RADIO MR/FLO: Politics

The Trump administration has opened direct talks with Myanmar's military government — the highest-level US contact since the 2021 coup — with scam centres, a detained American, and rare-earth minerals on the agenda. Marcus and Claire on the pragmatic pivot and the criticism it drew.

The Trump administration has opened direct talks with Myanmar's military government — the highest-level US contact since the 2021 coup — with scam centres, a detained American, and rare-earth minerals on the agenda. Marcus and Claire on the pragmatic pivot and the criticism it drew.

The EU and China struck a preliminary deal in Beijing: China caps hybrid car exports at roughly 350,000 in 2027, eases rare-earth export licensing, and cuts tariffs on nearly 4 billion euros of European goods. Marcus and Claire on what Brussels got, what Beijing kept, and the kill-switch debate.

The EU and China struck a preliminary deal in Beijing: China caps hybrid car exports at roughly 350,000 in 2027, eases rare-earth export licensing, and cuts tariffs on nearly 4 billion euros of European goods. Marcus and Claire on what Brussels got, what Beijing kept, and the kill-switch debate.

Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to intervene as Ethiopian troops push toward the border, while Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of an 'all-out invasion' up to 60 kilometers inside Tigray. Marcus and Claire on the dueling letters, the Red Sea port stakes, and the risk of a wider Horn war.

Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to intervene as Ethiopian troops push toward the border, while Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of an 'all-out invasion' up to 60 kilometers inside Tigray. Marcus and Claire on the dueling letters, the Red Sea port stakes, and the risk of a wider Horn war.

Eritrea has asked the UN Security Council to intervene as Ethiopian troops push toward the border, while Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of an 'all-out invasion' up to 60 kilometers inside Tigray. Marcus and Claire on the dueling letters, the Red Sea port stakes, and the risk of a wider Horn war.

The 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganga water-sharing treaty expires on December 12 with no renewal in sight, and Dhaka wants a new deal with a guarantee clause. Marcus and Claire on the Farakka Barrage, the dry-season stakes, and the diplomacy so far.

Germany has opened the first trial over the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage: former Ukrainian officer Serhii K. denies the charges, which include a war crime over civilian property. Marcus and Claire on the Andromeda yacht, the specialty-principle defense, and the geopolitics in the courtroom. All allegations, nothing proven.

Zelensky says Ukraine is willing to freeze the war along the current front line as a first step toward peace talks — explicitly not a final settlement — while Putin has agreed in principle to resume trilateral talks after November 10. Marcus and Claire on the diplomacy, and the fighting that continues meanwhile.

The US and Israel have developed specific plans for a short, intensive operation against Iran after the November 3 midterms, after Trump blocked a bombing campaign planned for the weekend of October 10. Marcus and Claire on the deferred strike, the buildup, and the two elections shaping the timing.

Averaged MRP models project Labour at 290 to 320 seats — short of the 326 needed — yet 53 percent of Britons prefer single-party government and no coalition commands majority support. Marcus and Claire on the hung-parliament arithmetic nobody wants.

Only 44 percent of Britons now see Reform UK as a main party — a 17-point drop in a month — amid donation controversies, a standards probe into Farage, and undercover stings. Marcus and Claire on the scandals, Reform's denials, and the 72-million-pound donor fightback.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told a podcast he had 'the clear answer' that Russia interfered in the 2016 Brexit referendum — while his own government clarified the result was legitimate and interference did not succeed. Marcus and Claire on the claim, the evidence gap, and the reaction.

Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh has approved the Jackdaw gas field while Rosebank's oil decision is still pending — and the moratorium on new exploration is heading into law. Marcus and Claire on the pragmatism-versus-climate fight, the jobs math, and the politics of drilling.

Andy Burnham used Labour's conference to announce a publicly owned Great British Grid, a Water Bill repealing the Thatcher-era ban on public ownership, and the biggest council-house programme since the post-war era. Marcus and Claire on the ownership push, the triple lock changes from 2030, and the politics behind it.

An Electoral Calculus MRP poll projects Labour at 353 seats — a majority of 56 — while Rupert Lowe's new Restore Britain takes 8 percent and a seat, draining votes from Reform. Marcus and Claire on the right's three-way split and how first-past-the-post turns a divided 47 percent into a Labour majority. A poll projection, not a result.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into Corey Lewandowski, a longtime ally of Donald Trump, over alleged conduct. An investigation is not a conviction, and Lewandowski has not been convicted of anything in this matter. This episode explains what is known about the investigation and what remains unproven.

