President Trump is visiting the UK this week in between summits with NATO and Russian President Putin. Agnes discusses the UK-US special relationship and European responses to the current President with Leslie Vinjamuri (Head of the US & Americas Programme) and Hans Kundnani (Senior Research Fellow in the Europe Programme).  Another country adapting its foreign policy approach in light of an increasingly unpredictable US is Japan. A new special issue of International Affairs explores Japan's relations with its Asian neighbours. Ben speaks to Corey Wallace, one of the issue's guest-editor's, about Japan's response to the Singapore Summit, TPP and China's role in the region.  Read the Expert Comment: To Engage America, Theresa May Should Recognize the Real Concerns that Trump Raises Read the International Affairs special issue:  Japan's Pivot in Asia

Alistair Burt MP is Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In a recent speech at Chatham House he launched a new report from the government's Stabilisation Unit on new approaches to resolving armed conflicts. Drawing on examples from conflicts as diverse as Libya and Colombia, the report explores how deal making and peace building can reduce conflicts around the world. Agnes spoke with Alistair after the speech to find out more. Despite the success and acclaim garnered by movements such as Time's Up and #MeToo, women's access to the global economy is still a major issue. From gender pay gaps to the lack of affordable childcare, in the majority of countries women are still greatly disadvantaged. The Gender and Growth Initiative at Chatham House seeks to develop policies for combatting these problems. In their first joint interview Agnes and Ben caught up with Stephane Dubois and Roxanne Bildan to discuss how the initiative is working with the G20 to drive change in this area.  Read the speech: Deal Making and Peace Building: a New Approach to Reducing Conflict Find out more: Chatham House 2018 International Policy Forum on Gender-Inclusive Growth  

In this bonus episode we bring you a recording of a roundtable from the 2018 Chatham House London Conference. This annual event brings together policy-makers, academics and business figures from around the world to London to discuss key global issues. Undercurrents hosted a breakfast roundtable as part of the conference, focusing on how elites can re-engage with their publics. A panel of experts from six different countries joined Ben and Agnes to share their views on questions including: Is political participation in decline? Are traditional forms of politics outdated? What impact has the digital revolution had on the political sphere?  How can politicians reconnect with their voters? Listen to more highlights from the London Conference 2018.

Technology driven by artificial intelligence is developing rapidly, but the political spectrum is not responding fast enough. Agnes discusses machine learning, the profusion of cat photos on the internet and public-private partnerships in AI regulation with Jacob Parakilas from the US and Americas Programme. In 2017 the government of Saudi Arabia lifted the ban on women driving, to international acclaim. In the run-up to this policy becoming reality however Saudi women's rights activists have been threatened and imprisoned by the same administration. Ben meets Jane Kinninmont from the Middle East and North Africa Programme, who explains the significance of this and other Saudi social reforms. Read the Chatham House Report: Artificial Intelligence and International Affairs Read the Expert Comment: The Arrests of Saudi Women’s Driving Activists Underline the Limits of Reforms

Since ancient times states have attempted campaigns of subversion against their rivals. Sir David Omand, former Head of GCHQ, argues that cyberspace provides a multitude of new possibilities for interfering abroad. Ben met Sir David to discuss Russian interventions, fake news, foreign policy frenemies and jihadist social media.  After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Ukrainian activists have faced harsh penalties for criticizing Russian actions in the region. Agnes met Nikolay and Tatyana Shchur to discuss the case of Oleg Sentsov, a film-maker and activist currently serving 20 years in a Russian prison for charges which some have claimed are fabricated.  Read the Journal of Cyber Policy article: The threats from modern digital subversion and sedition Find out more about the case of Oleg Sentsov: Ukrainian film-maker Oleg Sentsov goes on hunger strike in Russian prison

Ronan Farrow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who was previously a foreign policy advisor to Hillary Clinton. In his new book, War on Peace, Farrow traces the decline of US diplomacy over the past 30 years, drawing on conversations with every surviving Secretary of State. This week Agnes met up with Farrow to discuss the waning reputation of career diplomats, how foreign leaders should deal with the Trump administration, and how new technology is transforming the art of diplomacy.  A longer transcript of the interview will be published in the June/July issue of The World Today.    

The United Nations has been going since 1945, and is the basis for most international cooperation. But in this disruptive political environment, is it still relevant? This week, Ben speaks to UN expert Thomas Weiss to find out. Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the situation in Libya has disappeared from international headlines. Seven years on, a new report by Tim Eaton explores the chaotic war economy that has developed in the vacuum. He speaks to Agnes about smuggling, tribal factions and what must be done to resolve a growing crisis. Read the virtual issue: 70 years of the United Nations in International Affairs Read the Chatham House research paper: Libya's war economy: predation, profiteering and state weakness

This week Agnes meets Thomas Raines and Matthew Goodwin of the Europe Programme to revisit their research on the political Tribes of Europe in light of recent elections across the continent. Then, recording in San Francisco, Ben speaks to Rebecca Sanders from Cincinatti University about her recent article in International Affairs, which sheds light on conservative efforts to disrupt the women's rights agenda at the United Nations.   Read the Chatham House reports: Europe's Political Tribes: Exploring the Diversity of Views Across the EU The Future of Europe: Comparing Public and Elite Attitudes Take the online survey: Tribes of Europe Read the International Affairs article:  Norm spoiling: Undermining the International Women's Rights Agenda

In this week's episode Ben speaks to Laura Wellesley, a Research Fellow in the Energy, Environment and Resources Department at Chatham House, about her recent report assessing vulnerabilities in the global food trade. Then Agnes mediates a debate about how the internet is transforming the English language between journalist Marie Le Conte and The World Today editor Alan Philps. Read the Chatham House report: Chokepoints and Vulnerabilities in the Global Food Trade Read The World Today articles: The Joys of Online Syntax In Defence of Good Old Grammar    

This week, Ben speaks to Rob Yates, Head of the Universal Heath Coverage Policy Forum in the Centre on Global Health and Security at Chatham House. They discuss the widespread practice of detaining hospital patients in their wards if they cannot afford to pay their medical bills, an illegal policy affecting thousands in Africa and South Asia. Then, Agnes learns about the growth in activism around LGBTQ+ rights in Lebanon from Nicole El Khawaja, a Programme Coordinator with the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. They discuss recent developments in Lebanon and the wider region, including Beirut's inaugural Pride week in 2017, and assess whether progress can be maintained. Read the Research Paper: Hospital Detentions for Non-payment of Fees: A Denial of Rights and Dignity Read The World Today Article: Coming soon.