Beauty for Ashes

This week we look at the wonderful Julie Bindel podcast 'Pride and Predator';  Country of the Week - Iran;  Banning X; Lyle Shelton;  Death of Bob Weir and the Deadheads; Eco-Terrorism in Germany; Net Zero to cost 4.5 Trillion in the UK;  Making Money from Climate Change in Academia;  Snow in the UK;  The Minnesota Shooting; MAry McAleese says infant baptism is against human rights;  Death of Peter Meadows; Hypocrisy of Philip Yancey; Bible sales in the UK rise; the Final Word - 1 Timothy 6:5with music from Marvin Gaye, Shahkar Bineshpajooh,  Hayedah,  Bob Marley,  The Grateful Dead, Dean Martin, Genesis, Dan Smith, and Darya

This week we take a look at the year ahead and make some predictions - including immigration, foreign doctors in the NHS; Islamisation - Mamdani, cancelling New Year celebrations, Brigitte Bardot;  Wars - Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, Cambodia, Thailand, Japan, China, India, Pakistan, Sudan; Euthanasia - in the UK and Canada;  Iran; Keir Starmer and Albo;  Social Media - Djokovic; The AI bubble;  Woke - Trans police in WA, Gabriel Jesus; Christian Growth;  the Final Word with music from Robert Plant, Deep Purple, Steely Dan, Blue Oyster Cult, and P.O.D

This week we look at a significant event in each month of 2025 including President Trump; the Death of Woke;  the election of Mark Carney as Premier of Canada; Censorship in the UK; The EU and Free Speech; the Iran-Israel war; Massacre of Christians in Nigeria; Cambodia/Thailand war; Immigration in the UK; the Assassination of Charlie Kirk; US attempts to end the war in Ukraine; the Intifada is globalised in Australia; the death of Brigitte Bardot; the Final Word - Romans 8.with music from Tom Macdonald, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Oasis,  Village People, Neil Young, The Sex Pistols, and the Gettys.

As this weeks podcast goes out on Christmas Day we take a break from the news - and look at some Christmas songs, films and culture.   Including Justin Biebers rules for life;  It's a Wonderful Life; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Die Hard; Pride and Prejudice; Joyeux Noel; Lord of the Rings; Country of the Week - Australia; and the Last Word - Matthew 2. with music fromSlade; John Williamson; Justin Bieber; Theocracy; Enya; Steeleye Span;  and Boney M.

This week we look at the Bondi massacres and the rise of anti-semitism in Australia and the Western world;  Amsterdam; Belgium; Germany; France; England;  Country of the Week - Bulgaria; Chile turns Conservative; The unelected EU President argues for elected democracies;  Tommy Robinson's Carol Service;  with music from Annie Lennox; Joshua Aaron; Mystery of Bulgaria Voices;  Booker T and the MGs;  The Ramones;  and Dave Henderson