to an imprisoned Iranian sociologist, the prominent scholar Asef Bayat meditates on the significance of those protests and the future of Iran.
Tunisia’s Landmarks Are Under Threat — and so Are the Architects Who Would Preserve Them
Preserving historic buildings is a struggle the world over. But in Tunisia, the government has begun viewing architects, civil engineers and activists working to save the country’s landmarks as suspect, even going so far as to arrest those undertaking restorations.