Japan prime minister Sanae Takaichi’s assertion that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a threat to her nation’s survival has spurred a crisis between Tokyo and Beijing. Can de-escalation be achieved?

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Benin has become the latest West African state to face a coup. Andrew Mueller explains how the region’s history of upheavals gave president Patrice Talon the tools to stop the attempt.

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One year on from the spectacular toppling of the Assad regime, has the Syrian revolution achieved its aims? How well is President al-Sharaa governing and remaking his image? Will global intervention help or hurt the state?

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Self-styled US “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth is facing criticism for striking boats off the coast of Venezuela, killing more than 80 people. But will there be any consequences?

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A special episode in association with Hitachi Energy, recorded at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. Andrew Mueller discusses the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition with a panel of experts from Hitachi Energy, GE Vernova and Aurora.

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How many Russians support President Putin’s worldview? Does real opposition exist? Leading dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza outlines how Russia and the West must prepare for the post-Putin era, and why those efforts must begin now.

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Does Ukraine stand to gain anything from the US-brokered peace deal? And does Russia even want the war to end?

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Many politicians and diplomats serve during incidents that feel stranger than fiction. Veep writer David Quantick and former UK ambassador John Everard discuss how entertainment and politics interact.

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