
Sensemaker Audio
Attacks in the Red Sea
The weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas ended on Friday. Two days later, a US warship came under attack in the Red Sea. Is this a sign that the conflict is escalating?
Sensemaker Audio
The weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas ended on Friday. Two days later, a US warship came under attack in the Red Sea. Is this a sign that the conflict is escalating?
Sensemaker Audio
Qatar has announced that the pause in fighting has been extended by two days. Why does the Gulf State have so much influence?
Sensemaker Audio
Gaza’s largest hospital is currently at the centre of Israel’s war against Hamas. But what’s actually happening there?
Sensemaker Audio
Palestinians in the West Bank face violence from Jewish settlers as war rages in Gaza.
Sensemaker Audio
The oil-rich Gulf kingdom will host the 2034 men’s football World Cup. How did it win the bid, why is it controversial and what does it tell us about the shift happening in the world’s most popular sport?
Sensemaker Audio
It has been one month since Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel and took hundreds of people hostage. How are their friends and family coping?
Sensemaker Audio
Israel’s prime minister has said its military will “eliminate the enemy above the ground and beneath the ground”. What do we know about the network of tunnels beneath Gaza?
Sensemaker Audio
Humza Yousaf fears for the safety of his wife’s parents, her brother and his children, as they shelter in Gaza with no food, water, or electricity. What does their story tell us about the situation there and the efforts to get people out?
Sensemaker Audio
It’s thought that Hamas gunmen took at least 222 hostages into the Gaza Strip. Who is trying to free them?
Sensemaker Audio
The weeklong truce between Israel and Hamas ended on Friday. Two days later, a US warship came under attack in the Red Sea. Is this a sign that the conflict is escalating?
Sensemaker Audio
Qatar has announced that the pause in fighting has been extended by two days. Why does the Gulf State have so much influence?
Sensemaker Audio
Gaza’s largest hospital is currently at the centre of Israel’s war against Hamas. But what’s actually happening there?
Sensemaker Audio
Palestinians in the West Bank face violence from Jewish settlers as war rages in Gaza.
Sensemaker Audio
The oil-rich Gulf kingdom will host the 2034 men’s football World Cup. How did it win the bid, why is it controversial and what does it tell us about the shift happening in the world’s most popular sport?
Sensemaker Audio
It has been one month since Hamas launched a devastating attack on Israel and took hundreds of people hostage. How are their friends and family coping?
Sensemaker Audio
Israel’s prime minister has said its military will “eliminate the enemy above the ground and beneath the ground”. What do we know about the network of tunnels beneath Gaza?
Sensemaker Audio
Humza Yousaf fears for the safety of his wife’s parents, her brother and his children, as they shelter in Gaza with no food, water, or electricity. What does their story tell us about the situation there and the efforts to get people out?
Sensemaker Audio
It’s thought that Hamas gunmen took at least 222 hostages into the Gaza Strip. Who is trying to free them?
thinkin
How do you negotiate with China? 25 years after one of the most pivotal moments in British-Chinese relations, we speak to Lord Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong. Between 1992 and 1997, Patten kept a diary describing in detail how Hong Kong was run as a British colony, what happened as the handover approached, and his efforts to secure political freedom for Hong Kong’s institutions. Unexpectedly, his opponents included not only the Chinese themselves, but some British businessmen and civil service mandarins upset by Patten’s efforts, for whom political freedom and the rule of law in Hong Kong seemed less important than keeping on the right side of Beijing. With unprecedented insights into negotiating with the Chinese, we’ll discuss Hong Kong, the handover and what has happened since. Join us for a ThinkIn with Lord Patten’s powerful assessment of recent events and his reflections on how to deal with China — then and now. editor and invited experts James HardingCo-Founder and Editor Lord Chris PattenGovernor of Hong Kong, 1992-1997
thinkin
The Commonwealth of Nations is home to 2.6 billion people and comprises 54 member states, most (but not all) with links to the former British Empire. The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth for more than seven decades, and Prince Charles has been agreed, in principle at least, as her successor. But as the UK considers the next chapter of the monarchy, would the Commonwealth be better off without the UK in it? Only 9% of UK trade is with the Commonwealth – despite all the talk of it being a major trading opportunity post-Brexit. With our greater understanding of the long-term impact of colonialism, is our continued involvement in the Commonwealth just an attempt to paper over the cracks caused by Britain’s imperial past, or do we still have a responsibility to be involved? editor and invited experts Jeevan VasagarClimate Editor Dr Sue OnslowDirector & Reader in Commonwealth History, Institute of Commonwealth Studies Kojo KoramLecturer at the School of Law at Birkbeck College, University of London Lord HowellFormer President of the Royal Commonwealth Society; Chairman of the Council of Commonwealth Societies
