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PODCAST

The Briefing Room

David Aaronovitch and a panel of experts and insiders present in-depth explainers on big issues in the news

news news commentary

All Episodes

28:39

What is ransomware and what can be done to stop it?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/05/22

In the past few weeks Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods have all been grappling with the effects of cyber attacks. The most profitable form of cyber attack at the moment is ransomware where criminals infiltrate computer systems, shut them down and then demand a ransom to restore services, or even to stop them publishing data they’ve stolen. This is now a global criminal industry which can affect the running of whole businesses. Marks & Spencer said this week that disruption to its

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28:20

What is Israel's plan for Gaza?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/05/15

Dire warnings of famine in Gaza, a broken ceasefire and the threat by the Israeli government of a new “intense” offensive which would forcibly displace Palestinians to an area in the south of Gaza and perhaps out of the strip altogether, plus the latest release of a US hostage. This is the war between Israel and Gaza 19 months on from the deadly attack by Hamas which killed 1200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages. So what chance of peace between Israel and Gaza? Can a new ceasefire be negotiated

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28:02

What are rare earths and why does everyone want them?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/05/08

President Trump has signed a minerals deal with Ukraine, which will give the US access to some of Ukraine’s natural resources. The US president also said he’d like to take over Greenland and even Canada. Why? Well one reason may well be the rare earths and critical minerals found there. Critical minerals are vital for almost every industry from the manufacturing of computers to fighter jets. But in recent years the rise of green technologies has been fuelling demand for minerals used to make

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29:25

Are India and Pakistan on the brink of war over Kashmir?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/05/01

Tension is high in Indian administered Kashmir following the killing on 22nd April of 26 civilians almost all of whom were Hindu tourists. They were visiting Pahalgam - an area often described as the “Switzerland of India”. Militants opened fire on them and in the days since relations between India and Pakistan, which both claim Kashmir in full but only administer it in part, have deteriorated. India accuses Pakistan of supporting the militants and Islamabad rejects the allegations. This is the

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28:42

Can the UK become an AI superpower?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/04/24

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer wants the UK to become “one of the great AI superpowers”. Earlier this year the government published a plan to use artificial intelligence in the private and public sectors to boost growth and deliver services more efficiently. Once mainly the preserve of the tech community, AI really entered public awareness with the release of ChatGPT, a so-called “chatbot” founded by the US company OpenAI at the end of 2022. It can write essays, scripts, poems and even

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28:48

What cards does China hold?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/04/17

President Trump’s fury with China shows no sign of abating. High tariffs - first imposed by the US but now on both sides - are giving way to a very real trade war between the world’s two biggest economies. China’s President Xi Jinping is refusing to blink - so far - and in the past week he's been on the road in South East Asia, visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia. Where this goes now depends in large part on China's calculations about the capacity and determination of both sides to endure a

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28:47

What's Trump's tariff hokey cokey all about?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/04/10

Rarely has it been so difficult to see the wood for the trees. The trees being Donald Trump’s new tariffs announced on what he called Liberation Day and which took effect this week, plus the immediate responses to them. And the wood being the economic strategy that lies behind it all. That strategy seems to evolve on a daily basis. Having vowed to ‘stay the course’ on tariffs earlier this week, yesterday saw Trump issue a change that ‘came from the heart’ - that change being a 90 day pause for

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28:46

What's happening in Turkey?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/04/03

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Turkey in the past two weeks in protest at the arrest and jailing of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu. He’s seen as one of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's strongest political rivals and since his arrest he’s been voted as the opposition party’s presidential candidate in the next elections. He’s been accused of corruption, which he strongly denies and his supporters see his detainment as a political move by the Government. David

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28:54

What is Putin's bottom line?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/03/27

Securing peace in Ukraine is proving harder than President Trump first thought. Separate talks between US officials and Ukrainian and Russian representatives were held in Saudi Arabia a few days ago. But the tentative ceasefire they reached just for shipping in the Black Sea has already hit problems with Moscow demanding certain sanctions are lifted if it’s to comply. And achieving a full ceasefire that Russia will accept still seems as elusive as ever. David Aaronovitch and guests ask what

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28:51

What's the government trying to do to the NHS?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/03/20

