The Agenda Podcast

Send a text The 25th Winter Olympics are now well under way in the Italian alps. By the time the games close, 2,800 athletes representing more than 90 Olympic Committees will have competed across 116 events in 16 disciplines.   And for the very first time events are taking place at two host cities - Milan and Cortina - in a bid to make this a truly sustainable gathering. But with climate change at...

Send a text The ongoing geopolitical turmoil aside, the rise of artificial intelligence once again dominated the conversation at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos.  Almost daily now we hear stories of how AI will change our lives and many new tech companies came here to the Swiss Alps to share their innovations with the world.  So what emerged from this year’s gathering? And what...

Send a text Keir Starmer has now become the first British Prime Minister to visit China in eight years. He met both President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang, calling China “a vital player on a global scale” with whom the UK was seeking “a more sophisticated relationship”.   For his part, President Xi called on China & the UK to jointly advocate and practice “true multilateralism”.  But what d...

Send a text This week’s Agenda comes from the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global leaders, business titans and big thinkers have gathered under the theme “A sprit of dialogue”.  But conversations were in danger of being overshadowed by Donald Trump’s military and tariff threats over Greenland, remarks the US President later rowed back on after touching down in the Swiss Alps.  Attention ha...

Send a text For more than half a century, Silicon Valley has been the epicentre of global technology. More recently, the rise of China has certainly begun to challenge that dominance.  So how is the tech battle likely to play out? And are there other countries out there ready to become key global players? In this edition of The Agenda, Juliet Mann is joined by Tech Expert and author of "The N...

Send a text Australia has now become the first country in the world to ban anyone under the age of 16 from using social media. Young people can now no longer set up new accounts on services including Tiktok, X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and Threads, and all existing profiles must be deactivated, But the youth of Australia aren't taking the ban lightly - with two teenagers heading...

Send a text As we come to the end of the first year of Donald Trump's second Presidency, a shift is underway in the United States.   Political and demographic changes across the country have seen a new generation of leaders stepping forward and a different approach to multilateralism.   But what does it all really mean for America and its relations with the rest of the world? Joining Juliet M...

Send a text The UK economy has been in the spotlight recently as Finance Minister - or Chancellor of the Exchequer as she's known in Britain - Rachel Reeves delivered the annual budget. With her Labour party languishing in the polls in spite of their landslide election victory 18 months ago, sluggish growth and a real cost of living crisis, the pressure was really on.  And not everyone is hap...

Send a text As artificial intelligence spreads into almost every aspect of our lives concerns over its regulation are becoming increasingly acute.  The EU recently signalled a potential delay to key enforcement deadlines of its landmark AI Act, which many see as a victory for tech giants in the battle for stricter regulation. So where is the world of AI and its regulation heading?  On this edition...

Send a text Global leaders, climate experts and NGOs are now in the city of Belem, Brazil ready for the negotiatons to begin at COP30. They are gathering at the place known as the gateway to the Amazon amidst a rather depressing backdrop -with the latest figures showing global temperatures still rising and climate targets missed by almost everyone.   So what can we expect from this COP? And have w...

Send a text China has now set out its plans for the next 5 years. The blueprint for development from 2026-2030 covers guiding principles for economic and social development -  everything from new technology to agricultural advancement, job creation to high-quality growth.  So what does this all actually  mean for China? And indeed the rest of the world? On this special edition of The Agenda, Julie...

Send a text While China discussed the details of its next five year plan in Beijing – this week Juliet Mann went to Nicosia where an incredible mix of politicians, academics and broadcast experts gathered for the China-Cyprus-Europe Media Forum – an event designed to consider how increasing media exchanges and cooperation can shape a better future for relations between China and Cyprus, and indeed...

Send a text The United Nations is now celebrating its 80th anniversary. Set up in the wake of the Second World War, it was designed to maintain peace across the globe, fostering friendly relations between nations. But eight decades on, with the world a markedly different place, what does the organization need to do to maintain its position at the heart of 21st century geopolitics? In this editon o...

Send a text Despite Donald Trump’s claim that “Europe is in serious trouble” over illegal immigration, UN data shows arrivals have actually fallen sharply. Yet migration remains one of Europe’s most divisive issues, shaping politics, fuelling populism, and driving tough new border policies.    On this edition of The Agenda, Juliet Mann explores whether Europe’s approach to migration is working and...

Send a text The rise of AI is set to send the semiconductor industry skyrocketing to a value of over $1 trillion by 2030. But as the market expands, so too does the battle for global control.  So who's really leading the way? Just where do chips fit in to the current global trade tensions? And is the race to sign up a new generation of tech talent the next vital battleground?   On this editio...

Send a text As populations age and birth rates fall, the so-called silver economy is becoming one of the biggest forces shaping our future.   On this edition of The Agenda, Juliet Mann asks whether longer lives will bankrupt the global economy or spark a new era of growth. From Europe’s pension protests to China’s booming elder-care market, retirement no longer looks the way it used to and governm...

Send a text New UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle has had to hit the ground running. Just days after being promoted to the job he was off on a whistle-stop tour to Washington, and then to Beijing, where he helped to reboot the UK-China Economic and Trade Commission (Jetco) - which hadn’t met in seven years.  But what does this really say about the state of the UK’s trade relationships? And where ar...

Send a text The eyes of the world have been firmly focused on China, as leaders from across the globe gathered for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting in Tianjin, and then moved on to Beijing for a huge military parade to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War. So what have we learned from last week's events? And what might President Xi Jinping's Global Governance...

Send a text 80 years after the end of the Second World War, the roles of the UK, US and the then Soviet Union are rightfully celebrated. But the crucial role played by China in the conflict is too often forgotten. So in this special programme, Jamie Owen talks to a panel of experts to consider just why that is, and also to see whether the lessons learned and institutions founded 80 years ago remai...

Send a text 2025 marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War. After eight decades, the exploits of the UK, US and then Soviet Union are justly well remembered.  But the role of China, remains largely overlooked in the West.  On this episode of The Agenda, we find out why China’s pivotal role has often been dismissed with world-renowned historian Rana Mitter. 

Send a text This week marks the final stages of the latest Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. And with a prize pot of more than $70 million, it’s becoming very big business. The global market is projected to surge from $2.09 billion in 2024 to about $9.54 billion by 2034. The biggest market? China. So what’s driving this growth and just how big could this latest tale of sporting success re...

Send a text 2025 is once again predicted to be one of the hottest years on record. Climate change has seen high temperatures, drought conditions and forest fires flaring up across the globe. Elsewhere flash floods and huge storms are destroying the landscape.  So as countries like the United States roll back on environmental laws - who's now taking charge of the fight to save the planet? And...

Send a text It's been a busy few weeks for global trade negotiations. After Donald Trump made a deal with EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen, US trade negotiators met their Chinese Counterparts in Stockholm - the third such meeting in as many months. There have also been US trade deals or ongoing negotiations with the likes of Japan and South Korea and India.   So, six months after Trump stepped b...

Send a text As the film world gears up for a summer box office bonanza - just where do things really stand in global cinema? Hollywood still has yet to return to pre-COVID levels of production and ticket sales, and it’s looking very much like the biggest hit of the year may be an animated sequel, but it’s one made in China - Ne Zha 2 .  On this episode of The Agenda. Juliet Mann is joined by Charl...

Send a text The recent BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro was the 17th annual gathering of the organisation. But it was the first since 13 new partner countries joined up - including Malaysia, Indonesia and Turkey, and matters were largely overshadowed by Donlad Trump's threat on the last day of the meeting to impose a further 10% in tariffs on BRICS members for what he called "anti-American...