The Crisis Room

In this, the final Q&A episode of The Crisis Room, Amber answers listeners' questions about the Conservative Party: does it have any hope of ever winning another General Election? And can it recover from the recent wave of high-profile defections from the Tories to Reform UK?

Mark explains why media coverage of the conflict between Gaza and Israel has dropped off so significantly since the ceasefire began a few months ago, and Marc P gives his verdict on ICE, and whether President Trump should be allowed to take agents from the controversial agency with him to Italy for the Winter Olympics.

In this, the final regular episode of The Crisis Room, Amber, Mark, and Marc P recap an unprecedented last twelve months in geopolitics - and look ahead to which other crises are coming down the track in the year ahead.

From the tensions between Turkey and Israel, from Iran to Greenland, and the question of what the future holds for Venezuela, the team predict which situations pose the most problems for the world in 2026, and discuss whether the UK has any major role to play in helping to solve them.

Amber, Mark, and Marc P also leave us with some parting thoughts - but don't miss the final Q&A episode of The Crisis Room next week.

In this week's Q&A, Mark & Amber assess whether the US decision to mobilise troops in the Alaskan Airborne Division is a sign that Trump is still eyeing up a military takeover of Greenland.

They also explain why MI6 officers speak publicly so rarely - and whether that should change. Plus, Mark looks at whether Jeffrey Epstein's geopolitical connections should be more closely examined, while Amber gives her verdict on whether it's time for Nigel Farage's Reform UK to appoint a dedicated spokesperson on defence and security.

Later, they explain why Israel has become the first country to recognise Somaliland as an independent state.

Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

After a week of high drama in Davos, where leaders from Donald Trump to Mark Carney and Emanuel Macron traded blows and the whole western alliance appeared to be on the brink of collapse, Mark & Amber analyse whether there really is a new world order as the dust starts to settle.

They're joined by George Robertson, the former Defence Secretary and Secretary General of NATO who triggered Article 5 after 9/11, to discuss the future of the Transatlantic Alliance, whether America would come to Europe's aid if an ally was invaded, and why Keir Starmer needs to put his money where his mouth is on defence spending.

Plus, Marc P dials in from an undisclosed location with his reaction to the week's events, and Trump's bizarre speech at the World Economic Forum.

Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

In this week's Q&A episode, the team looks at whether Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio is winning the battle for supremacy in the Republican Party - and how each of them might approach the role of Commander in Chief if they succeed Trump and become the next President of the United States.

Amber, Mark, and Marc also break down how the state of the UK's finances became so dire that there is no more money for extra defence spending, and look at whether Trump might decide to refocus his efforts on making Canada the "51st State" again any time soon.

Plus, in light of the recent killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis, The Crisis Room discusses whether the Immigration Agency is still serving a purpose - and responds to a listener question which compares ICE to the Nazis.

Have a question for a future episode? Send it on email to [email protected] or follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

We've got a podcast we think you'll love: Explosive Lies - your next podcast binge.

Jim McCormick was a cocky English salesman with an outrageous claim: a black plastic gadget that could sniff out bombs using “electromagnetic energy.” The science was pure fiction. But in the panic after 9/11, governments bought the lie - paying up to $60,000 for a device that started life as a $20 novelty golf-ball finder.

McCormick sold hope to armies and security forces across the globe. But hope turned deadly. Behind the deals were fragmented friendships, betrayals, and a truth so dangerous it would take years to drag into the light.

In this series, Alice Levine uncovers the jaw-dropping story of a con that likely cost countless lives - and the unlikely people who stopped at nothing to uncover the truth.

All episodes available now on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for 'Explosive Lies'.

Explosive Lies is a Global Original podcast, produced by Forest Sounds in partnership with Dentsu Entertainment.

Over the past few weeks Iran has been thrust into one of the most consequential crises of its time. Protests against the regime have swept the country, and security forces have cracked down with lethal force. Trump is warning of ‘very strong action’. But what help is really on the way? Because with Iran in crisis, and Washington is as unpredictable as ever, the region is deep in tension.

Marc P also shares his experiences with 'Havana Syndrome' has tells the story of the leak that suggests that the US Defence Department spent more than a year testing a device that is now thought to have caused the mysterious illness in US spies.

Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

President Donald Trump continues to change the landscape for international politics.

Marc P looks at the safety of American citizens who dissent after talk of US troops ignoring illegal orders.

What is the legality of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro?

Would NATO continue to exist if the US actually invades or annexes Greenland?

And what has happened to the supposed rare earth minerals deal in Ukraine?

Former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace joins The Crisis Room to dissect the events of the past week, and to look ahead to what the next few months might hold. He speaks candidly about the reality of what the US leaving NATO would mean for the alliance and the security of the West, and whether Keir Starmer is right to pledge to send troops to Ukraine if Putin ever agrees to a ceasefire. Ben also reveals what it's like to have lunch with Donald Trump, and why it was a mistake to tell him about his great-grandfather's golfing prowess.

Marc P also describes how the CIA would have planned the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and Mark & Amber explain the panicked conversations which will be taking place across Europe as fears grow of a US invasion of Greenland.

Follow us on social media: @crisisroompod

After the horrific terror attack at Bondi Beach, Marc P and Amber explain what precautions are taken by governments to try and prevent similar attacks from happening.

What will life look like after Donald Trump's presidency in terms of international relations and will the US carry the same weight internationally?

Mark debates whether the BBC is facing an existential crisis with a potential multi billion dollar lawsuit looming.