The Government is reorganising the way the NHS is run in England by scrapping the body that’s been in charge and giving direct control to the Department of Health and Social Care. Jobs will go and the country’s biggest quango will be dismantled. But what is the government actually trying to do to the NHS? What are its aims and how does the restructure fit into the government’s big picture for the health service in the UK?Guests: Hugh Pym, BBC Health Editor Siva Anandaciva, Director of Policy,

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28:37

Why is there a crisis in special educational needs?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/03/13

There’s huge pressure on special educational needs and disabilities, known as SEND. The number of children and young people who need extra support has rocketed as more and more are diagnosed with autism, adhd and other mental health conditions. It’s led to a funding crisis which is putting a strain on council budgets which pay for the extra help. But it isn't just a financial issue - parents say they are struggling to access the right support for their children. So what’s gone wrong and what can

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28:26

Europe's defence dilemma

The Briefing Room ·

2025/03/06

Donald Trump has only been US president for just over a month and yet the world order seems to be changing by the day. Ukraine has been cut adrift with the pausing of US military aid and intelligence following President Zelensky’s disastrous meeting in the Oval Office. And Europe has been left wondering what is coming next as President Macron of France warns that the continent is "at a turning point in history." Europe faces not only having to support Ukraine without the US but potentially having

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6:22

Explainer: What does Nato do?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/02/20

We talk through the history of the military alliance.

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5:43

Explainer: A short history of conflict in Ukraine

The Briefing Room ·

2025/02/13

A quick run down on how the conflict developed - from attempted coup to war of attrition.Guest:Michael Clarke, Visiting Professor in the Department of War Studies, King’s College, London and former Director of the Royal United Services Institute.This is part of a new mini-series called the The Briefing Room Explainers. They’re short versions of previous episodes of the Briefing Room.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Studio Manager:

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5:21

Explainer: How do weight-loss drugs work?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/02/07

A number of studies have shown the amazing weight loss potential of a new group of drugs, known to many by their brand names as Ozempic (which is for diabetes), Wegovy and Mounjaro.But how do these new drugs work? How were they discovered and who can use them? This is part of a new mini-series called the The Briefing Room Explainers. They’re short versions of previous episodes of the Briefing Room. Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead

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7:09

Explainer: Who made the first electric car?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/01/30

A short history of electric cars in the UK. The UK government wants to ban the sale of petrol cars by 2030. But how is the move to electric vehicles going? This episode is part of a new mini-series called The Briefing Room Explainers. Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Kirsteen Knight and Beth Ashmead Latham Studio Manager: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Guest: Ginny Buckley, Editor-in-Chief and founder of

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13:08

Explainer: What is a Tariff?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/01/24

President Trump wants more tariffs - what are they? And what happened last time he was in office?This is part of a new mini-series called The Briefing Room Explainers. Even though we're not on BBC Radio 4 at the moment (we'll be back at the end of March) we are going to keep publishing podcast episodes for the next few weeks. These explainers are highly relevant mini episodes, covering some of the themes, ideas and terms which are currently in the news. They’re short versions of previous

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28:23

Why does Trump love tariffs?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/01/09

Donald Trump says he wants to introduce more tariffs on imports during his second presidency. He’s mentioned targeting imports from countries including Mexico, Canada, China and Demark as well as floating the idea of a universal tariff on all goods coming into the US.So why does Trump like tariffs so much? What can we realistically expect him to do? And what would the effect be on the rest of us? Archive clip included from Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Spotify, 25 October 2024.Guests:Sam Lowe,

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28:51

Is the push for the electric cars in trouble?

The Briefing Room ·

2025/01/02

Encouraging everyone to make the change to electric vehicles has been a major part of government green and industrial policy for some time now. The government has announced a consultation on how to speed up the transition to electric cars and fade out the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. The last Government had extended plans to ban of the sale of new petrol cars to 2035. There are targets, there are mandates and there is scepticism about how quickly the transition is really happening.So,

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28:41

Why we need to care about the Arctic

The Briefing Room ·

2024/12/26

The Arctic is going through changes to its climate, economics and geo-politics. What does it mean for the region and the rest of the world?The fact that glaciers are melting and the white landscape is turning green is bad for climate change but could it also bring economic benefits? Guests: Jennifer Spence, director of the Arctic Initiative at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. Heidi Sevestre, glaciologist and member of one of the Working Groups

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