The war between Russia and Ukraine has shifted closer to Moscow. In the past week Ukraine has sent drones, made by Ukraine, to Moscow. While many were intercepted, 3 people died when an apartment block was hit. For many Russians the war - or special military operation as President Putin calls it - has been far away. But not any longer. At the same time though, Russia continues to hit cities across Ukraine and civilians continue to die. David Aaronovitch and his guests discuss whether Putin is under greater pressure now and whether the trajectory of this conflict has changed with the use of drone-warfare?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

It's ten years since the Briefing Room was first transmitted in May 2016. And what a decade it's been. To mark the tenth anniversary the programme looks at the biggest changes at home and abroad since that momentous day in British broadcasting. We’ve had Brexit, a pandemic, the Gaza war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump - twice. It is hard to remember such a time. So David Aaronovitch's three expert guests will help him answer the question: are we even the same people as we were back then?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

A month ago the Artemis II crew landed safely in the Pacific Ocean, completing their historic space mission to the far side of the moon. It’s been several decades since the last human mission to the moon - although this time there was no landing. However, the 4 astronauts travelled further from earth than any human ever has so far. David Aaronovitch asks his guests whether space exploration is back in fashion and if so what’s next? And are we any closer to a human mission to Mars and what would we hope to achieve there?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

Ask Claude a question, Google a query, order from Amazon, chat with mates on WhatsApp, tune in to Youtube. And where ever you do it from, you’ll never be somehow not in America. Because Britain, like Europe is dependent on US tech and as the AI revolution unfolds, governments are increasingly worried about it.

The new buzz phrase is digital sovereignty. But what does that mean? Is it even feasible? And can the UK and the Europe take back control?

David Aaronovitch talks to:

Stanley Pignal, Europe editor at The Economist

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

It’s almost two months since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran. And in spite of a ceasefire the vital Strait of Hormuz through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes on tankers, is still effectively closed. The oil price remains high, affecting economies around the world. The most recent assessment from the International Monetary Fund warned that the war could throw the world economy “off course” and a prolongued conflict risked causing a global recession. David Aaronovitch asks what this means for us now and whether an end to the conflict could re-set the world’s economies or have conditions changed for good?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

This month retired people saw their state pensions rise by 4.8 per cent. That’s comfortably above the current inflation rate and means that some pensioners have increases this year of as much as £575. That’s because of the Triple Lock guarantee which is a formula set 15 years ago and which some economists say is costing the government too much and should be scrapped. But it’s meant that the state pension has risen over recent years, pensioner poverty is far less of a problem and not surprisingly it’s popular with voters. David Aaronovitch asks what exactly is the triple lock, can we still afford it and is there an alternative?

Guests

Carl Emmerson, Partner at London Economics

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

If you sail 90 miles from Key West in Florida you’ll make landfall on the island of Cuba, run by a regime that America has never liked. And since this is the year of bombs, drones and talk of regime change, the island has not escaped close attention.

Donald Trump has talked about taking Cuba but could he? Would he? And And what would that even mean for Cubans and Americans?

Step into the Briefing Room and together we’ll find out.

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

The world’s attention is currently fixed on the US-Israel war with Iran and the effect it’s having on the Gulf region and global energy prices. But it was only six months ago that a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was agreed and President Trump launched his 20-point peace plan. Since then we’ve heard little about progress beyond the return of Israeli hostages - the first phase of the plan. David Aaronovitch and his guests discuss what's happening to the citizens of Gaza and what has to happen next if the peace plan is to be followed through.

Guests:

Rushdi Abu Alouf, BBC Gaza Correspondent

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

It's a tough time for any young person looking for a job at the moment. While overall unemployment is running at just over 5 percent, there’s particular concern about a large group of 16 to 24 year olds - almost a million of them (12.8%) who are not in employment, education or training. And that includes recent graduates in that age bracket. They’re known as NEETS. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss why they're in this situation - is it down to the state of the economy, their own ability to work or that ever present fear - AI?

Guests:

Jack Kennedy, Senior Economist, Indeed Hiring Lab

Presenter: David Aaronovitch

As contemporary hi-tech wars rage - Russia and Ukraine and the US-Israel war with Iran - The Briefing Room takes a hard look at the UK's armed forces. After telling his allies - including the UK - that he didn’t need them, President Trump called for them to help him open up the Strait of Hormuz, which has raised not just the question of should we, but could the UK do this? David Aaronovitch asks when it comes to big military operations what have we got? In this dangerous 21st century what do we need? Can we get it? And what about closer co-operation with other European countries?

Guests:

Presenter: David Aaronovitch