Sensemaker

The Observer

The Sensemaker from The Observer - one story every day to make sense of the world.

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1,388 episodes
Updated June 19

Episodes1388

Newest first

Nov 9, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 468: Albania’s asylum seekers
Home secretary Suella Braverman singled out Albanians when talking about migrants crossing the Channel in small boats. Why might more be coming to the UK?
Nov 8, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 467: Recharging Britain’s battery plans
Plans to build a factory that makes batteries for electric cars have been thrown into doubt. What does it mean for the UK’s electric vehicle revolution?
Nov 7, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 466: Just Stop Oil
Protestors from the climate activist group have glued themselves to roads, smeared cake on a waxwork of King Charles and thrown tomato soup at a Van Gogh painting. Who are the people risking criminal records in the name of their cause?
Nov 4, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 465: The return of Suella Braverman
Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary after breaking the ministerial code. Six days later Rishi Sunak appointed her as home secretary again. Why?
Nov 3, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 464: Climate talks: blah blah blah?
A year on from Cop26 in Glasgow, are the UN’s climate talks really saving humanity from a climate catastrophe?
Nov 2, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 463: Flexing for Qatar
The foreign secretary suggested LGBTQ football fans should “flex and compromise” when visiting the Qatar World Cup. His comments reveal a truth about relations with strategically important countries that don’t respect human rights.
Nov 1, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 462: Bird flu flies high
Orders to keep all captive birds and poultry indoors will be extended across the whole of England to try to contain a virulent strain of bird flu that is threatening to wipe out some wild species.
Oct 31, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 461: Gas price crash
The price of wholesale gas is falling but that doesn’t necessarily mean energy bills will go down. Why?
Oct 28, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 460: Hu Jintao’s mysterious exit
The former president of China was publicly hauled out of an important political meeting last week. The Chinese government says he’d fallen ill, but was it actually a power play by Xi Jinping?
Oct 27, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 459: Not-so-disposable vapes
Single-use vapes are increasingly popular with young people. But what about their impact on the environment?
Oct 26, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 458: Policing the police
A new report has exposed how the Metropolitan Police deals with wrongdoing within its ranks. Who is the woman holding a mirror up to the Met and what has she found?
Oct 25, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 457: Rish-uffle
The second Conservative leadership contest of the year was conducted with almost no discussion of actual policy, so what kind of prime minister might Rishi Sunak be?
Oct 24, 2022 · 5 min
Ep 456: Disappearing crabs
The US snow crab harvest has been cancelled after billions of them went missing from the waters around Alaska. The industry is normally worth $132 million a year. What caused them to vanish?
Oct 21, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 455: Liz Truss quits
Liz Truss will go down in history as Britain’s shortest serving prime minister. How did we get here and what happens next?
Oct 20, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 454: China’s beatings on British soil
In yet another sign of China’s disrespect for human rights, Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors were dragged into the grounds of the Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten up. What does it mean for UK-China relations?
Oct 19, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 453: General Armageddon
Vladimir Putin has appointed a man with a ruthless reputation to command his war in Ukraine. What does Sergei Surovikin tell us about the state of Russia’s invasion?
Oct 18, 2022 · 8 min
Ep 452: "There hasn't been a coup"
A cabinet minister insisted that "there hasn't been a coup" and that Liz Truss “is not under a desk”. But you wouldn’t have blamed the prime minister if she was after her new chancellor dismantled the mini budget and with it, her political project.
Oct 17, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 451: The robot artist
Ai-Da made history when she became the first robot to give evidence to the House of Lords. The hearing was an important examination of the role of artificial intelligence in the arts.
Oct 14, 2022 · 6 min
Ep 450: Iran’s protest movement
Anti-government protests have taken place on Iran’s streets, at universities and schools, and oil refineries. Could it become a movement that eventually topples the regime?
Oct 13, 2022 · 7 min
Ep 449: Mortgage mayhem
Last month’s mini-budget has thrown the property market into crisis. Where does that leave first-time buyers?