Podcasts

Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University ponders what a "no deal" Brexit might be like if we had to fall back on the WTO default option. He also looks at the growing number of Russian journalists fighting back against disinformation and fake news and laments the worsening situation in Venezuela, where inflation has now passed 40,000%.

James Cameron-Wilson examines a UK box office hit by the hot weather and World Cup. He reviews new films Sicario 2: Soldado, Patrick, Tag and Adrift, the latter two both based on true stories. He also looks at the home release of a favoured recent film Lean on Pete.

The UK's worsening infrastructure is making us ever less competitive. Dan Lewis is the author of a report on the problem for the Institute of Directors. He explains what we should be doing about broadband and the 5G rollout as well as calling for digitised railway signalling throughout the country, improved data capture on roads and greater use of buses and coaches. Transportation for the Northern Powerhouse, he believes, should avoid the expense of land purchases and going underground with tunnels for Maglevs or Hyperloops.

Steve Caplin peers through his pince-nez at a Photoshop add-on to detect digitally-altered images, a headset to help you sleep, a football pitch-painting robot, Volvo's self-parking yacht, a smart tail-light for bikes and a clever extra screen for laptop users as well as wincing at the New Yorker who made a stool using no tools whatsoever.

In the financial crash and subsequent financial scandals, The Big Four accountancy firms have largely escaped censure. In a fascinating new book, Bean Counters: The Triumph of the Accountants and How They Broke Capitalism, investigative journalist Richard Brooks highlights how far the global giants have moved from traditional auditing and exposes their conflicts of interests and inadequacies which, he says, pose a considerable threat to financial stability.

Want to keep up with the latest earnings updates from the States? Well join Chris Hill and the Motley Fool Radio Show team here on Share Radio, direct from Washington DC, for news, views and analysis of the US stocks that matter. In this week's show: Nike hits an all-time high; Bed Bath & Beyond flounders, as BJ’s Wholesale Club has a surprisingly strong IPO; Amazon moves in on the pharmacy business; McCormick serves up a spicy quarter; And the SEC has a few questions for National Beverage.

Karen Jones is the founder of Citywealth magazine and the supporting organisation, which has been running for almost a decade. She shares how a trip to Nicaragua inspired her to set up her own business, seeing her through to working with high net worth individuals, and becoming an advocate for women in business. Karen also delves into her love of the outdoors, extensive travelling across the globe, and a love of dogs that somehow crept up on her.

Today we’re joined by the Advisory Board of our International Trade and Competition Unit, made up of world-renowned experts in trade policy – including Sir Lockwood Smith, John Weekes and Alan Oxley, who join us today, along with ITCU’s Director Shanker Singham. Interviewed by the IEA’s Madeline Grant, they give us a global view of Britain’s place in the world – and their prognosis of how our negotiations have progressed so far. They examine best practice in a range of different areas, including negotiating tactics, and discuss what an optimal free trade arrangement with the EU would look like. They also lay out some of the potential dangers and obstacles Britain may face in reaching this outcome. Finally, they consider how an independent Britain could advance the cause of free trade on the world stage.

Adam Cox talks to Saleem Sheikh, Senior Partner at GSC Solicitors LLP, a City-based commercial law firm. When he was younger, Saleem had his sights set on being a pilot; but a family tragedy saw his career trajectory instead take a turn towards law. He discusses how entrepreneurs and business owners need to plan for the worst case scenarios we’d all rather not think about – such as bereavement and illness – and his role in helping with that. He also talks about the need for a trusted advisor – in business and in life – to help navigate life’s pitfalls, and why we need to be communicating with the next generation to create legacies that can genuinely last. To find out more, go to www.gscsolicitors.com.

Political commentator Mike Indian discusses the vote to expand Heathrow and the way in which the two main parties have both done 180-degree turns, the extra money pledged for the NHS and where it might come from and the latest developments in the ongoing saga that is Brexit.