Chinese spy balloons, UFOs and the future of modern espionage

02/15/23 • 31 min

At the beginning of February, a mysterious flying balloon drifted into the public’s view in the skies above Montana. Locals eagerly filmed the unidentified object, posting videos on social media, kickstarting speculation that it was a visitation from extraterrestrials.

While bizarre, it seems there was something altogether more earthly was going on. The US pointed fingers squarely at China, claiming the balloon was a spying device, but Beijing insists it was merely a meteorological device, blown off course.

By the time the balloon was shot down by a US Air Force fighter jet over the Atlantic, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had canceled a trip to China and relations between the two countries are showing no signs of improving.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, Senior Reporter Serina Sandhu is joined by foreign news reporter Keiron Monks to discuss how the mysterious balloons have reignited political tensions between the two superpowers.

Only 14 percent of the UK’s rivers are classified as being in a ‘good’ ecological state and if things don’t change that could be as low as 6 percent by 2027.

What does this mean in practice? It’s killing off our fragile ecosystems, making us sick and destroying these natural treasures for future generations.

The i has a plan to reverse the fortunes of our national waterways, that’s we are launching the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign – alongside our sister publication the New Scientist.

In part 2 of this episode we are joined by our Environment Correspondent Daniel Capurro to explain how we plan to pressure politicians and businesses into cleaning up their act.

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans and the assistant producer is Phoebe Fleming.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here.

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-the-introvert-michael-kobrin-10959/

https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Only 14 percent of the UK’s rivers are classified as being in a ‘good’ ecological state and if things don’t change that could be as low as 6 percent by 2027.

What does this mean in practice? It’s killing off our fragile ecosystems, making us sick and destroying these natural treasures for future generations.

The i has a plan to reverse the fortunes of our national waterways, that’s we are launching the Save Britain’s Rivers campaign – alongside our sister publication the New Scientist.

In part 2 of this episode we are joined by our Environment Correspondent Daniel Capurro to explain how we plan to pressure politicians and businesses into cleaning up their act.

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans and the assistant producer is Phoebe Fleming.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here.

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-the-introvert-michael-kobrin-10959/

https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Is Liz Truss really staging a comeback?

Liz Truss is back and she knows who is at fault for her disastrous 49-day tenure as prime minister: a “blob of vested interests” opposed to her vision of a low-tax economy.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, deputy political editor, Arj Singh, joins host Molly Blackall to lift the lid on her explosive intervention that has reignited the Tory party’s love affair with cutting taxes – and split the party once again.

While many thought these libertarian ideals went the same way as Truss’s doomed premiership, some in her party are unperturbed by the financial crisis they caused and want to try it all over again.

Later, we are joined by i‘s chief features writer, Kasia Delgado, who has been looking at cases of people faking their own deaths and the pitfalls of doing so in the modern age.

Faking your own death – or pseudocide – is attempted by hundreds of people every year. We take a look at this shadowy world and find out just how easy it is to disappear.

Produced by Julia Webster. The executive producer is Albert Evans and the assistant producer is Phoebe Fleming.

Music featured is by Michael Kobrin and Lexin Music - licensed via Pixabay.

Check out their music here.

https://pixabay.com/music/modern-classical-the-introvert-michael-kobrin-10959/

https://pixabay.com/users/lexin_music-28841948/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Patrick Cockburn on Putin, Ukraine and 'endless war'

A year after Russia began it’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, shattering the certainties of international politics, the ripples are still being felt worldwide.

From tough talking in the corridors of power, to shoppers facing spiralling prices for essential goods, to Ukrainians picking through the rubble of devastated towns and cities, this conflict is being felt globally and will define geopolitics for generations.

In this week’s episode of The i Podcast, Molly Blackall is joined by i Special Correspondent Patrick Cockburn to unpack the critical moments from the conflict – and shine a light into the future of the war.

Patrick brings a unique range of experiences to the table. He’s covered conflicts far and wide – from Northern Ireland to Yemen. His knowledge of the Kremlin comes from two stints in Moscow, first during the Perestroika reforms in the mid-80s that helped bring the Soviet Union tumbling down, then during Vladimir Putin’s rise to power in the late 90s. He’s also been a Washington DC correspondent.

Patrick and Molly discuss the conflict so far, before she puts readers’ questions to him. Listen to the episode – wherever you get your podcasts. Let us know if you’d like any of our writers to cover a topic by leaving a comment in the review section of your podcast app.

The producer is Julia Webster, Executive Producer is Albert Evans.

The music featured is Out Of Time by Daddy_s_Music. You can check out their tracks here: https://pixabay.com/users/daddy_s_music-22836301/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.