Podcasts about World politics

Today we're talking about the growing controversy surrounding America's relationship with Israel, and the disturbing pattern of censorship that follows anyone who dares to even question it. Why are discussions about foreign influence and government transparency being shut down? Why are prominent voices silenced the moment they speak against powerful interests? We're asking the uncomfortable questions no one in the mainstream media wants to touch, from the suppression of speech to the "alliances" shaping U.S. policy, and praising those few, like Candace Owens, who refuse to back down in the pursuit of real justice and truth.This episode isn't about taking sides, it's about demanding honesty, accountability, and the freedom to ask hard questions without fear.

The leaders of the world's two biggest economies have met on the sidelines of the APEC summit. A meeting with China's President Xi Jinping was the pinnacle of US President Donald Trump's trip around Asia. Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives spoke to Corin Dann.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has emphasized that formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) is of great significance for facilitating China's sustained and sound development, and for putting the country on firmer foundations for basically achieving socialist modernization as planned.The remarks were made in Xi's explanatory speech on the recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, delivered at the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which concluded last week in Beijing.Both the speech and the recommendations, which were adopted at the plenum, were made public on Tuesday.In his speech, Xi said the recommendations were drafted to make systematic plans and strategic arrangements for China's economic and social development in the next five years.The recommendations were initiated in line with the country's strategic development goals, recognizing the pivotal role of the next five years, and based on an in-depth analysis of both the domestic and global landscapes, he added.He highlighted that the drafting process placed particular emphasis on staying oriented toward both goals and problems, applying systems thinking, further deepening reform comprehensively, and opening wider to the outside world."Socialist modernization can only be realized through a historical process of gradual and ongoing development. It requires the unremitting hard work of one generation after another," Xi said.He noted that the 15th Five-Year Plan period will serve as a critical stage in building on past successes to break new ground for basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035.Elaborating on important points and major measures in the recommendations, Xi pointed out that a key development objective for the 15th Five-Year Plan period is to maintain an appropriate rate of economic and social development.He also defined promoting high-quality development as the main focus in this period, stressing that the recommendations highlight the guiding role of scientific and technological innovation and make overall plans for modernizing the industrial system, boosting self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and accelerating the green transition across the board.A group was established in January for the purpose of drafting the recommendations, with Xi serving as its chief. The group convened its first plenary meeting in February, marking the official start of the drafting work.Throughout the drafting process, the CPC Central Committee followed a democratic approach and drew on a vast pool of wisdom, conducting in-depth surveys and studies, and seeking opinions from within and outside of the Party, Xi said.The CPC Central Committee organized six teams to conduct research projects in 12 provincial-level regions. In addition, 35 key research projects were assigned to Party and government bodies, and multiple symposiums were held. An online campaign was launched to gather public suggestions, receiving more than 3 million comments.During the drafting process, the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee met three times and the Political Bureau convened on two occasions to review and revise draft versions of the document, before the final draft recommendations were submitted to the plenary session for deliberation."It is fair to say that the drafting work for this document is yet another vivid example of intra-Party democracy and whole-process people's democracy in action," Xi said.Jiang Jinquan, director of the CPC Central Committee Policy Research Office, told a news conference on the outcomes of the fourth plenary session that participants of the plenum agreed that the recommendations represent another major programmatic document in the Party's history.Yan Yilong, deputy dean of the Institute for Contemporary China Studies at Tsinghua University, said the recommendations provide political guidance for formulating the outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan.The drafting of the outline has officially begun and the draft outline is scheduled to be submitted to next year's two sessions for deliberation, Yan noted.Sheradil Baktygulov, director of the Institute of World Politics of Kyrgyzstan, said in a recent interview with Xinhua News Agency that China's development experience demonstrates its ability to mobilize resources effectively to achieve national goals.He expects China to become more technologically advanced, self-sufficient and confident on the global stage, with the 15th Five-Year Plan playing a critical role in advancing the second centenary goal — to build China into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by 2049.

