The Briefing Room

What do we really know about Russian 'meddling' in Western democracy?David Aaronovitch asks experts on Russia what the Kremlin is trying to achieve by hacking emails and spreading fake news. Guests include the Gordon Corera, the BBC's Security Correspondent, Kimberly Marten, Director of the Program on U.S.-Russia Relations at Columbia University, Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist and Anna Nemtsova, Moscow correspondent for The Daily Beast.

The different factions piling Brexit pressure on Theresa May. Following the failure to reach a deal on the first stage of Brexit earlier this week, David Aaronovitch asks experts why Theresa May seems to have fallen foul of her own side. He'll examine the Brexit demands of different groups in Westminster, Brussels, Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin and ask which of them has the most influence.Joining the discussion are:Katy Balls, Political Correspondent for The SpectatorAdam Fleming, BBC Brussels CorrespondentMark Devenport, BBC Northern Ireland Political EditorSarah Smith, BBC Scotland Editor

Can Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince radically change the kingdom? Mohammed bin Salman is an ambitious new leader who wants to reshape his country's politics, economy and society. But he faces strong opposition both at home and abroad. David Aaronovitch examines his plans and asks whether they'll work. Joining the discussion this week:Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent for The Economist and author of 'Holy Lands, A New Muslim Order'Rasha Qandeel, presenter of BBC Arabic NewsnightSafa al-Ahmad, an award-winning Saudi Arabian journalist .

Drug resistant infections cause 700,000 deaths a year and it's estimated that could rise to 10 million by 2050 unless major action is taken.David Aaronovitch asks how can an antibiotic crisis can be averted?Joining him in The Briefing Room are: Clare Wilson, medical reporter with The New ScientistLaura Piddock, professor of microbiology at Birmingham UniversityJeremy Knox, head of policy on drug-resistant infections at health charity The Wellcome Trust

President Xi Jinping is said to be China's most powerful leader since Chairman Mao Zedong - so what does he want to do with this power?The Chinese Communist Party started its congress this week, held every five years, unveiling a new generation of political leaders. It is also expected that President Xi Jinping will be accorded the rare honour of seeing his own doctrine - Xi Jinping Thought - being enshrined in China's constitution. Where will that Thought take him and his huge, strategically essential country - and how might this affect the rest of the world? Joining David Aaronovitch in The Briefing Room are:Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and president of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI)Yanmei Xie, a writer on Chinese politicsLord Jim O'Neill, former UK Treasury Minister and chairman of Goldman Sachs

Is capitalism broken, and if so, what should replace it? David Aaronovitch examines whether the free market is failing, and asks how it could be reformed. He speaks to a range of experts and leading economists including:Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal StudiesGillian Tett, US Managing Editor of the Financial TimesHelen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge UniversityMichael Jacobs, co-editor of Rethinking Capitalism.

Could the crisis over Catalonia lead to the break up of Spain? With political rhetoric from both Barcelona and Madrid intensifying, David Aaronovitch asks a range of experts whether an independent Catalan state is now a possibility. He examines what lies behind the Catalan desire for independence and the impact that a split could have on Spain.Joining David in The Briefing Room:Miguel Murado, a Spanish journalistEduardo Mendoza, one of Spain's best-known authorsDr Rebecca Richards, statehood expert and Professor of International Relations at Keele University.

Are big technology companies out of control, as their rapid growth and influence has made them too big to fail? David Aaronovitch asks if companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon can be reined in and explores a range of issues including innovation, data, privacy, competition and security. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said his company will hand over to US investigators more than 3,000 advertisements bought by groups with links to Russia – and the Washington Post reported that President Obama had previously warned Mr Zuckerberg about the threat of fake news and political disinformation. On this side of the Atlantic, another tech company - Uber – is now in big trouble with Transport For London over its license to operate in the capital, claiming the company was not “fit and proper”, citing major concerns about its approach to reporting criminal offences and carrying out background checks on drivers.Both cases, and a plethora of others, have raised questions about the way big technology firms operate, and while they arguably bring immeasurable benefits to us in our everyday lives, governments have struggled to keep up with what they’re up to. CONTRIBUTORSJamie Bartlett, technology writer and author of Radicals: Outsiders Changing the WorldJonathan Taplin, author of Move Fast and Break ThingsEileen Burbidge, Chair of Tech City UKRana Foroohar, Financial Times columnist and author of Makers and Takers

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, says she wants to know why 400,000 Muslim Rohingyas have fled into Bangladesh. The UN says what's going on seems "a textbook case of ethnic cleansing". But why are the Rohingyas facing persecution in the first place and why aren't regional powers in Southeast Asia willing to do more to condemn it and stop it? And ultimately, could this violence develop into something bigger and more dangerous? To discuss these issues David Aaronovitch is joined by expert guests including:Professor Penny Green, Director of the International State Crime InitiativeRichard Horsey, a Myanmar Analyst who advises the International Crisis GroupDr Champa Patel, Head of Asia Programme at Chatham HouseDr Lee Jones from Queen Mary University.

The public sector pay cap is being scrapped after five years - what will it mean for public finances?Prison and police officers will be the first to benefit, but unions have condemned the pay rises - which are less than inflation - as "pathetic". But could this extra money in the pocket of public servants help recruitment and retention in the public sector?To explore these issues David Aaronovitch is joined by expert guests including:Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal StudiesDr Amy Ludlow, a prisons expert at Cambridge UniversitySir Peter Fahy, former Chief Constable of Greater Manchester PoliceJerry Cope, Chair of the NHS Pay Review Body.