x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

The Crisis Room

Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd, renowned journalist Mark Urban, and decorated former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos team up to present The Crisis Room. "The Journalist, The Politician, and The Spy" might sound like the start of a John le Carré thriller - but what’s unfolding in today’s world is all too real. Step inside The Crisis Room where power, politics, and espionage collide. Each week, the team unpicks the biggest crises shaping the UK and the world. With insider perspectives drawn from

news

All Episodes

24:24

Q&A: Maccabi Tel Aviv, New York Mayor & Le Carré's...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/11/03

What does it say about the UK's police and the country more generally that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending their match against Aston Villa? Amber and Mark break down why the authorities reached the wrong decision - and Marc P explains why the story has made news in America as part of this week's Q&A episode.Amber also reveals how a massive emergency service response is co-ordinated at an incident like the Manchester Arena bombing, while Mark and Marc discuss whether it's time to

en

36:58

Omnishambles at the Home Office: what next?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/30

It's been another week where Amber's old department, the Home Office, has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. So is breaking up the Home Office and creating a separate Department of Immigration the solution? Amber explains what will have gone on behind the scenes of government this week as the Hadush Kebatu saga has lurched from one crisis to another - and why dividing up the Home Office isn't the silver bullet that some are claiming it would be.Later, the team break down Donald Trump's

en

20:17

Q&A: Prince Andrew's titles & is Brexit to blame for...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/27

In the latest Q&A episode, the team tackle your questions on a variety of crises. Amber analyses what has been achieved through stripping Prince Andrew of his titles, while Marc P gives us an update on when we might finally see the Epstein Files published. Meanwhile, Amber and Mark discuss whether it's fair to say that Nigel Farage and Brexit are largely responsible for the small boats issue about which Farage and Reform UK are so unhappy. Plus Mark explains the challenges facing journalists in

en

39:08

The reality of the world’s most dangerous border

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/23

From British colonial rule to Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban, tensions have run high on the Durand Line - the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan - since it was first drawn over 100 years ago. And with fighting having once again recently broken out between the two sides, in this episode Mark takes us through the history of what has become known as one of the world's most dangerous borders - and tells the story of when he was thrown in jail for attempting to cross it while embedded

en

21:40

Q&A: Can Tomahawk missiles win the war for Ukraine?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/19

Amber, Mark and Marc P are answering your questions in this first ever Q&A episode of The Crisis Room! Mark and Marc analyse how damaging it could be for Russia if Trump gives Ukraine Tomahawk missiles - and they also break down why Hamas' violent reprisals against rivals in Gaza is such an obstacle to the peace plan continuing into phase two. Amber gives her verdict on the political purpose of the UN - and whether this year's General Assembly played a key role in bringing about the Middle East

en

36:39

What does the MI5 boss really think about the...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/16

Today, the MI5 boss has spoken out about his 'frustration' at the recent collapse of the China spy trial. But how will he really be feeling about this saga which has caused so much controversy for Keir Starmer and in national security circles? Amber reveals what Ken McCallum said when she saw the spy chief this week - and why the security services will be furious that the case has fallen apart. Mark also explains why there is so much risk attached to any trial involving spying and national security

en

34:07

Dealing with Trump and the Taliban: the Mark Sedwill...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/09

How do you handle President Trump? Is China a national security threat to the UK - and should it be allowed its new 'Super Embassy' in central London? And could a future government potentially strike a migrant returns deal with the Taliban? These are just some of the questions Amber, Mark, and Marc put to Mark Sedwill - the UK's former National Security Adviser and Ambassador to Afghanistan - in a rare and wide-ranging interview. Hear his candid view on the recent collapse of the Chinese spy trial,

en

32:22

Special episode: Manchester terror attack - what...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/03

Yesterday's terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester left three people dead, several more injured, and an entire community shaken. But what happens in the immediate aftermath of such an incident? Amber calls on her experience of responding to five terror attacks as Home Secretary in 2017 to explain what happens at COBRA, and what the security services do next to try and prevent any further attacks. Plus Mark gives his personal response to the rising levels of anti-Semitism in the UK, Marc

en

35:28

Antidotes and assassinations: how Middle East...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/10/01

In light of Benjamin Netanyahu's recent apology to Qatar, The Crisis Room takes a look back at 1997 - and a previous occasion when Bibi was forced to apologise for a botched assassination attempt on foreign soil. Mark and Marc unknowingly almost crossed paths when Mossad tried to take out a former Hamas leader in Jordan 28 years ago - and here they explain how that episode unfolded and give us a unique insight into spycraft in the Middle East. The team also react to the latest proposal for a Gaza

en

35:09

Is NATO letting itself be bullied by Russian drones?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/09/25

From fighter jets in Estonia, to drones in Poland, Romania - and possibly now Denmark too - Russia has been taunting NATO for weeks. So is it time for the alliance to take a tougher stance? Is NATO suffering a crisis of confidence? Amber, Mark, and Marc discuss whether Russian jets should be shot down the next time they enter NATO airspace - and what the consequences might be if they are.Later, Amber gives her verdict on the growing rumours of Andy Burnham's leadership challenge to Keir Starmer as

en

36:47

Was Britain right to roll out the red carpet for Trump?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/09/18