If authoritarians seek to dictate the global agenda while liberal democracies at least partly resist, could this lead to conflicts or even wars? This was one of my questions for Alexander Cooley, Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University, and Alexander Dukalskis, Associate Professor in the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin. Their new book, Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics, examines how authoritarian powers have grown more confident and assertive in challenging liberal norms. In our conversation – with Professor Cooley speaking first – we discuss what triggered this authoritarian resurgence, why today's autocrats are no longer ashamed of their systems, and what role the West itself played in enabling this global shift. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

There are spoilers ahead for all versions of The Day of the Triffids and also for the film Signs. You can follow the podcast on social media on Threads, Instagram and Bluesky.  If you would like to be a patron of the podcast you can join Patreon and for £3 or $3 a month you can get ad free version of the show. https://www.patreon.com/everyscififilm  This episode had been edited down to a more digestible length of under an hour but a longer (audio only) version is available for Patreon subscribers (alongside the shorter option). We are doing things a little differently and discussing the 1963 film along with the source material which is John Wyndham's 1951 book The Day of the Triffids. The Day of the Triffids film was released in 1963 after reshoots were required to add a whole new arc in the story and bring the time to a more suitable length for a feature. The film has many of the hallmarks of a 1950s science fiction film but seems to be reflective of the Golden Era of science fiction very much coming to its end. The film is (very loosely) based on John Wyndham's first successful novel but seems more dedicated to the tropes of a 1950s sci-fi marketed for a mass, US leaning audience. The book is chockful of themes that are touched upon throughout the story which have very little (if any) presence in the film. I have added a list of the characters we discuss below as well as a quick overview of their roles in the book and the film. As usual I have two insightful guests to help us understand all of this. Matthew Rule-Jones is a senior lecturer in film studies at the University of Exeter and author of the book Science Fiction Cinema and 1950s Britain: Recontextualising Cultural Anxiety. Adam Stock is a senior lecturer in English Literature at York St John University and author of the book Dystopian Fiction and Political Thought: Narratives of World Politics. Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:30 John Wyndham's first hit 05:23 The concept of the cosy catastrophe 08:43 Wyndham's Britain: post-colonial triffids coming home to roost 14:48 The 1963 film: Wells, end of the golden age and marketing 20:04 The lighthouse sequences: Karen vs Josella 23:06 Weed killers in The Silent Spring era and WW2 imagery 25:17 The role of the Triffids 30:37 Bill Masen the hero 34:37 Coker's missing role 37:11 Women! 40:27 The ending 46:51 Legacy 53:57 Recommendations Bill Masen: Hero in both the book and the film. In the book Bill is English and works for the triffid farm where he has been almost blinded by a triffid sting. His colleague begins to suspect the triffids are indeed sentient and able to communicate. This brings up questions around exploitation and enslavement. In the film Bill is American and works for the US Navy who help save the hero and other survivors at the end of the film. Josella Playton: The heroine from the novel is not present in the 1963 film. Josella comes from a wealthy family (one with servants) and has written a notorious book titled Sex is my Adventure. Coker: Coker has a large role in the book and we meet him as an advocate for the newly blinded masses when many of the few sighted people left are attempting to save themselves from the threat of a disintegrating society. He is a strong public speaker from a working-class background who had learned to speak in a way that is more amenable to the intelligentsia and upper classes. His strongly held beliefs (of forcing the sighted to serve the blind) change through the book to become less idealistic and more practical. Coker in the film is an old man with a very minimal role who dies early in the story form a triffid attack. Susan: Is a young girl who is rescued by Bill in the film after a train crash and ensuing chaos. In the book Bill takes in Susan whose family have died. She is a capable young child who develops an understanding of triffid behaviour from observing them as she guards the home that Josella and Bill stay in for many years. Miss Durrant: In the film Miss Durrant is the beautiful heroine that Bill meets in a large house in France that is caring from blind survivors of the meteor shower. In the book, Miss Durrant is a religious minded woman who is appalled at a man named Beadley's attempts to rebuild society through polygamy. She seems to purposefully mislead Bill who is trying to track down Beadley because he thinks Josella will be with him. NEXT EPISODE! Next episode we will be speaking about The Manchurian Candidate from 1962 by John Frankenheimer. A film that may not fit the definition of science fiction for many people but by now I think we know how ambiguous those definitions can be! You can find the film on streaming platforms including Apple TV. The Just Watch website is a good resource to find where the film is available online in your region.

