Novara Media Podcasts

For decades, the world has run on oil. Then this year, the war on Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz, and a fifth of the world’s oil and gas trade stopped. The result was a scramble to buy solar panels from China. In March alone it shipped 68 gigawatts abroad, nearly three times all the […]

Global public and private reliance on Microsoft’s systems have been thrown into sharp relief as an outage affects economies and institutions the world over. Plus: Iran claims to have destroyed a US radar in Bahrain, Jensen Huang pulls out of Nvidia. With Michael Walker, Barry Malone & Bill Laboon.

Proposals in the upcoming Milburn review could see some under-25s barred from claiming PIP and Universal Credit health benefits. Plus: The IDF are bragging about a so-called “precise strike” on a Gaza hospital which killed at least six people, and millions of people have joined the general strike in Spain. With NoJusticeMTG, Dalia Gebrial & […]

Trita Parsi explains why Trump may walk away from Iran. Plus: New details emerge from the Nvidia spy scandal, and a report shows why AI development may not be slowing down any time soon. With Michael Walker, Richard Hames & Trita Parsi.

David Walliams has been revealed as the celebrity accused of grooming women as young as 15 for “sexual contact” throughout the early 2000s. Plus: Pete Hegseth faces an impeachment vote instigated by his own party, we speak to a member of the Serbian student movement that ousted a President.

Moya and Ash solve your dilemmas, featuring advice for an eager dater who wants to make the first move; the child of a parent who’s voting for Reform; a young man worried about being single forever; a new relationship overshadowed by sex addiction; an ex-couple who argued over money and chores. Send us your dilemmas: […]

Russell Brand has been sentenced to over a decade in prison. We speak to comedian Josie Long about the culture that turned a blind eye to his crimes for so long. Plus: Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, has admitted to an affair with a suspected Chinese intelligence asset, and as Gaza struggles against flooding, a […]

In 2007, Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant of 42 years, accurately foresaw the global financial crisis. Today, in 2026, he believes we are heading for an even greater crash. And if the AI bubble bursting coincides with escalating war in West Asia, and the impacts of climate change turbocharged by El Niño, he warns the […]

In the Mao era, ‘barefoot doctors’ got just a few months of training before being sent out to straighten broken bones and administer vaccines. Now China’s researchers make world-class cancer drugs, cheap surgical robots and cutting edge brain-computer interfaces. Its doctors make AI-powered avatars of themselves to deal with ever more patients. But China is […]

In the wake of the Democrats’ victory in the US midterms, stocks in major tech firms have fallen dramatically. Are Trump-aligned oligarchs beginning to pay the price? Plus: We discuss whether James Talarico’s Christian progressivism could herald a new strategy for the left, and why AIPAC was so desperate to beat Abdul El-Sayed. With Michael […]

Content warning: This episode contains descriptions of sexual assault.  Russell Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Plus: We talk to Labour MP Clive Lewis about his experience being detained by the IDF on a recent visit to the West Bank, we look ahead to who […]

Democrats have taken control of both the senate and the house on a historic night, with many socialist candidates winning resounding victories. Plus: The decision to proscribe Palestine Action has finally reached the supreme court, we bring you a full report from the protests outside. Downstream IRL with Owen Jones Tickets With Michael Walker, Aaron […]

Speculation is growing that Donald Trump could launch a nuclear strike against Iran imminently. Plus: European troops rehearse deployment to Ukraine as talk turns to the possibility of hybrid warfare, and UK job satisfaction is at a record low. With Aaron Bastani, Barry Malone & Eli Clifton. Buy tickets for Downstream IRL with Owen Jones.

Moya has been feeling anxious about her social life and wonders if there’s a better way to make friends – and keep them. Plus: advice for an international special one who feels directionless and disappointed. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

Democrat Haley Stevens has endorsed a Republican candidate over Abdul El-Sayed in the upcoming US midterms. Plus: Former Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay takes to the airwaves to complain about the party’s left flank, Shabana Mahmood announces new immigration rules, and Andy Burnham rules out reparations for slavery. With Michael Walker, Steven Methven, Ryan Grim, […]

You’ve probably heard of Boots Riley’s work – Sorry To Bother You starring LaKeith Stanfield was a surprise hit, and his series I’m A Virgo got picked up by Amazon Prime. But the Oakland-raised rapper-turned-director doesn’t just want you to leave the cinema having had a good time: he wants you to start a revolution. […]

Ever felt like an imposter? Jem, Nadia and Keir offer a weird-left analysis of confidence – from market dynamics and private school to the power of positive thinking – with ideas from Barbara Ehrenreich, Dale Carnegie and Foucault. For the musical version of this episode – featuring Wiley, Dolly Parton and Gloria Gaynor – head to our […]

Through the 1990s and the 2000s, the West told itself a story: let China get rich, and it’ll become like us. But then China got rich – and it become less and less like the West. Kaiser Kuo – host of the Sinica Podcast, former Baidu executive, and founding guitarist of China’s first heavy metal band, Tang […]

We have an exclusive interview with Swedish academic Andreas Malm, the latest victim of the UK Government’s clampdown on freedom of expression. Plus: Burnham claims he had wished for a more radical budget, hopes and fears of a tech stock crash are raised after a rocky week in the markets and we look at the […]

As Healey vows to get “tough” on unemployed young people, we look at what Labour could do to help them instead. Plus: A guide to some of the battles progressives are looking to win in the upcoming US midterms, the Scottish and English MPs blocked from entering the West Bank &Farage’s latest security scare comes […]

We take an in-depth look at John Healey’s first budget as Treasurer. Plus: Polls have closed in Israel, leaving both Netanyahu and the opposition short of an outright majority. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, James Meadway & Dan Levy.

Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić has been defeated by a student movement in a historic election for the country. Plus: Burnham’s pre-budget strategy explained, Iran releases a video preparing its citizens for a nuclear attack, and Kylian Mbappé sparks a diplomatic storm with China.

Ash has a big theory about our growing fear of cringe. How does the internalisation of secondhand embarrassment change our behaviour? Is it possible that to be cringe is to be free? Plus: advice for a listener who’s become scared of sex. Send us your dilemmas: ifispeak@novaramedia.com Music by Matt Huxley.

Lula has shocked the world by snatching election victory from Bolsonaro in Brazil, how did he do it? Plus: After greenlighting work to commence on the Jackdaw oilfield, is the government about to do the same at Rosebank? Finally, a Labour MP admits he doesn’t know the meaning of Zionism, but only after reporting the […]

In Brighton, for a special recording of Downstream IRL, Ash Sarkar sat down with Naomi Klein, and organiser, writer and co-founder of the Debt Collective, Astra Taylor. They gathered to discuss their new book, End Times Fascism: And the Fight for the Living World. An apocalyptic alliance of religious fundamentalists, billionaire Silicon Valley tech kings […]