The Bunker – News without the nonsense

What is life like for Hong Kong activists detained then forced into exile after daring to defy Beijing? Simon Cheng was imprisoned in 2019, and fled to Britain later that year, establishing the expat group Hongkongers in Britain . He talks to Ros Taylor about his brutal experience in detention, his new life and the threat to democracy in his home city. “Increasingly the younger generation in Hong...

We welcome indie-rockin’ winger Pat Nevin (Chelsea, Everton, the Camden Falcon) to talk music and his new book The Accidental Footballer . Plus Wet Leg ’s long-awaited debut album, Marvel’s Egyptological psycho-drama Moon Knight , Oscar-winning deaf family dramady Coda , an erotically-charged Ruth Wilson in True Things AKA 9½ Weeks In Ramsgate… and much, much more.   Hear all the music on our roll...

Jacques Peretti’s mother, Alina , survived World War Two in Poland, Siberia, and finally, Auschwitz. They talk to Siân Pattenden about their book, Little Bird of Auschwitz , coming to terms with how Alina understood the Holocaust as a child, finding the courage to put harrowing memories to paper …and how the investigative journalist learned more about the woman who would never let him call her “Mu...

Loneliness is something we’ve all felt at some point in our lives, particularly throughout COVID. But it can also have great value for society. Philosopher and social human rights expert Professor Kimberley Brownlee guides Ros Taylor through the important questions about being alone. Is solitary confinement an effective form of punishment? Have isolation policies been effective during the pandemic...

 What a difference a week makes. Rishi Sunak’s stock has plummeted dramatically, how far can it fall? We unpick the Chancellor’s sorry Spring Statement. Plus, while COVID cases are rising, free tests are being ditched in England. What could possibly go wrong? And with three-time grand slam champ Ash Barty retiring from tennis, we weigh up the pros and cons of quitting while you’re ahead. “Sunak ha...

As fallout from Rishi Sunak’s Spring Statement boosts tensions in Government, we look at how this might unravel further. And with Zelenskyy suggesting Ukraine could consider Russia’s neutrality demands, is there hope for an end to the war? Plus, rising COVID cases, Prince William’s reflections on his Caribbean tour and a controversial night at the Oscars. Ros Taylor and Alex Andreou look at the we...

Just 9% of all the plastic ever produced on planet Earth has been recycled. So where does the other 91% go? Despite our demand for disposable goods, the UK is hardly a plastic mountain. From litter on the Turkish littoral, to the second-hand textiles that flood Africa’s markets and South America’s deserts, there’s a chasm between where environmental damage is created, and where its impact is most...

This week’s pop culture review: Aldous Harding ’s couture cocoon-pop, bizarre Betamax horror in new movie Broadcast Signal Intrusion, and Sky doc Super Greed charts the fiasco that was the European Super League. Journo, DJ and football fiend Anthony Teasdale helps Siân and Andrew run the VAR van of entertainment.  Hear all the music on our rolling playlists. Spotify : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Tidal...

How can historical fiction be relevant to today’s society but faithful to the facts of the past? Author Laura Shepherd-Robinson joins Nick Cohen to discuss her approach, as she talks us through her novel Daughters of Night, a crime thriller set in the brothels of Georgian London. “When writing my books I choose to focus on issues that still have great resonance today.” “Many MPs declared that thei...

The pandemic and a decade of underfunding has ground courts to a halt in England and Wales. How can this be fixed? Joanna Hardy-Susskind , of Red Lion Chambers, joins Ros Taylor to unpack the issues. As criminal barristers prepare to take industrial action over levels of legal aid funding, they address the implications for those in the legal system, and what the Government needs to be doing. “This...

As a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine is discussed, could Vladimir Putin’s word possibly be trusted? Is his sway both in and outside his nation waning? We look at the chances of an agreement and what one might look like. Plus, we assess economic crises and talk about the prospect of more prescriptive healthcare in a world changed by COVID. Dr. Marc Berenson , senior lecturer at King’s Russia...

With ongoing devastation in Ukraine and a biting cost of living crisis here at home, the outlook remains bleak. The Government remains under ever-increasing scrutiny – is there any indication of positive change, or just hints at political manoeuvres? Will those in need continue to face the brunt of the hardship? Justin Quirk is joined by Naomi Smith to look at the week ahead. “We’re failing refuge...

