Does North Korea want a war?

The US lurches towards a government shutdown as president-elect Donald Trump torpedoes a bipartisan spending bill. Plus: the EU takes the UK to court. Then: the best films of 2024 and what to eat and drink over the holidays.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Italy’s prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, presents her budget to parliament and her image of Italy as a stable, fiscally responsible country in the EU. Plus, the UK becomes the first country outside the Asia-Pacific to sign a trade deal in the region. Then, our final edition of ‘Th ...  Show more

Tensions between the US and North Korea are at their highest in years over Pyongyang's accelerating efforts to build a nuclear arsenal capable of hitting America. Ben Hall discusses the options for ending the standoff with Katrina Manson, US diplomatic correspondent, and Lucy Hor ...  Show more

An already tense situation on the Korean peninsula escalated with North Korea’s launch of its highest-ever ICBM that landed in Japanese waters. Anna Fifield, Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post, explains how significant the action is. Later in the programme, Jared Bernstei ...  Show more

Missile strikes hit the port city of Odesa as America’s top spy warns Putin is becoming increasingly unpredictable and is likely to take more drastic action. Plus, the polls are about to close in another election which tests Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican party. Erin Burne ...  Show more

Mike Pence publicly and directly defied Donald Trump as he declared the former president was wrong to say that the vice president has the right to overturn the presidential election. Plus, Russia and China team up for a show of unity against the West. During a meeting at the Beij ...  Show more