The Inside Story Podcast

In its latest appeal, South Africa has called on the UN's top court for urgent measures to order a halt on Israel's assault on Rafah. Since early this month, Israeli forces have been pounding the southern city where more than 1.5 million Palestinians had taken shelter, after escaping from other parts of Gaza. Hundreds of thousands are being forced to flee again. Israel says its operation is limited and aimed at targeting the last s...

Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have met more than 40 times in the last 10 years, and Putin's latest visit to China comes as Russia's dependence on Beijing has increased due to sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine. So, could this deepening friendship lead to a shift in alliances and the global balance of power? 

In this episode:

• Andy Mok, Senior Research Fellow at Center for China and Globalisation.
• Chri...

Donald Trump has accepted a challenge to face off against President Joe Biden in two TV debates, setting the stage for the US Presidential Election. But will they actually take place? And what difference could they make in the race to the White House?

In this episode:

• Brian Stelter, Journalist.
• Elaine Kamarck, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
• Steve Herman, Chief National Correspondent at Voice of America. 

Angry protests in Georgia. The Parliament has approved a so-called 'foreign agents' bill.
Critics say it steers the country away from democracy, by adopting a Russian-style system. So what's next for Georgia? And could this end its aspirations to join the EU?

In this episode:

• Hans Gutbrod, Professor, Public Policy, Illia State University, Georgia.
• Ketevan Shoshiashvili, Senior Researcher, Transparency International.
• Da...

A predicted sharp right turn. From Italy to France, Germany and the Netherlands, right-wing and far-right parties have made significant gains across Europe ahead of June's parliamentary elections. So, what's at stake? And what are the consequences for the continent and the world?

In this episode:

• Pieter Cleppe, Editor-in-Chief, BrusselsReport.eu.
• Anna Maria Corazza Bildt, MEP Candidate, Renew Europe Group.
• Aurelien Mondon...

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his troops are locked in fierce battles in northeastern Ukraine, where the Russian army is taking control of villages and attacking energy facilities. How significant is this latest Russian offensive in Kharkiv?

In this episode:

• Hanna Shelest, Security Studies Program Director, Ukrainian Prism. 
• Roger Hilton, Defence and Security Fellow, GLOBSEC.
• Pavel Felgenhauer, Independent Russian De...

Voters are going to the polls in Indian-administered Kashmir. It's the first parliamentary elections since Narendra Modi's government cancelled the region's partial autonomy in 2019. And for the first time in years, people aren't boycotting the vote.The prime minister says repealing Kashmir's special status has helped integrate it with the rest of the country. He also says it's brought peace and development after decades of separat...

Overwhelming support at the UN General Assembly for Palestine's bid for full membership. It comes as condemnation of Israel's war on Gaza increases. But the US says it will veto the motion again at the Security Council. So what difference could the resolution make?

In this episode:

• Jeffrey Sachs, Former Advisor, UN Secretary Generals.
• Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary, Palestinian National Initiative.
• Yossi Mekelberg, ...

China's president Xi Jinping has wrapped up his first trip to Europe in five years, visiting France, Serbia and Hungary. So, what did he achieve during this tour?

In this episode:

• David Mahon, Founder and Chairman of Mahon China.
• Steve Tsang, Director of SOAS China Institute, University of London.
• Nenad Stekic, Research Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics.

Host: Neave Barker 

Joe Biden has issued the strongest warning yet over a potential ground invasion of Rafah by Israeli forces, threatening to stop supplying arms which have been part of the United States' efforts 'to secure Israel'. So, what's behind Biden's warning?

• Scott Lucas, Professor at University College Dublin's Clinton Institute. 
• Tahani Mustafa, Senior Palestine Analyst with the NGO International Crisis Group. 
• Me...

Israel's seizure of the Rafah Crossing worsens an already dire situation for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza. Their last gateway to the outside world, is now closed. Why has Israel defied the US over this? And what could the consequences be for all sides?

In this episode:

• Salman Sheikh, Founder, The Sheikh Group.
• Nour Odeh, Political Analyst.
• H.A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Pea...

Russia's president Vladimir Putin has been installed for a fifth term with his hold on power firmer than ever. But the war in Ukraine has led to the worst relations with the West since the Cold War. So what will six more years of Putin mean for Russia and the world?

In this episode:

• Andrey Baklanov, Deputy Chairman, Association of Russian Diplomats. 
• Philip Short, Biographer of Vladimir Putin. 
• Christopher Weafer, CEO, Ma...

Al Jazeera banned in Israel. The government's move condemned by the network as a criminal act against international and humanitarian law. Al Jazeera has shown the realities of what's happening in Gaza. But what's behind this ban? And how effective will it be?

In this episode:

• Ronnie Kasrils, A Leading Anti-apartheid Activist. 
• Maria Ressa, Co-Founder, Rappler. 
• Jonathan Dagher, Head, Middle East Desk, Reporters Without B...

After a landslide win in the last general election, the UK's governing Conservative Party's support collapses in local elections in England. Gains for the Labour Party - dented however by its stance on the war on Gaza. So, how significant are these election results?

In this episode:

• Chris Wilkins, Former Director, Strategy, for Prime Minister Theresa May.
• Peter Geoghegan, Author, 'Democracy For Sale'.
• Alistair Jones, Asso...

For years, Israel and Turkey had been crucial trade partners. It was a commercial relationship worth nearly 7-billion dollars a year. But Israel's war on Gaza changed all that. The Turkish government has been demanding a halt to the violence that's killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians. Ankara has now announced a total trade ban until Israel agrees to a ceasefire. But has President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acted under domestic pressure, af...

Successive US administrations across the political divide have backed Israel since it was created in 1948.  But polls suggest that unequivocal public support now appears to be waning, especially among the young.
A Pew Research study two years ago indicated that only 41% in the age-group of 18 to 29 had a favourable view of Israel. And many from this generation are now protesting in university campuses against the war on Gaza. 

Standoffs between police and Palestine solidarity protesters on US college campuses are intensifying. Violent confrontations are giving rise to fears of outside interference. Politicians are taking sides. How will the protests affect President Joe Biden's bid for a second term?

In this episode:

Niambi Carter -- Associate Professor, University of Maryland 
Rami Khouri -- Political analyst  
James Davis -- Republican st...

The 'time is now' -  Antony Blinken striking an urgent tone in his attempts to get a ceasefire in Gaza. America's top diplomat says a strong proposal is on the table, as he makes his seventh visit to the Middle East since fighting began in October. That's as indirect negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, carry on in Egypt. But questions are being raised about the chances of an agreement after Israeli Prime Minister...

A political standoff in Georgia. The government says a bill it's trying to pass for a second time would regulate foreign influence and protect the country's sovereignty. But critics are protesting it would crush freedoms. European leaders have criticised the bill. Can the crisis undermine Georgia's ambition to join the European Union?

In this episode:

• Mariam Lashkhi, Member, Georgian Parliament.

• Thornike Gordadze, Fe...