The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Wagner Group leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, appears to have been killed in a fatal plane crash. Just two months ago, Prigozhin was seen as a contender to Putin’s empire. What next for his forces, his legacy and the future of Russia?  Chris Jones is joined in the Bunker by Dr Ian Garner, analyst of Russian culture and war propaganda to cut through the smoke and mirrors to try and work out just what has...

The race to become the leading GOP candidate has officially kicked off….or has it? Inmate P01135809, better known as Donald Trump, is already way ahead in the polls and he wasn’t even there. Instead, he opted for a half-arsed interview with Tucker Carlson hosted on Twitter. So does anything that was said during the debate matter? What were the main takeaways? And why does finishing second matter s...

This week on Bunker Global: Qur’an burnings have pushed Sweden’s terror threat to ‘high’, and we bring you the latest of Prigozhin’s plane crash. Plus, Justin Trudeau is taking on Meta and Britain owes £18 trillion in reparations for their role in the slave trade.  Laura Makin-Isherwood is joined in The Bunker by Dipo Faloyin , senior editor of Global news at Vice and author of Africa is not a Cou...

China has big global plans – from large infrastructure projects to new economic zones across the globe. How are they funding these projects? Dipo Faloyin is joined by Zongyuan Zoe Liu, author of Sovereign Funds: How the Communist Party of China Finances Its Global Ambitions to follow the money behind China’s infrastructure plans and to find out what the West gets wrong.  “China’s economic success...

If you look at the data, this government has been dreadful. But take a closer look and there’s still a chance they might turn the polls on its head. Thankfully, that chance is tiny, but it’s still a chance nonetheless. Ben Walker is a journalist for the New Statesman and has analysed the numbers to work out the reality of a Tory turnaround. He joins Marie Le Conte in The Bunker.  “There’s been ele...

Over 1.5k Russian people and entities have been sanctioned by the UK over its illegal invasion of Ukraine. A year on, are they actually working? And could there be more to come? Mark Harrison is Em eritus Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick . He joins Alex Andreou in The Bunker. “Historically the difficulty of sanctions has been that the prediction of the impact of them are always...

The Lionesses didn’t manage to win the women’s world cup. Were our heads of state right not to attend? Lucy Letby has been charged with murder, how will she be sentenced? Plus, with Hurricane Hilary in the Los Angeles and wild fires in Canada, who are the tourists photographing this extreme weather? We also have an update on Donald Trump’s candidacy, the latest from the violent election in Ecuador...

Creaky pub signs, animal skulls, and empty church yards. The British countryside can be a scary place, but what does the popularity of ‘folk horror’ tell us about our politics? Writer Jude Rogers is joined by John Doran, co-founder of music website The Quietus and presenter of BBC Radio 4 New Weird Britain series, to explore the effects of films like The Wicker Man on our national psyche and what...

In August 2017, deadly violence broke out between white supremacists and counter protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia. The White supremacists claimed they were there to protest the removal of a confederate monument. But was there more to it? Was this actually a carefully orchestrated media event created by the alt right to gain more attention from the press? Aniko Bodroghkozy is professor of me...

This week on Bunker Global: A roundup of the latest on Trump’s impeachment, as the catastrophic wildfires swept across Maui. Plus, we look into the death of two Ecuadorian politicians, and finally – who is the leather jacket wearing maverick storming Argentina’s presidential elections?  Laura Makin-Isherwood , formerly London bureau chief of Feature Story News , and Dillon Ancheta , a Maui-based j...

China’s home ownership bubble is less bursting and more deflating. As property company Evergrande announces $81bn of debt, why is this crisis slipping under the radar? Giving you the latest on this emerging economic disaster, Alex Andreou is joined by Cindy Yu , host of acclaimed podcast Chinese Whispers and assistant editor at the Spectator to explore how the economic crisis in China will impact...

Ozempic is all over social media. You’ve probably seen dramatic before and after pictures of influencers showing off their weight loss. Even Elon Musk claims to be using it. But is it all it’s cracked up to be? Bobby Friction is joined by Dr. Robert Kushner, one of the scientists who led research into the safety of the so-called ‘miracle’ drug. to find out if this drug is the answer to the obesity...