The Few. The Proud.  The Marines.  Today, we are discussing this legendary fighting force as we celebrate the United States Marines' 250th birthday. For 250 years, the Marines have shown up to protect our freedom, and helped establish the Untied States as the world's superpower. To discuss the evolution of this branch of our military, we are honored to welcome back Dr. James Robbins, Dean of Academics at the Institute of World Politics; Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at the American Foreign Policy Council; Former special assistant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Sir Nick Gibb oversaw a dramatic turnaround in England's school reading and maths performance during his tenure as schools minister through the rollback of 'progressivist' practice and a renewed focus on structure, knowledge and expectations.

The end of the last century brought about what scholars have called a “unipolar moment.” With the fall of the Soviet Union, liberalism lost its enemy on the global stage, which led the United States to try to establish an international liberal order by promoting liberalism transnationally. This latter approach has not only been harshly criticized for often being executed hypocritically and sometimes causing disastrous wars, but also ultimately seems to have failed. While Cold War restorationism might be dangerous and mistaken, today's world again features different authoritarian global powers, with the U.S. seemingly on the path to becoming one itself. Moreover, while democracy promotion by Westernliberal states is deteriorating, scholars have argued that authoritarian powers are increasing their collaboration on theglobal stage to extend authoritarian rule across space and time. In this conversation, Professors Alexander Dukalskisand Alexander Cooley argue that the project to spread liberalism around the world has caused a snapback, in which authoritarian regimes aim to capture and repurpose the actors, tools, and norms once created by liberal democracies for their own ends. Their book, Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics, was published byOxford University Press in September 2025.

US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have this morning had their first meeting at the White House, signing a deal on critical minerals and rare earths. With mroe is Washington correspondent Nick Harper who joined Ingrid Hipkiss.

RB Ham is a Canadian political commentator, activist and former candidate for office under the People's party. He was part of the freedom movement/Trucker protest 4 years ago. He is currently the host of the "Beyond the Pale" podcast. 02:00 - His run for the people's party in Canada, inspired by lockdowns and censorship, the Chronology of the Canadian trucker's protest, obstacles of a smaller party 22:22 - The domination of the two-party system, Carney's path to the presidency 48:18 - politicians are NOT our heroes, How Trump became "Teflon Don," are restrictions a test phase for limits for authoritarianism? Plus, how far are we going to take foreign intervention? If we already know it's up/down, then why are we fighting harder on left/right? 59:26 - Back to the "Freedom protest," the disagreement with mandates, and the consequences of free speech, the problem is up/down, billionaires and the rest of us, understanding acute narcissistic disorder 1:19:01 - Orwell, HG Wells, and the books that saw a lot of this coming, Shogun being great read AND series/movie, the interesting journey of Jesse Ventura 1:30:40 - The powerful tool of forgiveness, and speaking up for people who cannot help themselves, also, politicians are not heroes and vote for your agenda, not the party agenda 1:50:11 - Does Trump's ego "Trump" the right thing? Plus, a story about Jimmy Dore (NOTE: There is a possibility the story did not involve him - to the best of my memory, people around us identified him as "Jimmy", conspiracies, and the right to reject or accept them based on historical behavior 2:03:12 - Why we "love" Peter Hotez

Online harm experts say Charlie Kirk shooting video is just the tip of the iceberg, with young people regularly seeing far more graphic and gruesome deaths. Rachel Helyer Donaldson reports.

