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Professor Tim Evans of Middlesex University looks at Russia's failures in Ukraine from a business school angle, regarding it as an mid-20th century state with a mid-20th government. He reflects upon some of the lessons that can be learned about governance and statecraft from the Covid pandemic. And he considers the potential privatisation of Channel 4, hoping that it can somehow once more be a disruptive channel for thinkers.

James Cameron-Wilson celebrates a whopping 180% increase in UK box office. #1 is 'Sonic the Hedgehog 2' ("a rushed job") while Marvel's 'Morbius' is #2. Dreamworks animation 'The Bad Guys' is #3. Norwegian Oscar- and BAFTA-nominee 'The Worst Person in the World' is the best holdover at #7. James also looks at 'Master' on Amazon Prime, intrigued by the young age of its woman director.

While many nervously watch the US yield curve, which briefly reversed recently, Russ Mould of A J Bell thinks investors should also pay attention to transportation indicators such as the Dow Transportation Index. He believes the market is better at predicting recessions than economists. Explaining why the yield curve is important and why he thinks stagflation is on the cards, he believes investors should fight shy of bonds and growth stocks and lean towards raw materials and real assets.

Tech expert Steve Caplin tells us of BA sourcing jet fuel from chip fat, of the flying taxi firm that wants to expand into the UK, of how driverless cars might be controlled if things go wrong and how having no street lights might actually reduce crime. He also discusses e-ink chalk boards, Dyson's headphone with an air-filtering visor, whether mobile phones really do cause brain tumours, how the Chinese have developed the a soft robot made of slime and how one hotel in Venice is tackling the seagull menace.

Adam Cox is joined by Alexa Polidoro, founder of online French learning school, Learn French with Alexa, for French Language Day to learn some French, and discover some key phrases of the language. Alexa describes what her online French learning school provides, and how it works, in addition to explaining some of the big advantages of learning French in today's society. https://learnfrenchwithalexa.com/

Adam Cox is joined by Anant Naik, from the charity Mental Health UK, to discuss new research from Nytol which unveils the toll of stress and poor sleep on the British public. They look at why sleep is so important for mental health, and Naik provides tips and tricks for improving sleep. www.mentalhealth-uk.org www.nytol.co.uk

Adam Cox is joined by Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbie, to discuss new research that has found a huge number of Brits can't wait to get back gardening now that Spring is here. He predicts some of the big gardening trends this year, and how to enjoy gardening without an outdoor space. He also discusses the importance of the local gardening centre. www.dobbies.com

Sanctions go on a whole lot easier than they come off. Daniel Yergin is the Vice Chairman of S&P Global and the author of “The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations". He’s been studying Russia's and China’s roles in the global energy markets for decades, and shares the implications of Russia becoming an unreliable oil and gas supplier in Europe. In this conversation with Motley Fool Senior Analyst Ben Ra, Yergin discusses Russia’s economic relationship with China, the role of shale for US energy independence, and supply chain obstacles for wide-spread electric vehicle adoption. Plus, bonus resources: Investing in Energy Stocks - https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/energy/ Investing in Copper Stocks - https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/materials/metal-stocks/copper-stocks/

It's the time of year when we are urged to put our money into an Isa or pension, but faced with the choice which should you pick? After all, most of us don't have the £52,000 needed to max out both (£20,000 into an Isa and £32,000 into a pension plus the £8,000 tax relief added). So, we must make a decision: take the upfront tax relief of a pension and that lovely boost to the money you pay in, but not be able to get the cash until at least age 55, or opt for the tax-free gains of an ISA and its flexibility, but no contribution booster. Georgie Frost and Simon Lambert look at the perks of each, where the drawbacks are and how you can make an informed decision. Plus, is the Lifetime ISA a better option for your hard-earned cash? Also, they discuss the child benefit mess and how many mums are missing our on vital state pension credits, whether Chase's bank account is now Britain's best, and how to work out if buying an expensive electric car might save you money.

The contrast in wealth distribution between key regions and countries around the world is as stark as ever. In this commentary, using analysis in the Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook, we look at the convergence we need to achieve in order to help encourage a more egalitarian form of global capitalism. The music accompanying this episode is The Nexus Riddim by Konrad OldMoney