There have been yet more controversial appointments to the House of Lords. Is it fit for purpose? How can we fix it? Ros Taylor is joined by Darren Hughe s, chief executive of Electoral Reform Society , to explore how the House of Lords has gone wrong and what we can do about it.  “There haven’t been a willing set of retirements from the House of Lords.” “Who regulates the regulators?” “Don’t forg...

The Bibby Stockholm plan has been beset by legionella. Who could have seen this coming? The Tories want us to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, why are they obsessed with chaos? Plus, this week is ‘health week’. Given that doctors are on strike, what could possibly go wrong? We also have an update on wildfires in Maui, the latest from Niger’s military coup, and the stories you may hav...

The rise of vapes and ever-increasing cigarette regulations are a big threat to Big Tobacco. What new methods have they dreamed up to keep us smoking? Dr. Kasia Tomasiewicz is joined by tobacco industry expert Robert Branston, associate professor in business economics at the University of Bath, to explore how Big Tobacco is still raking in huge profits. “Tobacco is a product like no other legal pr...

The US Supreme Court has a huge power grip over America. And, thanks to Trump, it’s now more politicised than ever. So how has that impacted real life? Brian Klaas is associate professor in global politics at UCL and argues the court is “...a politicised institution masquerading as an impartial one”. He joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker to discuss if it can be fixed.   Brian’s piece: https://www...

This week on Bunker Global: The coup in Niger rolls on , as US envoys hold talks with the junta. And, a plot to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy was foiled earlier this week. What happened? Plus the confusion about the Thai elections rage on . Could a coalition be formed? Andrew Harrison talks to Vice News senior Editor Dipo Faloyin and  Vox journalist Ellen Ionas to answer all those q...

QAnon began as a niche conspiracy theory. How did it become a movement for self-radicalisation? How have its dangerous ideas infiltrated society? Rafael Behr is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James Ball, author of The Other Pandemic How QAnon Contaminated the World , to explore how the dark corners of the internet have serious implications for mainstream politics.   “Lots of QAnon con...

Criminal gangs have gone global. How do they use international networks to increase their power and influence? Far from being underground, criminals now run state-backed organisations and even private armies. Seth Thévoz is joined in The Bunker by investigative reporter for the FT Miles Johnson, author of Chasing Shadows: A true story of drugs, war and the secret world of international crime , to...

Politics has never been so rife with bad behaviour. Labour’s Chris Bryant MP wants to change that. He sets out a plan for a better type of politics in his new book Code of Conduct Why We Need to Fix Parliament – and How to Do It . As Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges, he’s had a unique insight into why MPs think they can get away with misbehaviour and what is at stake if we don’t...

The Government’s plans to house migrants on the Bibby Stockholm barge continues to cause controversy. Why are they going ahead with it? Does Labour have any better ideas? Plus, we have an update on Ukraine, the latest from Donald Trump’s legal scandals, and details on Niger’s military coup. Jacob Jarvis is joined by Doomsday Watch host Arthur Snell to give you the big stories for the week ahead. “...

True crime has never been more popular. Is it uniquely harmful to society, or have we always been fascinated with the macabre? And why does there suddenly seem to be a boom in internet sleuths? Exploring the increasingly blurred lines between those seeking justice and those making internet content, Jude Rogers talks to Tanya Horeck , Professor of Film and Feminist Media Studies and author of Justi...

Are aliens real? That question was brought up again in a high-level Congressional hearing this week. Three former members of the US military brought forward their evidence to prove that extraterrestrial life IS real. But were there stories credible? Or is it all easily explainable coincidences? Dr Kate Devlin, sits down in The Bunker with Mick West , science writer, investigator and MetaBunk found...

Donald Trump has been indicted again. There are 4 charges this time around, including Conspiracy to Defraud the United States. The former President is facing decades in jail and still, he’s the leading GOP candidate in the next election. Sarah Isgur is a senior editor for The Dispatch and host of the Advisory Opinions podcast. She joins Gavin Esler in The Bunker from Washington DC to unpack the la...

This week on Bunker Global: El Salvador’s war on gangs continues as President Bukele introduces mass trials for accused gang members . Plus, we take a closer look at China where President Xi has removed key military figures in charge of nuclear missiles, in an apparent power grab. And, what does Russia’s alleged kidnapping of Ukrainian children mean for Putin’s long term strategy? Laura Makin-Ishe...