Wedgewood Polls admitted, as reported, fabricating data in eleven polls covering six Senate races and five governor's races. The admission followed a data-forensics investigation. This episode examines how the fabrication was reported and what it raises about trust in polling.

Trump reportedly called Elon Musk to lift restrictions on Ukraine's Starlink use, and speeds reportedly improved shortly after. Kyiv, however, says restoration is incomplete. This episode examines the reported call, the reported improvement, and the remaining gaps described by Ukrainian officials.

A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump to sit for a deposition by December 11 in his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the BBC. The case is a lawsuit brought by Trump, and the deposition order is a procedural step in that litigation. This episode looks at what the order requires and what may happen next.

The Pentagon has granted the Department of Homeland Security permission to test the Active Denial System, a military-grade heat ray, for potential use at the southern border. This episode explains how the system is designed to work and why its possible deployment is raising questions. It also looks at the debate over testing a military crowd-control tool in a border setting.

Attorney General Todd Blanche would not rule out blocking states' midterm certifications ahead of the November 3 midterms. A federal judge separately barred the Department of Homeland Security from election investigations in nine states. This episode examines what both developments could mean for the upcoming vote.

A tanker carrying 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low-sulphur Russian diesel is heading toward New York in what is reported as the first such cargo in years. This episode examines the deal behind the shipment and why its arrival is drawing attention. It also looks at what the cargo could mean for energy markets and U.S. policy.

The UK House of Commons rejected assisted dying by 286 votes to 270 on September 11. It was the bill's second parliamentary death, ending its latest attempt to become law.

Eighteen months after President Trump ordered the Education Department shut down, it still exists. Its staff have been scattered and its functions parceled out to other agencies, yet the department itself has not closed.

Georgia's Constitutional Court is hearing a ruling-party lawsuit to ban five opposition parties outright. The case is a hearing, not a verdict, but a ruling in the governing party's favor would bar those parties from politics.

The EU's 150-billion-euro SAFE loan facility is funding Europe's biggest rearmament in modern history, with Poland in the lead. This episode examines how the money is being spent and what it is building.

Giorgia Meloni pushed through an electoral reform with a 42% majority bonus just as her coalition slips toward that threshold. This episode examines the rule rewrite and its stakes for Italian politics.

Houthi missiles struck Riyadh's airport, killing 13, while Mohammed bin Salman rejected an Israeli offer to join the fight. This episode examines the attack and Saudi Arabia's response.

Ukraine's Operation Midas investigation is examining alleged $100M kickbacks at the state nuclear operator — allegations that have felled ministers and the president's chief of staff. This episode explains the scandal and the fallout in Kyiv.

New START expired in February with nothing to replace it, leaving American and Russian arsenals unconstrained for the first time since 1972. This episode examines the end of arms control and what may follow.

Nine months after ByteDance sold TikTok's US operations to an American-led joint venture, this episode takes stock of the new ownership and its Oracle-guarded data arrangements. It asks what has actually changed for the app's American users.

Kim Jong Un has pledged invariable support to Putin as North Korean troops fight for Russia, with their number estimated at 14,000. This episode examines what Pyongyang's bet on Moscow means for the war and the region.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has put two tough drug bills before parliament, including a presumption of dealing on possession. This episode examines the proposals and the debate over Thailand's renewed drug war.

Two years into South Africa's Government of National Unity, only 4 of its 120 commitments are done, and the ANC Youth League wants the DA ministers expelled. This episode assesses how shaky the union has become.

Pedro Sanchez has called a snap election for November 29 after parliament killed his housing decrees. This episode previews the upcoming vote and the campaign now under way in Spain.

Nine months after US forces captured Nicolas Maduro, he sits in a Brooklyn jail facing criminal charges — charges, not a finding of guilt — while Delcy Rodriguez governs under American pressure. This episode examines Venezuela's new order and the pressures shaping it.

One year after Javier Milei's 41% midterm triumph, Argentina's libertarian president holds his strongest congressional hand yet. This episode examines what that mandate means for his reform agenda.

Mark Carney upgraded Canada's ties with Turkey to a strategic partnership and won Alberta's stay-in-Canada referendum. This episode also looks ahead to his make-or-break budget in November.