Best Zing Tsjeng Podcasts (2025)

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Can Superman save us now? – The Man of Steel vs the Age of Trump 40:44

Play Pause

2d ago40:44

40:44

On July 11, Superman flies back into cinemas in his third reboot – but this time, he’s different. Director James Gunn promises a beacon of hope, kindness, and decency, a sharp contrast to the grim hero we last saw. How will a reborn idealistic Man of Steel land in the most cynical American moment of the modern era? How has Superman changed in his 8…

1
Are planes really crashing more often? 37:38

7h ago37:38

37:38

Mass fatalities in the Air India crash and the collision of a passenger flight and a US Army helicopter over the Potomac have triggered fears that serious aviation accidents are becoming more frequent. But are they really? John Walton, editor of independent aviation journalism site TheUpFront, talks to Andrew Harrison about why panics like this sta…

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The Epstein Files – How much do we actually know? 35:20

4d ago35:20

35:20

Jeffrey Epstein is dead, but the questions around his life, his crimes, and his powerful friends remain. In 2024, new court documents were unsealed, revealing more about Epstein’s abuse yet much of the content remains redacted, leading to conspiracy theories, speculation – and social media battles between Elon Musk and President Trump. Today in The…

1
America vs. Iran – What does Trump actually want? 33:32

5d ago33:32

33:32

Donald Trump once promised to keep America out of endless wars. But less than 200 days into his second term, the US military has carried out airstrikes on Iran. Following Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, the president gave orders to target Iranian nuclear facilities. His cabinet denies any ambition for regime change – but Trump’s own words suggest o…

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Emily Williamson, co-founder of the RSPB 27:32

3d ago27:32

27:32

For over a hundred years no one thought too much about the origins of the RSPB, but among its founders was a woman in Didsbury opposed to the use of feathers in fashionable hats. Emily Williamson was outraged by the widespread slaughter of egrets and the crested grebe. She had tried to join the all-male British Ornithological Union, and when that f…

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Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire 1:58

3d ago1:58

1:58

We’re back – but with a difference! Find out how some of the world's most famous dead billionaires made their money. Meet five billionaires who helped build the United States of America. First up: oil tycoon John D Rockefeller, the world’s first billionaire. Simon Jack and Zing Tsjeng also revisit the lives of motor magnate Henry Ford, the aviator …

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War, what is it good for? — Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis 34:23

6d ago34:23

34:23

America’s strikes on Iran have left the world wondering what Trump’s next move will be. What do we know so far – and what could happen next? Plus, what comes now after the assisted dying bill vote? And with Reform surging in polls, Farage has another weird plan – will it work? And because the answer’s no, why not? Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis discus…

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Channel Nigel – Is BBC News really changing to chase Reform voters? 36:51

10d ago36:51

36:51

Is the BBC shifting right to please Reform voters? Leaked minutes from a top-level BBC editorial meeting reveal plans to reshape story selection and tone – not just in news, but even in drama – to improve the Corporation’s image among Reform UK supporters. But instead of chasing Farage’s fans, should the BBC hold Reform to account more rigorously? …

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Trailer 0:45

7d ago0:45

0:45

The Bunker - news without the nonsense. Published every week day, we promise to deliver the insight that smart, modern listeners crave, beyond the headlines. Boost your knowledge, cut away the spin and get news without the nonsense on The Bunker. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices…

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Lord of the Spies – What does the head of MI6 actually do? 34:03

11d ago34:03

34:03

For the first time in MI6’s history, a female chief is taking the helm. Blaise Metreweli, a veteran of both old-school espionage and cutting-edge tech warfare, steps into the role as digital battlegrounds, rogue states, and AI-fuelled threats reshape global intelligence. Today on The Bunker, Alex von Tunzelmann is joined by Dan Lomas, Assistant Pro…

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How to make Labour radical again – Glastonbury special with John Harris 32:47

12d ago32:47

32:47

Glastonbury has been the hot zone for radical ideas since its hippy infancy. But the first Labour government in 15 years is not exactly the hitting the mark for the festival’s audience of utopians and out-of-the-box thinkers. Can Labour get back to its radical roots? The Guardian’s John Harris, who comperes the Left Field at Glastonbury, and campai…

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The Race to Rearm – Could Britain fight a hot war within two years? 36:15

13d ago36:15

36:15

Britain needs be ready to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic in as little as two years – and we look badly underprepared. That’s the message of Labour’s sobering new Strategic Defence Review. So where are we weak, how fast could we rearm and what will it cost? And do the British people have the disposition to fight the sort of war we thought was…

