Academy of Ideas

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Jacob Reynolds and Hilary Salt to discuss France's semi-final victory over Belgium, England's prospects in their semi-final against Croatia, and the use of football to make political points, from the importance of diversity to rediscovering national pride amid the Brexit negotiations.

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Geoff Kidder, Rob Lyons and Jacob Reynolds to discuss England's prospects in the quarter-final against Sweden, the pick of the last-16 games, who might progress to the semi-finals and the reaction to England's win over Colombia. [Apologies for the sound of birds tweeting in the background - it's keep-the-windows-open weather!]

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Alastair Donald, Geoff Kidder and Rob Lyons to discuss the latest from Russia 2018. What do the team think about England's dull defeat to Belgium? Have England landed themselves an easier path to the final? Is it right to celebrate Germany's exit? Which are the standout games in the round of 16? And were FIFA right to criticise both players and supporters for 'political' gestures and chants?

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by David Bowden and Geoff Kidder to look back on the first week of World Cup 2018. Has it been a success so far? Which teams have made a good impression - and which of the big teams need to be worried? How have England done so far and what has been the mood in the country as we enjoy wall-to-wall football?

Adam Rawcliffe is joined by Geoff Kidder and Rob Lyons to discuss the fallout from the sacking of Spain's manager, their picks for who might win the tournament, the arguments over Russia hosting the World Cup and whether England can defy expectations and do well.

To mark the publication of his new book, 'How Fear Works: Culture of Fear for the 21st Century', we present this interview, conducted in May 2018 for Claire Fox's Love Sport Radio show, Fox News Friday.

On the fiftieth anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act, a panel of pro-choice campaigners from around the world discussed what is at stake in the battle for abortion rights. In many countries, the trend towards extending abortion rights seems to have been reversed. What does it mean to argue for a woman’s right to choose today? Is it right to think of abortion as ‘just like any other medical procedure’, or do wider moral issues arise? Is opposition to abortion rights the same the world over? Is such opposition essentially religious or based on a more universal moral intuition? SPEAKERS ANN FUREDI chief executive, British Pregnancy Advisory Service; author, "The Moral Case for Abortion" KINGA JELINSKA executive director, Women Help Women JON O’BRIEN president, Catholics for Choice AILBHE SMYTH chair, Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment, Ireland

Scientists and doctors have emerged as among the most vociferous critics of Brexit and Trump. The March for Science expressed the concerns of many researchers and clinicians on both sides of the Atlantic about the future of funding and about the movement of researchers and students across national borders. Many were also alarmed at the apparent lack of respect for expertise and evidence in public policy. But whose responsibility should it be to fund scientific research? How can science and medicine best be defended and pursued, in an uncertain world of shifting borders? SPEAKERS DR ELIOT FORSTER CEO, Immunocore; chairman, MedCity DR JOE KAPLINSKY assistant professor, DTU Nanotech; coauthor, Energise! a future for energy innovation DR FIONA MCEWEN postdoctoral researcher, Queen Mary University of London RAFAEL YÁÑEZ-MUÑOZ professor of advanced therapy, Royal Holloway University of London

With the case of Alfie Evans in the news, this Battle of Ideas debate is very pertinent. ORIGINAL INTRODUCTION The tragic case of Charlie Gard, a baby with a terminal congenital illness whose parents refused to accept the decision of medical staff to withdraw life support, highlighted the problems that may arise when there is a breakdown of trust between doctors and parents. The old adage that ‘doctor knows best’ is being challenged not just by patients, but from within the medical profession itself, as paternalism gives way to shared decision-making. But can patients know enough to take responsibility for major decisions about treatment? If doctors relinquish authority, does this impose an undue burden on patients. What is the role of the courts? SPEAKERS DR FRANKIE ANDERSON psychiatry trainee; co-founder, Sheffield Salon SARAH BARCLAY founder and director, The Medical Mediation Foundation RAANAN GILLON emeritus professor of medical ethics, Imperial College London; president, Institute of Medical Ethics PROFESSOR SIR SIMON WESSELY regius chair of psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London; president, Royal Society of Medicine

Only 35 years ago a predominantly peasant economy, China has become the largest trading nation in the world. It is also remarkable that China has relinquished its status as environmental pariah to become a critic of the US president’s rejection of the Paris climate accords. Only recently a communist outsider, China is now a capitalist powerbroker, most notably in dealing with the challenge of North Korea. Can there be a peaceful adjustment of the West’s global domination to accommodate the rise of the new Eastern superpower? Is the demise of the West exaggerated? Is there a serious risk of military conflict? JONATHAN FENBY author, Will China Dominate the 21st Century? managing partner, TS Lombard ALAN HUDSON visiting professor, Shanghai Jiaotong University; director, programmes in leadership and public policy, University of Oxford DR CHUN-YI LEE assistant professor, The School of Politics and International Relations; director, Taiwan Studies Programme DR LINDA YUEH economist, broadcaster and author; adjunct professor of economics, London Business School