Whatever you think of him, Nigel Farage has been one of Britain’s most influential politicians. His campaign to take the UK out of the EU went from a fringe viewpoint to government policy, but how did he do it? Political journalist Michael Crick joins Dorian Lynskey to discuss his latest book One Party After Another, which takes a deep dive into the life of one of Britain’s most controversial poli...

Hear all the music on our rolling playlist : https://bit.ly/CultBunk Dr Catherine Anne Davies, AKA Welsh multi-instrumentalist The Anchoress , joins us on the rerelease of The Art of Losing – and for an album whose central theme is loss, there are as many bangers as you can wave a stick at. Plus, death on the installment plan - podcast producer Rob Fitzpatrick talks about series two of Upload on A...

Why is Britain so accommodating to the super-rich? Oliver Bullough , author of Butler to the World talks to Ahir Shah to discuss how our nation came to assist kleptocrats to the extent we see today. As question marks over oligarchs’ riches hit the headlines, we look at how we got here. “There is this deeply ingrained service industry that helps anyone with money do anything.”  “Whoever they are, i...

Cultural organisations are becoming more assertive in boycotting Russia. But how effective are their sanctions? Can these moves compare with economic clampdowns? Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Professor Andrew Bertoli about how sports influences international security, whether sanctions hurt individuals more than states, and whether these actions are really useful for Ukraine.  “The IOC and FIFA hav...

The Government has been bounced into doing more for Ukrainian refugees, but are new plans just shifting responsibility? Plus, we discuss how Russia is trying to win the information war – and dissect the facts from fiction. And finally, we take a look at what’s going on with Spotify, after a major outage and dip in subscribers. Mathilda Mallinson , of the Media Storm podcast and co-founder of Refug...

The horror of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to shock the world. Is more involvement from the West inevitable? What might that look like? Meanwhile, the UK’s position on refugees is shifting, while sanctions have also been bolstered. But is the Government doing enough? Alex Andreou is joined by Gavin Esler to look at the week ahead.  “One stray missile lands in Poland and who knows where w...

Nuclear war is back in people’s minds after Vladimir Putin put Russia’s deterrent on high alert. How real is the threat? And if an atomic conflict did break out, what would it look like? Dr Matthew Harries , Senior Research Fellow in Nuclear Policy at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), joins Ros Taylor to discuss the likelihood of atomic warfare, and what Putin’s threat really means. “Rus...

Our pop culture review: Dancefloor existentialists Electribe 101 , Microdisney mastermind returns with Telefís , Netflix comedy sci-fi The Adam Project and more with guest Grant Nicholas of Feeder . Journalist and author of Leaving the Building : The Lucrative Afterlife of Music Estates Eamonn Forde joins Grant of skate-surf rock-punk survivors Feeder to discuss a great lost album of British dance...

We often hear that laughter is the best medicine . But healthcare providers in Bristol have taken the message seriously and are now prescribing comedy courses to help people recover from PTSD. It’s just one case of “social prescribing” that’s sweeping throughout practices across the country. Jelena Sofronijevic talks to Professor Gurch Randhawa and former service user Debs Teale about what constit...

Western coverage of the bloody civil war in Syria might indicate that the conflict is over. But in the northwest, rebels are still fighting back against Bashar al-Assad, and the war crimes against civilians committed by his deadly regime. Ammar al Selmo is a member of the White Helmets. He dials in from northwest Syria to tell Arthur Snell about the organisation’s humanitarian efforts, how working...

Among Putin’s missteps has been underestimating the support Ukraine would muster. Why is he losing the information war? Meanwhile, Russia faces a raft of sanctions from the West. We analyse the wider impact of those actions, and the moves taken by our Government. Gulnaz Sharafutdinova , of King’s Russia Institute, and Tatton Spiller , the founder of Simple Politics, are this week’s guests.  “Zelen...

Harrowing scenes of families fleeing Ukraine have seen the Government pressured to do more for them. Will it? As Russia’s bombardment persists, it emerged the UK had only issued 50 visas to refugees escaping the invasion. Home Secretary Priti Patel has faced pointed criticism – are there any excuses? Will new proposals be enough? Alex Andreou is joined by Yasmeen Serhan to look at the week ahead. ...

Imagine an app able to dictate social media trends at the click of a button. Digital researcher Ayushman Kaul talks to Alex Andreou about ‘Tek Fog’ – software he reports can do exactly that. They discuss corrosive impacts already seen in India, tracked in a nearly two-year long investigation for The Wire , and worrying implications for democracies the world over.  “Operators who use this app can m...