218 - Russian sanctions & Wartime specul...

This week, we start with Oasis and end in Silicon Valley, via Tír na nÓg. We’re talking about the economics of not dying, and how tech billionaires are pouring billions into that dream. From Oasis belting Live Forever to Irish mythology’s take on eternal youth, we ask: why are we ... Show More

Trieste is a city that’s belonged to everyone, and no one. This week, we go walking through a place that’s been Austrian, Italian, Yugoslav, and, at one point, technically run by the United Nations. It's a port city without a hinterland, a European crossroads where empires once c ... Show More

After travelling through Montreal, Bilbao, and Vilnius, cities alive with colour, sound, and soul, I returned home and felt the contrast sharply. Dublin, like many cities across the developed world, feels hollowed out. Despite booming economic growth and over €150 billion sitting ... Show More

The U.S., Israel, and Iran are edging dangerously close to all-out war. As missile exchanges escalate, munitions stockpiles run low, and diplomacy gives way to deception, the US has decided to strike Iranian nuclear hardsites. This looks like an inflammatory PR stunt, let's get i ... Show More

America feared that letting Ukraine use US weapons to attack far-off targets in Russia would escalate the conflict. Why has President Joe Biden finally changed his mind? Markets soared when Donald Trump was elected, but the longer-term impact of Trumponomics may be less positive ... Show More

Since the invasion of Ukraine, the West has deployed massive economic restrictions on Russian trade. So why is Russia’s economy growing? A survivor’s story from the forgotten conflict in Sudan (10:47). And Turkey tries to rid its streets of stray dogs (17:56). Listen to what matt ... Show More

An ominous buzzing in the sky. Swarms of killer AI drones. Fields of fiberoptic grass. The weird future of drone warfare is here. The conflict in Ukraine has proven to be a testing ground for the next generation of weaponry. How will the proliferation of these small, cheap device ... Show More

President Donald Trump called the weekend strike on Sumy a “mistake”; other leaders called it a war crime. We examine the prospects for peace when Russia is brazenly hitting civilian targets. As scientists flee American institutions, Europe is trying to woo them (10:29). And Brit ... Show More

Russia is advancing in Ukraine, has more troops and more weapons. In Kyiv and beyond, questions are being raised about the future. Why does America make it so hard to vote in the election from overseas? And what Britain’s citizenship test says about the country (19:52).  Listen t ... Show More

America’s proxy war with Russia isn’t anything new. It’s been decades in the making. Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick explain what nuclear war would actually look like. (00:00) How Close Are We to Nuclear War?(12:08) Why Don’t We Know All the Details of 9/11?(29:27) The Nuclear War ... Show More

Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs kick in, including a 104% duty on Chinese goods. It deepens a global trade war, triggering carnage on global markets and sending U.S. bonds plunging. Consumers are waiting for the impact. Plus, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says two Chinese men fig ... Show More

Predicting political violence is a painstaking job. Now AI is helping analysts look for clues and throwing up fascinating insights into the shifts that may indicate a strike is coming. Why Cuba could be heading towards economic and social collapse (11:01). And our correspondent v ... Show More

After the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend, on Monday Iran began their retaliation. Several Iranian missiles were launched at the U.S. Air Force base in Qatar, which were ultimately intercepted. This week, American lawmakers are seeking further informati ... Show More