Avsnitt
-
Can the United States charge China for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open?
In this episode of the Silk & Steel Podcast, Carl Zha welcomes back Dr. Warwick Powell to examine one of the most consequential geopolitical developments of 2026.
Following the conflict with Iran, President Trump suggests that China should pay the United States to maintain freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. But does that argument hold up economically, legally, or strategically?
Carl and Warwick unpack the broader implications for global trade, energy security, US naval power, China's evolving economic resilience, and the balance of power in an increasingly multipolar world.
The discussion also explores how financial sanctions, maritime security, industrial policy, AI competition, and supply chain realignment reshape international politics beyond traditional military power.
Whether you're interested in China, international relations, global economics, or great-power competition, this conversation provides a thoughtful analysis on forces that reshape the world order.
Topics Covered
• Why Trump says China should pay for the Strait of Hormuz
• The real strategic importance of the Persian Gulf
• US naval dominance versus economic realities
• China's changing energy security
• Iran, Russia, and the new geopolitical landscape
• Maritime trade and global supply chains
• Financial power versus industrial power
• The future of US-China competition
• AI, technology, and economic statecraft
• What multipolarity actually looks like► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
This conversation examines the distraction economy, the nature of work and leisure, and the complex historical and contemporary role of the British monarchy within the UK.
Jerm, Mike, and Charles also address governance, the influence of the City of London, and how these societal structures navigate political challenges and potential foreign influence.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Saknas det avsnitt?
-
Ben Rubin and Mike Robinson present today's UK Column News.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
00:00 Introduction
00:56 Digital ID: Scrapped! Er, no not really…
09:01 Global Mayors: Small clique running the world
21:45 Chinook: Scottish crash cover-up
30:54 UK Column 20th Anniversary
35:20 DEC: WEF policy in action
46:30 War: ‘Terror threat’ upgraded
51:33 Deliberative Democracy: Manufacturing consent
57:40 VPN: Not banned (but actually banned)
-
China has sent another unmistakable signal—not only in the Pacific but also in space.
Carl Zha joins Jamarl Thomas to unpack a series of major geopolitical developments, from rising tensions between China and the Philippines over the Batanes Islands, to China's latest submarine-launched ballistic missile test, and the accelerating competition between China's lunar program and NASA's Artemis mission.
The discussion explores how military strategy, international law, space exploration, and technological competition are reshaping the emerging multipolar world. Carl also explains why China's reusable rocket breakthrough could dramatically alter the economics of space launch, much like Chinese EVs transformed the automotive industry.
Topics Covered
• China–Philippines tensions over the Batanes Islands
• US strategy in the Indo-Pacific
• China's submarine-launched ballistic missile test
• Nuclear deterrence and second-strike capability
• Taiwan and regional security
• China's reusable Long March rocket breakthrough
• NASA vs China's lunar program
• SpaceX competition
• China's future moon base
• The new technological Cold War
• AI competition between China and the United States
• Multipolar geopolitics
Whether you agree or disagree, this conversation offers a perspective rarely heard in mainstream Western media.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Jerm and PD Lawton argue that Africa's chronic instability is not accidental, but the product of a centuries-old financial network — centred on the City of London, Wall Street, and mining giants like Anglo-American and De Beers — that has kept the continent unsovereign since Cecil Rhodes.
They cast figures like Julius Malema as synthetic evolutionaries built to divide and destabilise, frame events like Marikana as false flags designed to manufacture political outrage, and suggest that institutions like the UN and IMF deliberately perpetuate conflict to enable corporate looting.
The throughline is that South Africa was never truly liberated in 1994; the empire simply went covert, swapping overt apartheid for debt bondage, regime change, and the slow privatisation of the state itself.
https://africanagenda.net
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Mike Robinson and Basil Valentine present today's UK Column News.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
00:00 Introduction
00:40 Burnham: King Andy Pandy
06:11 Iran: Special on the ground report from Patrick Henningsen
21:30 UK Column 20th Anniversary
22:36 Sabeel-Kairos: Church of England on Palestine.
35:15 MHRA: Global enabler of big pharma
39:29 Rubio: Far left is ‘fatal cancer’
44:10 Facial Recognition: Rapidly spreading across UK
46:40 Face Watch: In stores now!
50:50 In Case You Missed It: Stories spotted by Basil this week.
-
Jerm and Jake Fern caught up for a second chat. The main thread was Jake's podcast A Thousand Words, where he paints a guest's portrait over several hours while having slow, deep conversations.
