The BBC has been accused this week of bias in a leaked report by one of its own watchdogs. As a 35 year veteran of the Corporation, naturally, I have views markurban.substack.com/p/liberal-bi...

Absolutely worth watching, 9 minutes on where we are

We’ve had some stirring stuff lately from political and military leaders about putting the country on a war footing - here’s a video I’ve done for the Times about the gap between rhetoric and reality t.co/Dx1DrRb5L1

🚨 New episode alert! Trump’s “historic” Gaza Peace Plan has stalled — but why? @markurban.bsky.social shares insights from an Arab official close to talks, while the team asks: has Washington already moved on? Plus the personal cost of politics Listen to The Crisis Room @globalplayer.com 🎧

must-read analysis of how Musk's twitter is drenching new users with right-wing propaganda news.sky.com/story/the-x-...

We’ve got the latest on behind the scenes machinations over the Gaza stabilisation force, & as an ex-CIA colleague of @mpolymer1.bsky.social's is elected Governor of Virginia, I discuss with him &Amber Rudd why anyone still wants elected office anymore in these toxic political times t.co/2YljOFZVPg

Series 3 of the Northern Ireland cop show Blue Lights ends tonight - I've written about why it's so good but why the portrayal of intelligence or the military on TV struggles to match it t.co/IACsiRgTaX

Do you have a burning question you’d like Amber, @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social to answer in the next Q&A episode? 🤔 Drop your suggestions below 👇🏻 #QnA #questions #podcast

Thoroughly enjoying this at the moment 👇🏻

“That’s factually wrong” After Trump’s announcement that the US will restart nuclear weapons testing, @markurban.bsky.social breaks down and fact-checks his claims on nuclear power — with zero mercy Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧 #Trump #nuclear #weapons

🚨 New episode alert! Amber on whether it's time to split the Home Office in half following the latest scandal over the deported Epping migrant Plus - are we entering a new Cold War? Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧 @markurban.bsky.social | @mpolymer1.bsky.social

I was really excited to join a special tour of Clapham South Deep Level Shelter this afternoon with IWM's patrons. A fascinating history beyond the Second World War, with an afterlife including being a hostel and labour exchange for those on the Windrush, and a hotel for the Festival of Britain

Always happy to engage politely and constructively. But a quick read of my mentions and some changes have been made. Will never understand the mentality that thinks aggressively swearing at someone you’ve never met is ok.

Trump’s build up in the Caribbean - a battle fleet in search of a viable mission markurban.substack.com/p/trump-pond...

From Prince Andrew to deep fakes, and Trumpo's latest Ukraine change of policy, our latest Q&A edition is out!! Send your queries for this week's show to [email protected] podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Do you have a burning question you’d like Amber, @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social to answer in the next Q&A episode? 🤔 Drop your suggestions below 👇🏻 #QnA #questions #podcast

One for military history fans - took part in a very enjoyable and informative discussion about the American Revolutionary War, the British Army's performance in it and it could have ended any other way www.nam.ac.uk/whats-on/why...

Who is winning the war in Ukraine? It’s a very difficult one to answer because the war is on multiple levels and the two sides dissimilar in their calculations (eg willingness to accept casualties) but I’ve tackled it anyway …https://t.co/0J0BW7R3cP

‘Lo and behold I found myself in a Pakistani jail’ @markurban.bsky.social reveals how he ended up in a Pakistani prison while reporting on the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧 #Pakistan #Afghanistan #podcast

🚨 New episode alert! Violence erupted again this month on the Durand Line - the Afghanistan-Pakistan border - where tensions have simmered for a century. From the colonial era to Bin Laden, The Crisis Room unpacks the history and the chaos behind it all The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧

It’s probably time I told the story about how I was detained as a suspected jihadist while crossing one of the world’s most contested and violent frontiers … t.co/Y6vSpa6Y5B

Any questions? Your Crisis Room team is standing by to answer queries on the state of the world, UK security, defence, intelligence and all the rest. Email questions for this week’s bonus episode to [email protected] please

We’ve had lots of questions @crisisroompod.bsky.social so we’ve decided to do bite sized Q&A episodes - have a listen! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

We've just witnessed an important pivot in the Middle East balance of power... open.substack.com/pub/markurba...

