On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Freddy Gray delves into how a smooth-talking Democrat could win the Michigan mid-terms; Michael Simmons explores where the billionaires who leave Britain actually go; Elisabeth Braw explains how we will soon be in a battle for the sea bed; and Angus Colwell reflects on the food on offer at Reform conference.

Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

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In this episode of Americano, Freddie Gray speaks with Dr. Edward Howell, an Oxford University lecturer in international relations, about the high-stakes summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, examining Beijing’s strategic desire for global parity, its covert role in enabling an anti-Western alignment alongside Russia, Iran, and North Korea, and the escalating geopolitical tensions surrounding Taiwan, trade, and economic coercion.

Get 'A New Axis of Upheaval: North Korea, Russia, China, Iran' here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Axis-Upheaval-North-Russia/dp/1805266764

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Ahead of Labour Party conference, Tim Shipman is joined by former shadow cabinet minister Jonathan Ashworth to discuss the mood inside the party, Andy Burnham’s growing authority and whether he could be tempted to call an early general election. They also consider the pressures facing Burnham on tax, welfare, Europe and the North Sea – and why, sooner or later, he will have to start making enemies.

Produced by Oscar Edmondson.

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For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s deputy editor Freddy Gray, commissioning editor Lara Brown and deputy political editor James Heale.

This week: will Andy Burnham call an early general election? Tim Shipman’s cover asks whether the Prime Minister might go to the polls sooner than 2029, as Labour faces a worsening fiscal situation and an increasingly difficult choice over tax and spending. With the government’s budget looming, does Burnham need a fresh mandate – or is an election simply too risky? And with Reform and the Conservatives competing for voters on the right, could an early contest catch his opponents off guard?

Also: the coming AI backlash. James writes about the Prime Minister's cautious approach to artificial intelligence and asks whether the government can afford to hedge its bets as the technology transforms the economy. With Britain facing high energy costs and limited computing capacity, can the UK really compete in the AI race?

Across the Atlantic, Freddy looks at Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan whose campaign has attracted attention for its combination of progressive politics, online influence and an emphasis on masculinity and fitness. Could candidates like El-Sayed tell us something about where the American left is heading? And as politicians increasingly turn themselves into social-media personalities, is this more important than traditional party structures?

Plus: would you make a good professional mourners? We explore the strange world of people paid to attend funerals.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons & Abigail Brierley.

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In this week’s Book Club podcast, Sam Leith is joined by philosopher John Sellars to discuss his new book, Stoicism Is Not What You Think.

Sellars explores the ancient philosophy of Stoicism and challenges some of its most common misconceptions – from the idea that Stoics repress their emotions to the belief that they are cold, indifferent and detached from the world.

From its origins in ancient Athens to its modern revival online, Sellars explains what the Stoics actually believed and counter Stoicism’s reputation beyond its ‘stiff upper lip’ image.

Sam and John also discuss Marcus Aurelius, the role of women in the history of Stoicism, and the growing body of psychological research asking whether putting Stoic ideas into practice can actually improve our lives.

Produced by Abigail Brierley.

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On this week’s episode of Quite right!: Earl Spencer's new memoir, Swan Song, has drawn a rare direct response from Buckingham Palace. Michael and Maddie weigh up the book's most salacious charges against the King, and ask whether the Earl is driven by money, pride, or something closer to revenge. Is this a serious blow to the monarchy – or do the public just not care what Earl Spencer has to say?

Also: It is the turn of the Lib Dem conference, where a row over women's spaces has overshadowed Ed Davey's attacks on Reform's donors. Can they ever again be the party of John Stuart Mill?

Finally: Lambeth Palace withdraws an award from a Pakistani cleric who had backed an honorary title for Osama bin Laden. What does it say about the Church of England?

Produced by Henry Lloyd.

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Some whistleblowers from the AI industry claim there is a more than 10% chance that artificial intelligence could wipe out humanity within a few years. A group of mostly Labour MPs has written to Andy Burnham calling for action on existential AI risk, while conceding there is little the British government can do about it alone.

Michael Simmons speaks to John Power about the incentives behind the warnings, whether AI can realistically be regulated and why more mundane harms, from AI-written complaints flooding bodies such as IPSO to hackers using chatbots, may deserve more attention. Are the doom-mongers sounding a genuine alarm – or selling the most powerful product ever built?

This episode is brought to you by Artemis Fund Managers, for more information on our fund range please click here https://www.artemisfunds.com/

Produced by Henry Lloyd

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On this week’s Spectator Out Loud: Tim Shipman delves into the impact Ed Miliband’s Israeli sanctions have had on UK security; Charles Steel explores the men on the spectrum who rule the world; Alex Diggins talks about the importance of physical maps; and Rachel Johnson admits there’s an art to buying birthday presents. 

Produced and presented by Abigail Brierley.

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Pakistani Christians could face renewed persecution following the Archbishop of Canterbury’s decision to withdraw an honour to a leading Muslim cleric, Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali warns in this episode of Holy Smoke.

The former Bishop of Rochester speaks to Damian Thompson following the news that Lambeth Palace has had to withdraw an award to Hafiz Ashrafi after previous comments by the Imam came to light. Following the ‘Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation' award being presented, it came to light that Ashrafi had praised Osama bin Laden in 2007, saying he would give the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks the title Saifullah – or 'Sword of God’ – for ’serving Muslims by waging jihad against infidels’. 

The question remains ‘why there was not due diligence’ Msgr Nazir-Ali tells Damian, saying Pakistani Christian leaders fear a backlash. The ‘reactionary action on the part of extremists’ should have been thought about before making the announcement, Nazir-Ali said, as he criticised Lambeth Palace. Msgr Nazir-Ali, now a priest of the Catholic Ordinariate and who was born in Pakistan, is a world renowned authority on Islam's relations with Christianity. He talks to Damian about the debacle over the award, and warns against the increasing secularisation and desecration of British churches.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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is episode of Americano, Freddy Gray speaks with Steve Bannon – former White House chief strategist for Donald Trump - about the ideological convergence between national populists and progressive Leftists as they confront the existential risks of unbridled AI, the suppression of internal whistleblower warnings by Silicon Valley elites, and the urgent necessity of cutting off Chinese access to Western microchips and capital.

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For this week’s Edition, William Moore is joined by the Spectator’s associate editor and director of the Free Speech Union Toby Young, journalist and author Esther Walker, and Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens.

This week: the men on the spectrum who rule the world. Charles Steel writes in the magazine about the wealthy, obsessive and often unconventional figures who increasingly shape politics and technology – from Elon Musk to the crypto billionaire Ben Delo. Is autism a useful way of understanding these men or has society become too obsessed with diagnosing people? Toby argues that traits such as hyper-focus and an indifference to what others think can be an advantage in competitive professions, while Peter dismisses our enthusiasm for putting people on ‘spectrums’ altogether. And, as tech leaders issue increasingly apocalyptic warnings about artificial intelligence, should we take them seriously or be suspicious of calls for greater regulation?

Also: should parents really be worried about the ‘manosphere’? Esther argues that the moral panic surrounding online influencers such as Andrew Tate is already out of date. Teenage boys, she says, are perfectly capable of recognising when misogyny is being used as a business model – and many are more interested in mocking influencers than following them. But with ‘looksmaxxing’, bodybuilding and increasingly extreme attempts at self-improvement taking off online, are boys becoming more like the teenage girls of previous generations?

Plus: Peter reveals why he has fallen out of love with America – and in love with Canada, while Toby marks 35 years since the launch of the Modern Review.

Produced by Patrick Gibbons.

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