These Times

Explore the history of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, including conflicts and power dynamics. Learn about changing dynamics in the region, China's rise, and America's energy independence. Discover the shifting relationships in the Middle East and the dilemma for American presidents. Uncover the United States' pivot to Asia and its impact on the Middle East. Discuss the potential consequences of military action and the European powers' role.

Tom McTague and HelenH Helen Thompson look back at the major events that took place in 2023, from Ukraine's stalled counter-offensive and the Israel Hamas War, and ask what they mean for the year ahead... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this Christmas Special, Tom and Helen discuss two of their all time favourite novels that share the same themes of empire, nationalism and loss - Joseph Roth's The Radetzky March (1932) and Giuseppe Tommasi, The Lampedusa's The Leopard (1958). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast explores the rise of populism in European politics, the convergence between center-right and far right, the trajectory of a political party in Germany, and European parties' views on Islam and Ukraine. It also discusses the shifting dynamics in European politics influenced by geopolitical forces and historical events.

Discover why supporting Ukraine is politically difficult in Western countries and the consequences for EU, NATO, and Middle East conflicts. Explore the impact of border questions on politics, Ukraine's place in Europe, and the future scenarios for the war.

Europe's ambition to be carbon dioxide free continent, Europe's goals and divisions at COP conference, China's leadership in the energy transition, wind turbine production challenges in Europe, technology's potential in decarbonization, competition between US, China, and Europe in carbon neutrality, geopolitical implications of regulatory models, exploring European industrial choices and Russia's role in nuclear power

The podcast discusses the sorry state of Britain's economy and explores the challenges of achieving growth. They analyze UK living standards, the government's plan to cut national insurance rates, and the impact of rising interest rates. The concept of 'Nice' no longer applies to the current economy and the podcast explores the possibility of a post-growth world. They also discuss the importance of GDP per capita, stagnant wages, and low productivity growth. The impact of energy importation and demographics on the economy are also examined.

The podcast discusses David Cameron's foreign policy, including his skepticism towards the European Union, involvement in the Brexit referendum, challenges with the Lisbon Treaty, British defense policy, Obama's frustration, consequences of Western intervention, decision-making failures, stances on China and Israel, and overall impact of his foreign policy decisions.

This podcast discusses the upcoming U.S election and its potential effects on American policy towards the Middle East, Ukraine, and China. The topics covered include Obama's foreign policy shift towards China, the Biden administration's approach, the role of the Middle East in Trump and Biden's administrations, the US-China tech war, Iran and Israel, Ukraine policy, and potential foreign policy challenges for President Biden.

This podcast explores the history of Britain's relationship with the Israel-Palestine question, including the Balfour Declaration, Britain's withdrawal from Israel-Palestine, the government's changing stance on the conflict, and their role in the aftermath of Israel's creation. It also discusses the shift in the British government's relationship with Israel during the Yom Kippur War and the geopolitical dilemmas faced by Britain in aligning with America.