A year ago the Chinese city of 11 million people cut itself off to contain the spread of a deadly virus. Hao Wu, the director of "76 Days" a documentary about the Wuhan lockdown, talks to Anne McElvoy about the first casualties, life under quarantine and the personal impact of covid-19. Why did Hao Wu avoid politics in the film and why has he been trolled for making it?  Also The Economist's Beijing bureau chief, and Chaguan columnist David Rennie, on how Chinese people's view of democracy has been eroded by the virus.

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Can President Biden revive bipartisanship in America? Anne McElvoy asks the widow of Republican Senator John McCain and member of the Biden-Harris transition advisory council if Joe Biden can achieve his hopes of ‘unity’ in a divided America. After the violence at the Senate on the 6th of January, does the GOP still represent Mrs. McCain’s values and is America constitutionally strong? And, is she the next US ambassador to London? 

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As Wikipedia turns 20, we ask its founder Jimmy Wales how “the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit” really works. Also, as creator of another tech giant, does he reckon social media is still a force for good? And were some major platforms right to ban President Trump from communicating on them? He also confides his homeschooling tips.  

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After the shocking scenes in Washington DC this week, we ask war historian Margaret MacMillan if violence is an inevitable part of civilisation. Professor MacMillan, author of 'War: How conflict shaped us', reflects on whether the invasion of the Capitol qualifies as a coup. And she unravels the mystery of why we fight, from ancient times to the 21st century. 

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Was the first black principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre earlier denied roles because of her skin colour? She tells host, Anne McElvoy, how dance saved her from a difficult childhood and about her first performance in a classic Christmas production. And, which ballets would she remove from the repertoire?

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Anne McElvoy asks the former German ambassador to the US, Wolfgang Ischinger, if America can still be relied upon as a “protective uncle” and how it should deal with China. And, who will succeed Chancellor Merkel in 2021? Anne talks to German cabinet minister Jens Spahn, one of a proposed 'dream team' of candidates in the upcoming party leadership contest. 

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How stable is the West? Professor Joseph Henrich, chair of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, says that even successful societies can implode. He tells Anne McElvoy that the economically dominant Western identity, evolving from the “psychologically peculiar” minds of the population, could look very different in the future. 

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The British chef, author and host of television show “Cook, Eat, Repeat”, tells Anne McElvoy how to become a better cook. They talk about how our relationship with food is changing in the pandemic. Nigella explains the therapeutic nature of cooking and her culinary relationship with her mother. Also, what would she prepare for the new President Biden and her best Thanksgiving recipes—"apple pie without cheese, is like a kiss without a squeeze".

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The West End and Broadway producer says visiting closed theatres during the lockdown brought her to tears. Now that an effective vaccine is on the horizon, Anne McElvoy asks Friedman what it will take for theatre curtains to rise again. And, after the pandemic how much does it cost to restart a hit show like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? 

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