Israel has carried out a wave of strikes on southern Gaza and says it will suspend the delivery of aid, after its military and Hamas accuse each other of breaching their ceasefire.

Hamas says more than 20 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire came into effect at the start of this week. Alexander Cornwell, a senior correspondent for Reuters, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss from Tel Aviv.

US President Donald Trump says "great progress" has been made on a two-hour phone call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. Corin Dann spoke to correspondent Nick Harper in Washington.

We cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

#JonGaunt #Live #Starmer #Trump #UKPolitics #LabourParty #ChineseSpying

Cautious optimism surrounds the Gaza conflict as Israel and Hamas agree to and begin implementing phase one of US President Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan; including the release of Israeli hostages. We look at what the progress signals for the end of the war and hear the heartbreaking account of a Palestinian journalist living in Gaza, documenting life on the ground. And in headlines today, The bodies of four of the reported 28 remaining hostages who died in the conflict in Gaza have been returned to Israel, but it’s not immediately clear when the other 24 will be repatriated; SA Police are resuming the search for missing 4 year old boy Gus, after previously scaling it back; Australian Federal Police will investigate whether independent senator Lidia Thorpe broke laws by saying she is prepared to "burn down Parliament House" in support of Palestinians; Taylor Swift has announced a 6 part docuseries will air on Disney+ called The End Of An Era and based on her epic recent world tour, along with a new version of her Eras concert tour movie that will include the Tortured Poets Department THE END BITS Support independent women's media Check out The Quicky Instagram here GET IN TOUCHShare your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy Guest: Dr Jessica Genauer, International Relations expert, Flinders University Shrouq Aila, Palestinian Journalist based in Gaza Audio Producer: Lu HillBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Celebrations have been taking place across Israel as Hamas released all 20 surviving hostages last night, after 738 days in captivity. Blake Sifton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss from Tel Aviv.

BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss as the situation in Gaza continues to develop.

The deadline is nearing for French prime minister Sebastien Lecornu to resolve the country's political crisis. Correspondent Ross Cullen reports from Paris.

Correspondent Alice Wilkins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

World News Wrap with RNZ's Alice Wilkins from London.

Indirect talks between Israel and Hamas continue. Correspondent in Tel Aviv, Blake Sifton has the latest.

Time now to find out what's got people talking across the Tasman, our man on the ground in Australia Brad Foster chats to Jesse about the Sydney shooting spree; Australia and Papua New Guinea signing a new alliance and the appeal over Erin Patterson's sentence.

Tonight, on The Panel, Mark Leishman is joined by panellists Claire Amos and Liam Hehir. First up, Christopher Luxon says young people need to get off the Play Station and find jobs in the regions. but are the jobs out there? We look at what the data says. Then, social media giants Meta and TikTok have submitted to Parliament's Education and Workforce select committee regarding the harm young people encounter online. But what do parents think? We talk to a grassroots parent led group who have made their own submission.

New Zealand organisation Relief Aid is currently distributing safe drinking water to thousands of people in Gaza everyday. Founder Mike Seawright spoke to Corin Dann.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned, just three weeks after he was appointed, and less than a day after his cabinet was unveiled. Correspondent in Paris Ross Cullen spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Let's catch up with what's been going on around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.

The organisers of a humanitarian aid flotilla trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza say all three New Zealanders taking part have been detained by Israel. About 40 boats are reported to have been within 160 kilometres of Gaza when the Israeli military began intercepting boats. The Israeli Foreign Ministry says the passengers are safe. Aotearoa spokesperson for the Global Sumud Flotilla, Acacia O'Connor spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about some Australian workers calling for early retirement, as the population ages some workers in physically demanding jobs are having to quit early and want to access their pension sooner.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the US government shutting down for the first time in nearly seven years. Republicans and democrats have been playing the blame game after a spending bill to keep the federal government funded failed to pass in congress.