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Tina Turner 27:43

10d ago27:43

27:43

Rock Icon Tina Turner proposed by the actress and author Rebecca Humphries. Tina Turner began life as Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tennessee, joining Ike Turner's band in St Louis at the age of 17. Her presence, her performances and her voice captivated audiences, but this is really a story of triumph over abuse. After she left Ike Turner with noth…

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Welcome to the bleak parade — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis 35:36

13d ago35:36

35:36

Trump’s birthday parade bored the few people who bothered watching – and offended those who actually care about the military, unlike the president himself. As protests rage across the US – can Trump keep ignoring them? Plus, the situation in the Middle East becomes increasingly terrifying – how might tensions between Iran and Israel escalate? Gavin…

101
Is everything you know about the Romans wrong? 33:38

13d ago33:38

33:38

Rome conjures up strong images and ideas for many of us – but what if everything we think we know about the era is totally wrong? Alex von Tunzelmann speaks with Edward J. Watts, author of The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome: The History of a Dangerous Idea and the upcoming The Romans: A 2,000-Year History, to discuss the falsehoods that need clea…

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Burning up – The Dark Side of the Summer of ’76 36:24

18d ago36:24

36:24

Legendarily hot, dry and hedonistic, the Summer of ’76 burnt itself into our cultural memory as a kind of Ultimate Summer. But the record temperatures, the soul and disco classics and the sense of youth breaking free took place against a backdrop of economic collapse, political failure and barely suppressed rage. These were the Dark 70s of the Sout…

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Los Angeles protests: What it’s like on the ground – American Friction crossover 28:26

18d ago28:26

28:26

A special crossover edition from our partner podcast American Friction… The news has focused heavily on sensational images from LA, but what is the real feeling among protestors – and how did this all escalate? Ben Camacho is a journalist covering the situation – who was shot by two rubber bullets himself doing so. He joins Jacob Jarvis to give an …

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MAGA vs. the cartels: Is Trump's war on Mexico's gangs backfiring? 34:58

19d ago34:58

34:58

As Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum ramps up high-tech crackdowns on the nation’s cartels, Trump’s chaotic second term is throwing a spanner in the works. Alex von Tunzelmann speaks to David Shirk, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of San Diego, to find out whether the MAGA movement is helping Mexico’s…

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Streak of Madness – Is Tulsi Gabbard a threat to US security and more? 34:50

20d ago34:50

34:50

From antiwar, Biden-backing Democrat to apologist for Assad and Putin and finally strident Trump loyalist, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s political journey has been astonishing. Her taste for strongmen and conspiracy thought makes her perfect tool for Trump’s revenge on the intelligence community. The Guardian’s global affairs co…

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Raymond Blanc on Professor Nicholas Kurti 27:39

17d ago27:39

27:39

The chef Raymond Blanc nominates his mentor and friend, the physicist Professor Nicholas Kurti.Kurti was born in Hungary but fled to Oxford when Hitler came to power. Pushing the frontiers of low-temperature physics during his career, he went on to create‘molecular gastronomy’ in retirement. Raymond Blanc approached Kurti after a lecture the profes…

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Until DOGE do us part — Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis 42:38

20d ago42:38

42:38

Elon Musk and Trump’s epic fallout continues – who will win this war of words? And how will the squabbling pair try to hurt each other next? Plus, there’s chaos on the streets of LA – how far will Trump take this? And back at home, there’s the spending review – who will be the winners and losers? Alex von Tunzelmann joins Jacob Jarvis to discuss al…

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Trump vs. Musk goes nuclear – American Friction crossover special! 🇺🇸 19:09

23d ago19:09

19:09

Listen in to our sibling podcast American Friction as they pick apart the Trump-Musk breakup. Musk and Trump’s messy falling-out hit new heights this week. We recorded a whole episode, then it went nuts — so Nikki McCann Ramiréz of Rolling Stone magazine and Jarv jumped on for a late night call and unpacked the madness. Listen in then we have a big…

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The spies who love Xi – How is China snooping on Britain? 21:45

24d ago21:45

21:45

A Chinese ‘super embassy’ could be built in the heart of London – and intelligence experts say it would open the door to cyber interference at the heart of Britain’s financial system. Today on The Bunker, Gavin Esler sits down with security expert Nigel Inkster, former director of operations and intelligence MI6 and senior advisor at the Internatio…

