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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

28:41

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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28:24

Is chainsaw economics working in Argentina?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/12/19

In his election campaign President Milei set out his chainsaw approach to cutting spending and inflation. A year on, how has his presidency turned out? David Aaronovitch and guests explore - why was Argentina’s economy in such a bad state when Milei took office, what new measures has President Milei introduced, and how have things turned out so far?Guests:Monica de Bolle, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics Tyler Cowan, Professor of economics at George Mason

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28:22

Will new weight loss drugs save or bankrupt the NHS?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/12/12

New weight loss drugs known commercially as Wegovy and Mounjaro have been demonstrated to have a big effect in helping people to lose weight, and have recently been approved for use in obesity treatment in the NHS in England. In total, 4.1 million people would meet the criteria to be eligible to take one of these drugs.That seems fantastic - an end to obesity in our time. The problem is can we afford these drugs without bankrupting the NHS? How badly do we need them? But will this work

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28:21

What’s going on in Syria?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/12/05

Syrian rebels launched an offensive taking most of a major city - Aleppo - from the forces of the government. Suddenly there has been talk about the possible collapse of the regime that rules most of a country that borders Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq, and in which Iran and Russia take the most active of interests.So who now are the rebels, might they topple the government of President Assad, and if they did, what then?Charles Lister, Senior Fellow and the Director of the Syria and Countering

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29:55

Ukraine - what’s next?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/11/28

North Korean troops are fighting Ukrainians in Russia, while Ukraine has finally been permitted to use US missiles deep into Russian territory. It’s over 1000 days since Vladimir Putin’s full scale invasion of his neighbour and the circle of those involved in the conflict seems to widen. But though the situation changes the central question doesn’t. That question being which side can best stay the bloody course of this war? Ukraine and the West or Russia and its allies? Where do things stand now

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27:55

Why do we have such overcrowded prisons?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/11/21

Our prisons are overcrowded, the Government recently released a group of prisoners early to ease the pressure. Britain seems to incarcerate more people per head of population compared to any other Western European country. Now the Government has announced there is going to be a Review of Sentencing to see what we can do to reduce the number of people in prison.Recently an eight week consultation period began, during which members of the public can send in their thoughts on how to tackle these

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28:46

European defence in the new Trump era

The Briefing Room ·

2024/11/14

All over Europe and in the corridors of Nato policy makers are discussing the implications for the continent of the Trump victory in the American presidential election. For 70 years the alliance with the USA has been the foundation stone of European defence. During his last term in office, it was reported that Trump wanted to take the US out of Nato. That didn’t happen but he made clear his discontent at the lack of defence spending among member states. Can that alliance can be maintained, if so on

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28:57

What does the Budget mean for the UK’s economy?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/11/07

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has delivered the first Labour Budget in 14 years. Naturally there was a flurry of instant responses to individual tax measures, but what about the big picture? Well, more than a week has passed, and the dust is settling. We thought it was time to return to a panel of experts who we spoke to in September. Is this really a once in a generation budget? What will it mean for the government’s finances and services? Will it bring much needed growth? And what might the

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28:22

How do the Lebanon attacks alter the equation in the...

The Briefing Room ·

2024/09/23

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the recent events in Lebanon. Israel has been widely blamed for a series of pager and walkie-talkie attacks targeting members of Hezbollah. Does this mark the invention of a new kind of warfare and what might the wider consequences be for the region?Guests:Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editorProfessor Lina Khatib, Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University of London Ronen Bergman, Israeli investigative journalist for The New York

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28:38

Is Germany in trouble?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/09/12

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the challenges facing Germany. Worries over the economy and immigration have seen the far right AfD party gain support in the former east Germany.Guests:Guy Chazan, Berlin bureau chief at the Financial TimesDr Constanze Stelzenmuller, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings Institution Marcel Fratzscher, President DIW Berlin - German Institute for Economic Research and Professor at Humboldt University Berlin Thiemo Fetzer, Professor

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28:59

How much trouble is the UK economy in?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/09/05

Last month the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, warned that "things would get worse before they got better". The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has already said that there's a £22 billion black hole in the government's finances left by the Conservatives. The budget at the end of October, we're told, will be "painful". But just how bad a state is the UK economy really in? And how constrained is the new government by manifesto promises it made not to raise the main taxes on working people?Guests: Paul

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28:17

What we know (and don't know) about the new Mpox...