In today's episode, in the UK, two people are dead and four others are in hospital after a terrorist attack on a synagogue in northern Manchester; Vessels that were attempting to reach Gaza as part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, have been seen arriving at a port in Israel, after being intercepted by the navy; With natural gas reserves dropping, prices rising and the future of gas supply uncertain, some New Zealand home owners may be considering switching to electric; We have our weekly sports panel; And we cross the ditch to get the latest from Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Does what's happened in the past, help explain the present? That's a question Dr Grant Morris has been contemplating and is keen to explore with us today using US President Donald Trump and his adoration for former US President Andrew Jackson as an example.

In the US, thousands of workers are facing unpaid leave, as a government shutdown hits key services. Correspondent Toni Waterman spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Hamas is reviewing a 20-point Gaza peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump. Correspondent Blake Sifton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

US President Donald Trump has expressed renewed optimism about reaching a deal to end the war in Gaza, as he meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Correspondent Nick Harper spoke to Corin Dann from Washington.

In today's episode, Labour leader Chris Hipkins has blasted the government's decision not to recognise Palestinian statehood, calling it "morally reprehensible" and a failure of leadership, US President Donald Trump says a Gaza peace deal is "beyond very close", after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the health minister says New Zealanders are now getting more timely access to care, a crucial meeting is expected today between Netball New Zealand and Dame Noeline Taurua as they try to solve a stand-off that's left the Silver Ferns without their long-time coach, more and more job seekers are using AI to write their CVs and cover letters.

US President Donald Trump says a Gaza peace deal is "beyond very close", after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Toni Waterman spoke to Corin Dann.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has blasted the government's decision not to recognise Palestinian statehood, calling it "morally reprehensible" and a failure of leadership. Mr Hipkins spoke to Corin Dann.

Let's catch up with what's been going on around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.

Israel is pleased the New Zealand government has decided now is not the time to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel's Ambassador to New Zealand, Alon Roth spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

We cross the ditch to Canberra to talk to our correspondent Kerry-Anne Walsh.

Angry and disappointed - that's how Palestinian New Zealanders are feeling after the government's decision to not recognise Palestinian statehood at this time. Spokesperson for Aotearoa for Palestine Heba Mortaja still has family in Gaza and spoke to Corin Dann

The government's decided not to recognise Palestinian statehood for now, saying it would complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

A US general in charge of building Donald Trump's Golden Dome missile defence system has come up with a blueprint. Phil Pennington reports.

The government is being criticised for its decision not to recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly last week. Political reporter Anneke Smith spoke to Corin Dann from New York

New Zealand's decision on whether to recognise a Palestinian state is being revealed later this morning in a speech at the United Nations. Foreign minister Winston Peters is expected to give details in an address to the General Assembly in New York expected from around 10.30am - of course we'll keep you across it here on RNZ. It comes on the heels of a tumultuous week in the US, following President Trump's comments to the UN and on autism, the memorial to Charlie Kirk and yesterday's indictment of former FBI director James Comey. US correspondent Mitch McCann joins Susie live with the latest from New York.

Asia correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about over 1000 children being poisoned by free school lunches in Indonesia this week, as well as a film in China which was digitally altered to turn a same-sex couple into a heterosexual couple.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about Prime Minister Keir Starmer being expected to make a big announcement regarding digital ID cards, as well as Liverpool FC cracking down on ticket scalping.

Robert Bruce Adolph - a former Infantry Staff Sergeant - is a retired US Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel and UN Chief Security Advisor, as well as once a university lecturer on American History, US Government and World Politics. He is the author of the well-reviewed book “Surviving the United Nations: A true story of violence, corruption, betrayal, and redemption.” Robert holds graduate degrees in both International Affairs and National Security Studies and Strategy. His commentaries, articles and book reviews have appeared in over fifty newspapers, magazines, professional journals and academic publications for over four decades. He has additionally lived and worked in seventeen different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Today he is an international speaker, commentator, and security consultant. Discover more at www.robertbruceadolph.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.