The Briefing Room

John Burn-Murdoch, FT data reporter, gives international data context. Lindsay Judge, Resolution Foundation researcher, focuses on policy and who is most at risk. Jack Kennedy, Indeed economist, maps the graduate and entry‑level hiring slump. Xiaowei Xu, IFS economist, explains payroll versus survey trends. They discuss NEET diversity, sector and pay pressures, mental health and education pipelines, and policy gaps in short, sharp strokes.

Ruth Harris, RAND Europe exec focusing on national security and data science. Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor at The Economist. Dr Jack Watling, RUSI expert on modern warfare. General Sir Richard Barrons, Chatham House strategist and co-author of the Strategic Defence Review. They dissect UK force shrinkage, platform and munitions shortfalls, the rise of digital kill webs and autonomy, personnel and industrial constraints, and prospects for European cooperation.

Rosemary Kelanic, director of a Middle East program offering geopolitical context. Bill Farren-Price, gas and oil supply expert from Oxford. Duncan Weldon, economist on macro effects of energy shocks. Ben Chu, analyst on the Strait of Hormuz and energy flows. They discuss why the Strait of Hormuz matters, risks to shipping and infrastructure, how oil and gas disruptions ripple through markets, and what duration of conflict means for the global economy.

Burcu Ozcelik, Middle East security analyst at RUSI, explains military dynamics and insurgent risks. Laurel Rapp, Chatham House US policy director, outlines Washington's shifting goals and messaging. Ali Ansari, Iranian studies scholar, assesses leadership succession and institutional resilience. Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent, explores Israeli strategic aims and possible endgames. They discuss strikes, leadership targeting, proxies and the risk of wider regional fragmentation.

Rebecca Lissner, U.S. foreign policy expert and former national security adviser, Mark Galeotti, Russia scholar and military historian, Dr Jack Watling, land-warfare analyst, and Christopher Miller, on-the-ground FT correspondent. They discuss stalled negotiations over Donbas, drone-dominated warfare and changing battlefield tactics, manpower pressures on both armies, and the severe civilian toll from infrastructure attacks.

Pete Etchells, psychology professor who weighs population evidence and policy trade-offs. Sonia Livingstone, media scholar who maps harms, benefits and rights. Amy Orben, research professor who explains limits of causal evidence. Katy Watson, BBC correspondent who reports on Australia’s age-verification ban and early outcomes. They discuss Australia’s ban, verification and enforcement, research gaps, personalised algorithms, and policy alternatives.

Dr Sanam Vakil, Middle East programme director at Chatham House, offers geopolitical and regime-resilience analysis. Dr Burcu Ozcelik, Middle East security expert at RUSI, focuses on Iran’s security forces and regional fallout. Arash Azizi, Yale writer and lecturer, compares current politics to past protests. Kasra Naji, BBC Persian correspondent, provides on-the-ground reporting of protests and repression. They discuss protest origins, state crackdown, succession risks, and US-Iran dynamics.

Hal Hodson, Americas editor for The Economist, Christopher Sabatini, a Latin America expert at Chatham House, and Vanda Felbab-Brown from the Brookings Institution come together to unravel the chaos in Venezuela. They dive into Maduro's economic mismanagement, the political power shift post-capture, and the implications for the oil industry. The trio critiques the U.S.'s influence and discusses the realities facing everyday Venezuelans as elites thrive. They explore potential paths forward and the geopolitical ramifications for the region.

As both the year and the current series of The Briefing Room draw to a close, Europe and much of the world have been digesting a lengthy document outlining the Trump administration’s view of foreign policy. The National Security Strategy covers much of the globe but extra special vitriol was reserved for Europe with dire warnings that the continent is facing “civilisational erasure” partly due to immigration. At the same time the growing influence of “patriotic European parties” (those on the far right) is welcomed. But there’s more - the US wants to dominate the “Western Hemisphere” - the Americas and countries on its doorstep. It wants more trade with Asia and China, as well as the Middle East. But there are notable absences -there's no talk of a significant threat from either Russia or China. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what all this means and ask how worried we, in Europe, should be about the current US view of the world?Guests: Frank Gardner, BBC Security Correspondent Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist Rebecca Lissner, Senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and lecturer, Jackson School of Global Affair, Yale University. Dr Christoph Heusgen, Former Chairman Munich Security Conference and former German Ambassador to United NationsPresenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight, Cordelia Hemming Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound engineer: Neil Churchill Editor Richard Vadon

In a few days time resident doctors -who used to be known as junior doctors - will go on strike. Just before Christmas and with flu on the rise. This will be the 14th strike by the doctors’ union since March 2023. The ostensible reason is pay but coming up behind it as an issue for younger doctors is the question of their futures- they're very unhappy about their working conditions and their career paths. David Aaronovitch and guests discuss what's going on and ask what the problem is with the way we in Britain train our doctors?Guests: Hugh Pym, BBC Health Editor Sir Andrew Goddard, Consultant Gastroenterologist Professor Martin McKee, Professor of European Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Mark Dayan, Policy Analyst, Nuffield Trust.Presenter: David Aaronovitch Producers: Caroline Bayley, Kirsteen Knight, Cordelia Hemming Production Co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound Engineers: Michael Regaard, Gareth Jones Editor: Richard Vadon