The Briefing Room ·

2024/08/29

The first human cases of MPox were detected in 1970. But a new strain detected in Congo in 2023 has got scientists confused. How worried should we be and are we prepared for it?Dr Jonas Albarnaz, a Research Fellow specialising in pox viruses at The Pirbright InstituteDr Lilith Whittles, lecturer and Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellow in the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis Dr Josie Golding, head of epidemiology at The Wellcome Trust Trudie Lang, Professor of Global Health

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34:28

Global Tensions 3: Russia and the West

The Briefing Room ·

2024/08/21

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss the risk of escalation on Russian borders and further afield and explore what form that might take if it were to happen.Guests:Natia Seskuria, founder and executive director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), a Tbilisi-based think tankDr Jack Watling, Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the Royal United Services Institute, Michael Clarke, Professor of Defence studies and Specialist Advisor to the Joint Committee on the National

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38:25

Global Tensions 2: China, Taiwan and the South China Sea

The Briefing Room ·

2024/08/14

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss China's desire for 'peaceful reunification' with Taiwan. Can it really be done peacefully and what happens if it can't?Guests:Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, BBC Asia correspondent based in TaipeiAmanda Hsiao, Crisis Group's Senior Analyst for China Dr Lauren Dickey, Taiwan analyst at the China Power Project at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies Shashank Joshi, defence editor at The EconomistPresenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen

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28:53

Global Tensions 1: The Middle East

The Briefing Room ·

2024/08/08

In the first of three programmes, David Aaronovitch explores the risk of escalation and wider conflict in the Middle East. What would all out war look like and how likely is it?Guests:Shashank Joshi, The Economist's defence editor Professor Lina Khatib, Director of the Middle East Institute at SOAS University of London Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security within the International Security department at RUSI.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter, Kirsteen

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28:44

Can planning reform really boost economic growth?

The Briefing Room ·

2024/08/01

David Aaronovitch and guests discuss Labour's plans for planning reform. This week the Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner announced a new National Planning Policy Framework. Will it boost economic growth?Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the UK's National Infrastructure CommissionCatriona Riddell is an independent planning consultant and commentator who advises on planning policy Anthony Breach, Associate Director at Centre for Cities Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Ben Carter and Kirsteen

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36:41

Health special 3: How far could Artificial...

The Briefing Room ·

2024/07/11

Machine learning has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years. Bigger, more powerful computers can crunch ever more amounts of data, analysing complex information just as accurately, it’s claimed, as the best specialists and at speeds humans can never achieve. With the potential to make a significant difference to healthcare - helping to diagnose disease, summarise patients’ medical notes, even predict health conditions years before any symptoms appear. But how long before the potential

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27:38

Health special 2. Why is anxiety and depression...

The Briefing Room ·

2024/07/11

Surveys suggest that at least one in four of us will suffer from anxiety and depression during our lifetimes. The prevalence of these conditions is one of the reasons given for poor school attendance. And it's estimated that these mental health disorders account for 12.5% of all sickness leave in the UK. So what’s caused such an explosion in mental distress and what, if anything, can be done to bring down the numbers? Join David Aaronovitch and a panel of guests to find out.Guests:Professor

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36:27

Health special 1: Advances in cancer research and...

The Briefing Room ·

2024/07/11

Half the UK population will get cancer during their lifetime - and rates are rising. Each year, around 385,000 people in the UK are diagnosed and around 167,00 lives are lost to the disease. But scientists are developing new therapies, including personalised vaccines and targeted drugs, that attack cancer cells directly and more effectively. It's hoped this pioneering work could lead to better survival rates. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss promising developments in cancer care - to

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28:52

South African and Indian elections: the aftermath

The Briefing Room ·

2024/07/04

2024 is the year of elections and already hundreds of millions of people around the world have been to the polls. A few months ago The Briefing Room looked ahead to elections in South Africa and India. Both have since delivered shocks to their ruling parties which failed to win parliamentary majorities. So why did the main parties in both countries do worse than expected? And what does this mean for the governments they’ve formed and the immediate future of both South Africa and India

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