They also discussed AI art, vented about the toxic purity-testing in the alternative community — particularly the absurd accusations against cartoonist
Bob Moran over supposedly Masonic signature numbers — and agreed that engaging people you disagree with is a good thing.
They touched on avoiding doom-scrolling nihilism in favour of nurturing joy,
Jake's artistic influences, and his band doing COVID-themed parody covers to raise funds for a homeschooling hub.
https://substack.com/@jakefern
-
In part two of this fascinating interview, Deepti challenges the western media narrative which claims Russia started an offensive war with Ukraine.
She describes this narrative as false. Deepti talks about the extreme nature of the Ukrainian political regime, its origins in WW1 and WW2 and its continued hatred of Russians.
Deepti highlights the role of the west, led by the UK, where it supports the path of war, from Ukrainian attacks on Russian speaking people in Donbass, to the present, brutal, Ukraine/Russia conflict.
Against this backdrop, Deepti questions wider US, NATO and EU policy on Ukraine. She claims that, throughout the policy, there underlies ultra extreme 'right wing' ideology.
She asserts that the wider public in the west needs to be alerted and educated about extreme, racial policies that emanate from these political and establishment powers—western powers which claim to love freedom and democracy.
Deepti also tells us more about her interaction with UK intelligence and security services. She discusses their blatant attempts to close down her work with UNIT. Her Work exposes the truth about the Ukraine war and attempts to bring peace.
Deepti warns, in no uncertain terms, that the UK leads the drive for wider war with Russia, even to the point of the possible use of nuclear weapons.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
The Battle of Julu (207 BC) stands among the most decisive military engagements in Chinese history. It marked the beginning of the end for the mighty Qin Dynasty—the empire that first unified China under Qin Shi Huang.
In this episode of the Silk & Steel Chinese History Series, Carl Zha and JJ continue their exploration of the collapse of the Qin Empire as they examine how a peasant rebellion evolved into a full-scale civil war. They explain how Xiang Yu emerged as one of history's greatest battlefield commanders when he defeated the seemingly invincible Qin army despite overwhelming odds.
The discussion covers:
• Why the Qin Empire unravelled so quickly after unification
• The massive peasant rebellions that shook China
• Zhang Han and the desperate mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of convict labourers
• The strategic brilliance of Xiang Yu at the Battle of Julu
• Why neighbouring armies refused to fight—and how Xiang Yu inspired them
• The famous "burn the boats" strategy and its historical significance
• How this battle sealed the fate of the Qin Dynasty
• The coming rivalry between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang
• The road toward the founding of the Han Dynasty
Whether you're interested in Chinese history, ancient warfare, military strategy, or the rise and fall of civilisations, this episode offers a detailed look at one of the pivotal turning points in world history.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Jake Fern critiques the truth movement for its reliance on binary thought and purity tests. He advocates, instead, for genuine sovereignty through critical discernment.
Jake emphasises that truth without action is hollow and highlights the risks of cult-like dynamics within isolated ideological communities.
https://substack.com/@jakefern
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Mike Robinson, Charles Malet and Vanessa Beeley present today’s UK Column News.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
00:00 Introduction
00:34 Proscribed Part One: Threshold could be a trap
06:21 IMCR: Deep dive into supposed threat group
10:50 Proscribed Part Two: Prison for your opinion
17:05 Fergie: Activist arrested in Spain
23:08 Risks: Register of resilience dubious
30:36 UK Column 20th Anniversary
32:54 Yemen: Under Attack
39:06 Genocide: Church of England stands up
44:55 Syria: Military build-up
49:06 Glyphosate: Many many nefarious uses
56:50 AI: Drive for dominance continues
-
Jerm and Vanessa Beeley analyse the complexities of Iran's geopolitical situation while they critique the oversimplification of Western media narratives.
They advocate for a deeper understanding of internal Iranian dynamics and the impact of global power structures on regional perceptions.
https://beeley.substack.com
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
In a troubled and dangerous world the West claims only it holds the line in terms of freedom, democracy, international security and justice.
Deepti is an analyst with UNIT, an international team working to bring peace to Ukraine. She sits down with Brian Gerrish and unmasks that false narrative.
As she exposes how UK, USA and European powers are stirring up slaughter in Ukraine, Deepti has been questioned by the UK Intelligence Services and banned from contacting many concerned politicians, professionals, academics and establishment names who work to progress UNIT's work towards peace.
