Recorded 4 December 2020

Eunhee was born and raised in North Korea. When we met her in South Korea a year ago, she was studying at college, a popular public speaker in both Korean and English, and a Special Ambassador for Teach North Korean Refugees (TNKR).

Determined not to be defined by the social and cultural forces of the North Korean society and regime, she set off on the journey of her life in search of freedom. She will share her story with us.

Recorded 26 May 2022

Recorded 24 May 2022

Recorded 17 May 2022

Recorded 12 May 2022

Catherine Fieschi, is the founder of Counterpoint, a think tank, and the author of “Populocracy.” Her focus is populism and European politics. She wrote her PhD thesis on Jean-Marie Le Pen and spent time with the family in their chateau. Consequently, she knows more than most about France’s pretender to the presidential throne. Macron won this time, but it is not the end of the hard right or left for that matter in France or elsewhere. We take a longer-term view of French politics and populism in Europe

Recorded 10 May 2022

Beyond its failure to understand Ukraine’s possible response to an invasion – the Russian military’s inability to conduct combined operations has come as a shock to most. The pivot to the east, the focus on a smaller object, a new commander, and shorter supply lines suggest Russia’s can make more progress in this next phase. But now most analysts are even questioning that. Progress is likely to be slow and extremely bloody. But the Kremlin may be just fine with that.

Recorded 5 May 2022

It’s a small circle at the top of Britain’s political elite. Much of it traces its roots back to 1980’s Oxford. Simon Kuper’s new book explains how the rarefied and privileged atmosphere of this narrowest of talent pools - and the friendships and worldviews it created - shaped modern Britain. Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, David Cameron, George Osborne, Theresa May, Dominic Cummings, Daniel Hannan, Jacob Rees-Mogg: Whitehall is swarming with old Oxonians. They debated each other in tutorials, ran against each other in student elections, and attended the same balls and black-tie dinners. They aren't just colleagues - they are peers, rivals, friends. And, when they walked out of the world of student debates onto the national stage, they brought their university politics with them.

The United States Supreme Court has just completed one of its most remarkable terms in years. It has torn up Roe vs Wade, expanded gun rights and looks likely to give states the ability to further restrict voting for some people. There’s no doubting the impact of President Trump's 3 appointments to the bench. But how did we get here? David Cole, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union outlines the enormous changes to the court over the last 50 years and then looks at its most recent decisions.

We take a broader look at US politics in the run up to the US Midterms in the wake of the Supreme Court's momentous ruling on abortion rights.  

The Economists’ Washington Correspondent Idrees Kahloon says that while Democrats hope the decision on Roe vs Wade will motivate their supporters it may only have a marginal effect at the polls. 

Donald Trump, the man that shaped the court's conservative bias with not one but three nominations still looms large over American politics. 

And that's most notable when it comes to the appointment of electoral officials.  American democracy looks increasingly fragile. 

#midterms #roevswade #uspolitics