Oct 10, 2026 · 30 min
Trump’s Russian diesel deal tests alliances and sanctions
Trump strikes deal with Putin to buy Russian diesel
The agreement could reshape pressure on Russia while deepening tensions with Ukraine, Democrats and European allies.
- 1Trump’s proposed Russian diesel imports challenge the sanctions regime and draw condemnation from Ukraine and Western allies.
- 2US sanctions against the International Criminal Court intensify a dispute over accountability and international justice.
- 3The episode revisits Rosalind Franklin’s overlooked DNA insights while probing cruelty, security and trust in newer institutions.
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Professor Betty Smokovitis explains how Rosalind Franklin had recognized the significance of her X-ray images while being denied proper credit.
The brief
Donald Trump’s agreement to ease some sanctions and import Russian diesel puts pressure on the Western sanctions regime, provoking anger in Ukraine and concern among European allies.
The United States escalates its confrontation with the International Criminal Court, while the court’s representatives call the institutional sanctions an attack on international justice.
A FlyDubai co-pilot’s alleged attempt to seize a flight raises questions about extremist ideology, security screening and whether accomplices were involved.
The episode revisits Rosalind Franklin’s role in the discovery of DNA, with Professor Betty Smokovitis challenging the account that denied Franklin proper credit for recognizing her evidence.
Manchester City’s appeal, Anthropic’s ban on sustained cruelty toward AI, a wax doner kebab and the theft of 30,000 Tuscan wine bottles widen the episode’s inquiry into rules, reputation and responsibility.