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How Ukraine stunned Russia and changed the war – with Gavin Esler and Oz Katerji of This is Not a Drill 33:01

25d ago33:01

33:01

A special crossover edition from our partner podcast, This is Not a Drill. Ukraine’s daring drone attack Operation Spiderweb has stunned Russia with its stealth, precision planning and the damage it unleashed on warplanes based deep within Russian territory. The Bunker regular Gavin Esler is joined from Kyiv by This Is Not A Drill co-host Oz Katerj…

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What MAGA riots and the French Revolution have in common 36:00

26d ago36:00

36:00

From memes demanding we “eat the rich” to real-world insurrections, the language of revolution is everywhere. But what does it really mean to call for one today? Zing Tsjeng is joined by Dan Edelstein, professor of political science and history at Stanford University and author of The Revolution to Come, to explore our relationship with revolutiona…

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Leading Question – Who would replace Starmer? 39:22

27d ago39:22

39:22

Wes Streeting? Angela Rayner? Andy Burnham? Or someone you’ve never heard of? Starmer won’t be stepping down any time soon – but what happens when he does? Who’s most likely to win the leadership? Do they have the right combination of personality and vision to get Labour out of its rut? And will it be yet another bloke? Ava Santina of PoliticsJoe j…

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Dervla Murphy, author of the classic Full Tilt 27:38

24d ago27:38

27:38

At the age of 10 Dervla Murphy was given an atlas and a bicycle, and so began an adventurous life. Her account of a journey to India became a classic called Full Tilt but she also went to Cuba, Ethiopia and the Andes where our guest first met her in a doss house. Hilary Bradt is the founder of the Bradt Travel Guides and is picking Dervla Murphy as…

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Defence of the realm — Start Your Week with Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis 41:03

27d ago41:03

41:03

The defence review is the big talking point of the moment – what’s new and how will Starmer frame it? Plus, Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis discuss other pressures on Labour, the state of conflicts across the globe and Trump’s latest conspiracy theory thinking. We are sponsored by Indeed. Go to https://indeed.com/bunker for £100 sponsored credit. List…

Zing Tsjeng Podcasts

1
Good Bad Billionaire

BBC World Service

1
Great Lives

BBC Radio 4

1
The Bunker – News without the nonsense

Podmasters

1
United Zingdom

BBC Sounds

1
Never Told

Brock Media

1
Can Superman save us now? – The Man of Steel vs the Age of Trump 40:44

1
Are planes really crashing more often? 37:38

1
The Epstein Files – How much do we actually know? 35:20

1
America vs. Iran – What does Trump actually want? 33:32

1
Emily Williamson, co-founder of the RSPB 27:32

1
Coming soon: Good Bad Dead Billionaire 1:58

1
War, what is it good for? — Start Your Week with Ros Taylor and Jacob Jarvis 34:23

1
Channel Nigel – Is BBC News really changing to chase Reform voters? 36:51

1
Trailer 0:45

1
Lord of the Spies – What does the head of MI6 actually do? 34:03

1
How to make Labour radical again – Glastonbury special with John Harris 32:47

1
The Race to Rearm – Could Britain fight a hot war within two years? 36:15

1
Tina Turner 27:43

1
Welcome to the bleak parade — Start Your Week with Gavin Esler and Jacob Jarvis 35:36

101
Is everything you know about the Romans wrong? 33:38

1
Burning up – The Dark Side of the Summer of ’76 36:24

1
Los Angeles protests: What it’s like on the ground – American Friction crossover 28:26

1
MAGA vs. the cartels: Is Trump's war on Mexico's gangs backfiring? 34:58

1
Streak of Madness – Is Tulsi Gabbard a threat to US security and more? 34:50

1
Raymond Blanc on Professor Nicholas Kurti 27:39

1
Until DOGE do us part — Start Your Week with Alex von Tunzelmann and Jacob Jarvis 42:38

1
Trump vs. Musk goes nuclear – American Friction crossover special! 🇺🇸 19:09

1
The spies who love Xi – How is China snooping on Britain? 21:45

1
How Ukraine stunned Russia and changed the war – with Gavin Esler and Oz Katerji of This is Not a Drill 33:01

1
What MAGA riots and the French Revolution have in common 36:00

1
Leading Question – Who would replace Starmer? 39:22

1
Dervla Murphy, author of the classic Full Tilt 27:38

1
Defence of the realm — Start Your Week with Rafael Behr and Jacob Jarvis 41:03