Trump’s State Visit has come to a close, and it seems to have come off without any hitches. As he soaked up the glory of state banquets and royal guards, today brought less of the pageantry and more of the politics. But was the UK right to host Trump for an unprecedented second State Visit? And how is his visit being viewed here, and back in the US? Later, we’re joined by Former US Former National Security Advisor under Kamala Harris, Phil Gordon to talk about how different things might have been

en

43:42

Why is the Home Office the ultimate political...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/09/11

Another week, another Home Secretary - so what makes this great office of state so difficult and treacherous for politicians of all parties? This week, Amber reveals how a reshuffle really works - and takes us inside the government's most troublesome department to explain why the Home Office has ended so many ministerial careers, and why Shabana Mahmood has such a daunting in-tray. Later, Amber, Mark, and Marc are joined by Gerard Araud - the former French Ambassador to the US and Israel. He

en

31:17

Robot wolves & underwater drones: should we fear...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/09/04

World leaders - including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un - flocked to Beijing this week to hold hands with President Xi and watch a massive military parade. China showed off an arsenal including nuclear weapons, 'robot wolves' and underwater drones - so is the West taking the threat posed by China seriously enough? Amber, Mark, and Marc unpick what we learned from this week's summit, why Trump is playing into China's hands at every turn, and how close we are to a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan

en

39:02

The end of the rules-based order: is Trump leading...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/08/28

Does the idea of a rules-based world order still cary any weight? Or, in the age of Donald Trump, is it just a comforting but outdated concept? This week, Amber, Mark, and Marc debate whether Trump's unique style is convincing more and more politicians to break the rules - and if the world's post-1945 system is close to collapse. And in a week when the US President once again hinted that he likes the idea of becoming a dictator, the team look at what the consequences of a global rise in

en

36:04

British troops in Ukraine: security guarantee or...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/08/21

Europe's leaders averted a disaster in their White House summit with President Trump this week. But what comes next in the West's efforts to end the war in Ukraine? Can the UK's hollowed-out armed forces really provide a meaningful security guarantee in the event of a peace deal? How will Vladimir Putin react if we do send peace-keeping troops to Ukraine? And is Keir Starmer ready for a possible public backlash if he does put boots on the ground? These are just some of the questions that Amber,

en

39:49

Who is playing who? Trump, Putin, and the Alaska...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/08/14

The world is holding its breath as Presidents Trump and Putin prepare to meet in Alaska - but will the leaders take a step towards a landmark peace deal, or will this go down as a diplomatic disaster? Just how worried should Ukraine and President Zelensky be about what might unfold? Amber, Mark, and Marc reveal what will be happening behind the scenes in a desperate attempt to make the event go to plan - and share their memories of the trickiest summits they've ever been involved in.Plus the team

en

45:22

The future of espionage: is AI making spies redundant?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/08/06

In a time of AI, facial recognition and rapid technological advances - is the era of human intelligence-gathering over? Could AI soon put James Bond out of a job? This week, in a special episode, The Crisis Room looks at how espionage is grappling with the challenges posed by modern technology. After all, in a world of UTS - Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance - can anyone really be expected to successfully go undercover? Marc explains how he and his colleagues used to recruit agents to act as human

en

41:45

What will Trump make of Starmer's decision to...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/07/31

This week, Keir Starmer followed in the footsteps of President Macron and declared that the UK will recognise a Palestinian state by September, unless Israel holds to a ceasefire. Did he make the right call? Or will he regret breaking from the Americans on this major foreign policy issue? And, is Britain really ready for war with China? We'll take a look at recent comments by the British Defence Secretary John Healey, who declared the UK is ‘ready to fight’ if Taiwan is invaded by China. Later, Mark

en

49:53

Should the UK recognise Palestine?

The Crisis Room ·

2025/07/24

As famine spreads in Gaza, the team discuss whether the international community - and particularly the US and the UK - should be taking stronger action against Israel. And they ask: would officially recognising the State of Palestine make any difference to the lives of ordinary Gazans? Amber, Mark, and Marc are joined by the former British Ambassador to the US, Lord Darroch to discuss this, and whether there is still any hope for a two-state solution.Mark also recalls watching the Jewish settlements

en

35:36

Trump's weapons for Ukraine: turning point or too...

The Crisis Room ·

2025/07/17

President Trump and NATO chief Mark Rutte announced a major new package of military aid for Ukraine this week - but will it really move the dial and change the outcome of this war in Ukraine's favour? Or does it just buy Putin and Russia more time to continue their offensive? Mark and Marc break down exactly which weapons are on their way to Kyiv - and the team analyses whether Trump's stance towards this war has shifted. Plus: should heads roll over the Afghanistan data breach? Amber gives her

en

30 results

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS NewsHour

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci