Thousands of Ukrainian troops were deployed in the Kursk region over the course of this week, marking a significant escalation in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Several countries including China have called on the two countries to de-escalate, as analysts worry that this could mark the beginning of a new tit-for-tat cycle.

How much of a blow is this attack to Vladimir Putin? What kind of response should we expect from Russia? And how can the international community facilitate mediation?

In the second half of the programme, we will be talking about the resignation of incumbent Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, amidst a series of corruption scandals surrounding the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Is Japan facing a crisis of confidence? We find out.


9:05am-9:30am: Ukraine's incursion into Russia

9:05am-9:30am: Brian Yeung, Co-founder of Brandstorm Communications and author of Stepping Inside a Foreign Land – Russia 

9:05am-9:30am: Peter Beattie, Assistant Professor; Programme Director, MSSc in Global Political Economy, The Chinese University of Hong Kong


9:30am-10:00am: Japanese PM Fumio Kishida's resignation

9:30am-10:00am: Tobias Harris, Japan analyst, author and founder and principal of Japan Foresight LLC

9:30am-10:00am: William Pesek, Tokyo-based journalist and author