Those same UK security and intelligence services have also banned this brave woman from being away from her home overnight.
Part 1 of Brian’s interview with Deepti discovers why the West is so afraid of the truth about the origins of the war in Ukraine. And why UK establishment is so afraid of UNIT's international work.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
In this extended Q&A session, Carl Zha and TP Huang answer viewer questions on everything from 6G and SpaceX to sodium batteries and China's semiconductor strategy. TP drops knowledge on why China doesn't need EUV anymore, how sodium batteries will crush lithium prices, and who will compete with Starlink.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
UK Column is an independent media organisation that was established in 2006 to investigate systemic corruption, child abuse, and advocates for accountability.
In this week’s banter, I wanted to know more about its two-decade evolution through changing audio-visual technologies and the persistent challenge to navigate censorship and maintain objective discourse.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Brian Gerrish and Ben Rubin present today's UK Column News.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
00:00 Introduction
01:38 Anne Widdecombe: Tribute to former MP and Devon resident
22:50 Anti Christian: Anglican Chaplin who didn’t give up
33:33 Column 20th Anniversary
37:15 Defend Juries: With special guest, Constitutional and Natural Law researcher Will Keyte
57:56 Talmudic: AI the new Tower of Babel
-
China has gone from having virtually no world-class research universities to domination of global scientific output in just a few decades—but why have traditional university rankings not reflected this transformation?
In this episode of the Silk & Steel Podcast, Carl Zha welcomes returning guest Doggie (Han Feizi) to unpack China's extraordinary rise in science, higher education, and technological innovation.
With the use of objective research metrics—to include the Nature Index, publication output, and citation data—they explore how China's universities rapidly climb. Many Western ranking systems continue to favour reputation over measurable performance.
The conversation expands into China's industrial policy, innovation ecosystem, manufacturing advantages, AI competition, and what these trends mean for future global power balance.
In this episode:
• Why traditional university rankings may no longer reflect reality
• China's explosive growth in scientific research
• How Chinese universities climbed to the world's top tier
• Manufacturing, engineering, and innovation advantages
• The relationship between higher education and economic development
• AI, semiconductors, and the next technological race
• Why perceptions of China often lag behind the data
Whether you agree or disagree with the conclusions, this episode is packed with statistics, historical context, and an in-depth discussion of one of the biggest geopolitical shifts of the 21st century.
What do you think?
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Jerm and Roman Bystrianyk, author of _Dissolving Illusions_, examine the impact of vaccination and historical health perspectives while they advocate for a holistic approach to wellness. The conversation also highlights Roman's process to write historical fiction and the importance to exercise personal choice within the medical system.
https://dissolvingillusions.com
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
-
Mike Robinson and Basil Valentine present today's UK Column News.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
00:00 Introduction
00:35 NATO Summit: With special guest Pelle Neroth Taylor, author and geopolitical analyst
15:35 Iran: Special on location report from Patrick Henningsen
24:44 Column 20th Anniversary
26:48 State Threats: Rushed legislation to suit the state. With special guest Prof. David Miller
38:50 World Cup: Scandal and mess
48:38 Censorship: Goal posts moved to maintain control
52:23 Anne Widdecombe: Former Conservative MP and Brexit MEP has died
54:53 In Case You Missed It: Stories spotted by Basil this week
-
Speaking with Patrick Henningsen in Mashhad during the six-day funeral procession for Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, British journalist Bushra Shaikh describes the extraordinary reaction to her presence in Iran: attacks from The Telegraph, The Daily Mail, Iran, and international and prominent online figures, with some calling for her to be labelled a terrorist. She characterises the campaign as a witch hunt driven by a fringe of the online right, suggesting her critics are unsettled that a Muslim woman they once shared platforms with at GB News and TalkTV cannot be deployed as a political weapon.
Shaikh challenges Western coverage of Iranian women, saying she has moved freely without wearing hijab, and describes the role of women as prominent in Iran. On the funeral itself, she describes the crowds which even the likes of The Financial Times put at 13–15 million in Tehran alone, and a public mood of grief mixed with fury at the United States and Israel following the assassination of the Supreme Leader.
She reports that Iranians she has spoken to reject the MOU ceasefire framework outright, distrust Trump and Israel entirely, and demand serious negotiation rather than a cycle of broken ceasefires.
► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here
► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website
► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism
► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent news
Follow #UKColumn on:
► X
► Telegram
► Facebook
► Instagram
- Visa fler