"The European Union’s executive body has approved a 5-year defense road map that features plans for a 'drone wall' to be fully functional by the end of 2027." @rferl.org.web.brid.gy www.rferl.org/a/eu-commiss...

Get it while it’s fresh! This week’s edition @crisisroompod.bsky.social has just dropped with fresh insights on the China spy scandal and Gaza peace plans! t.co/lwKZ3lwhUU

We want to hear from you! 🫵🏼 Amber, @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social will be answering your questions in our very first Q&A bonus episode very soon. Keep your eyes peeled…👀 Got a question? Drop it in the comments below 👇🏻 Listen now to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧

Quite a week for those covering the Chinese espionage trial in the UK. Has our government lost the art of balancing our strategic interests? markurban.substack.com/p/britains-c...

Gaza update at 11.30am UK time: - a ceasefire has gone into effect 90 minutes ago - Israel has moved to its Phase 1 withdrawal line (but still occupies >50% of the Strip - the IDF has pulled out & is standing down some reserve units - aid deliveries set at 600 trucks a day

🧵 @markurban.bsky.social @mpolymer1.bsky.social

🚨 New episode alert! Former National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill joins Amber, @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social for a rare, wide-ranging interview – from Trump to terror attacks, and migrant returns deals with the Taliban Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧

This is a really interesting piece, well worth your time.

How 7th October changed the Middle East and wider world markurban.substack.com/p/two-years-...

“I’m surprised the march leaders haven’t said it’s not appropriate.” After the Manchester synagogue attack, Amber & @markurban.bsky.social debate Palestine Action’s planned march and whether Sir Mark Rowley should ask Home Sec Shabana Mahmood to cancel it 🎧 The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com

🚨Special episode alert Following the Manchester synagogue attack, the team unpacks what happens next. Plus, @markurban.bsky.social responds to rising anti-Semitism, and The Crime Agents' Andy Hughes breaks major news from the scene Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧 #manchester

Assassinations & apologies - spying in the Middle East is a dangerous game... The team explain how secret operations work - plus @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social explain how they almost crossed paths thanks to a botched Mossad operation The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧

On this week’s @crisisroompod.bsky.social we discuss bungled Middle East assassinations, Trump’s peace plan and that extraordinary gathering of generals in America t.co/UP28nkCqeO

If you wondered whether the UK could do any better than Denmark if its airports were being buzzed by drones

Great read

How foreign news defaults to 'goodies and baddies', and baulks at coverage of the morally ambivalent markurban.substack.com/p/who-are-th...

Newly released secret files show how the government tried to thwart publication of my book Big Boys' Rules (£) www.thetimes.com/uk/history/a...

Oh what’s this? A secret Cabinet Office file about my book Big Boys’ Rules?! I’ll be revealing what’s inside it in tomorrow’s Sunday Times

The search for good guys and bad guys in foreign news coverage - a telling example from this week markurban.substack.com/p/who-are-th...

🚨 New episode alert! Is NATO being bullied by Russian drones? @markurban.bsky.social & @mpolymer1.bsky.social debate whether Russian jets should be shot down the next time they enter NATO airspace - and Amber gives the inside track on party conferences Listen to The Crisis Room @globalplayer.com 🎧

What to do about Russian drones and fighter incursions? We thrash it out @crisisroompod.bsky.social that’s just dropped - listen in t.co/luXewz0bIr

If, like me, you are wondering how a two state solution could ever be achieved then this article is well worth ten minutes of your time.

This week’s step by several westeen countries to recognise Palestine is meant to keep the two state solution alive. Ive blogged about how that might just work markurban.substack.com/p/a-palestin...

WATCH: what do current conflicts tell us about the way war is changing, and how do western militaries adapt fast enough not to fall behind? t.co/MzozAX248R

Don’t forget to listen before the weekend’s out - @mpolymer1.bsky.social Amber Rudd and I have a vigorous exchange of views about the Trump visit to UK! and we get an insider’s insight into the last days of Biden and the Harris campaign - just tap here @crisisroompod.bsky.social

🚨New episode alert! Trump’s back for day 2 of his historic second State Visit — but the pageantry’s over. As the politics kick in, all eyes are on Starmer. Can he hold his own? Listen to The Crisis Room on @globalplayer.com 🎧 @mpolymer1.bsky.social @markurban.bsky.social #Trump #statevisit