How the US, China and Russia are vying for influence in Africa
When the leaders of the US, China and Russia look at Africa today, they see huge opportunity – an abundance of natural resources and a skilled, young population. But what does it mean for the continen...
15 Jan 27min
Putin’s pursuit of Russian greatness
All this week, we are teaming up with our BBC sister podcasts to explore how power and influence around the world is shifting. We’re exploring which countries have a sphere of influence, and which cou...
14 Jan 26min
Has Xi Jinping outsmarted his rivals?
How will China respond to a new era of US assertiveness? Could the spectacular events of Trump’s second term change President Xi Jinping’s calculations about whether to flex China’s muscles in Taiwan?...
13 Jan 27min
American influence from Monroe to Donroe
How are Donald Trump’s ambitions in Venezuela and Greenland changing America’s place in the world? President Trump’s key adviser Stephen Miller has said that we are living in a world “that is governed...
12 Jan 30min
Will Gen Z protests around the world continue in 2026?
Throughout 2025, a massive youth protest movement took shape across the world. From Bangladesh, to Nepal, to Morocco, to Kenya, to the Maldives, young people were taking to the streets to demand, amon...
9 Jan 27min
Will Trump take control of Greenland?
After his major military operation in Venezuela, President Trump has escalated his rhetoric about taking control of Greenland. Trump has repeatedly suggested that the Arctic island – which is a semi-a...
8 Jan 26min
The US ran a war game on the aftermath of Maduro’s fall – it predicted chaos
When the US government captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro, on Saturday, most of the world was shocked. But US officials had for years been gaming out different scenarios, including predict...
7 Jan 27min
People who could change the world in 2026
Who might have the power and influence to change the world in 2026? World leaders aside, we choose four people and discuss why they could intersect with some of the big stories and themes of the next ...
6 Jan 26min