thinkin
Despite the UK’s commitments to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), last year the Johnson government announced that Britain will to grow its nuclear capability by up to 40%, equivalent to 260 warheads, citing risks from nuclear-armed states, emerging nuclear states and state-sponsored nuclear terrorism. The argument being that a nuclear deterrent is needed to guarantee the UK’s security and that of its allies.Opponents say that nuclear powers like the UK should use their influence to strengthen international arms control agreements and reduce – not increase – the number of nuclear weapons in existence. Do these steps by Johnson undermine the NPT?Renewing Trident will cost an eye-watering £130billion. Is it worth it? Can we afford it? Or is it the cost of maintaining peace in an uncertain world? editor and invited experts Giles WhittellSensemaker Editor Dr Andrew CorbettFormer Trident Captain and Author of ‘Supreme Emergency: How Britain Lives with the Bomb’ Dr Hassan ElbahtimyDirector, Centre for Science and Security Studies (CSSS) Dr Rebecca Eleanor JohnsonAcronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
thinkin
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the ongoing effects of the global pandemic have shaken the world in the past two years like nobody could have predicted. Ramifications in the form of food shortages, inflation and mass displacement are increasing in severity — the UN recently announced that the number of displaced people has passed 100 million for the first time. How have such catastrophic events been handled, and what led us to them in the first place? Governments and organisations are responding collectively to support refugees, with resettlement and sponsorship schemes, for example. Simultaneously, the UK Government’s partnership with Rwanda is soon to launch. How does the way we respond to protracted human crises reflect society, and what does this mean for the global order?Join us for a ThinkIn with one of the most respected voices in global governance today, Rory Stewart, and award-winning journalist Helen Benedict, where we’ll discuss leadership, responsibility and empathy in an era of geopolitical turbulence. editor and invited experts James HardingCo-Founder and Editor Helen BenedictAward-winning Journalist and Author of ‘Map of Hope and Sorrow’ Rory StewartFormer Minister of State, Department for International Development
thinkin
This is a digital-only ThinkIn. When Ray Dalio makes predictions, the worlds of politics, finance and industry listen. As the founder of Bridgewater Associates, Ray is the genius behind the largest and best-performing hedge fund in the world and he’s recognised by Time and Bloomberg as one of the most influential people alive today. He foresaw the collapse of the banking system in 2008, and he accurately called the financial fallout in the U.S economy caused by the pandemic. In his latest book, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, Ray examines history’s most turbulent economic and political periods to reveal why the times ahead will be radically different from those we’ve experienced in our lifetimes. Where does he stand on crypto? Could the US end up at war with China? What should we be worried about? Is disaster really on the horizon, and how should we prepare for it? Find out all the answers to these questions and more, by joining us for a ThinkIn with one of the world’s leading financial thinkers. editor James Harding Co-founder and Editor
Sensemaker
Seoul is arming Europe in the face of Russian aggression, and deterring China from trying something similar.
Sensemaker
A seismic power shift is underway in the Sahara, as France retreats out of a region it has dominated for over a century and Niger’s coup raises questions about Europe’s energy supplies.
Sensemaker
Sensemaker
Sensemaker
It marks a new low for democracy in a region where decades of French influence is now increasingly resented
Sensemaker
The US ambassador has accused South Africa of supplying arms to Russia. What game is Pretoria playing?
Sensemaker
Democracy is on the line in Turkey’s looming election. If Erdoğan wins again, young Turks fear they may never vote again.
A de facto ban on women in the UN’s Afghanistan offices is now in force
Net Zero Sensemaker
The world is falling short of climate goals. Is that because countries are trying to do too much?