Centre Stage

Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur opens up about challenges on the court, athletes speaking out and having her first child. Ons Jabeur is the Qatar Foundation international ambassador of its Creating Pathways program. The five-sport program that aims to expand opportunities for women and girls, develop local athletic talent, and create sustainable pathways from grassroots participation to high-per...

Since October 2023, UNRWA has faced attacks by Israel’s government, funding cuts from the US, and legal cases questioning the organisation's neutrality. During that time, Israeli forces have killed more than 380 UNRWA staff in Gaza. In this episode of Centre Stage, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Hassan speaks with UNRWA’s commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini, about Israel’s ban o...

In this episode of Centre Stage, Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Hassan speaks with Ali Omar, Somalia’s minister of state for foreign affairs, about Somaliland’s secession bid backed by Israel, the fight against al-Shabab and Somalia’s break with the UAE.

In this episode of Centre Stage, lawyer and international justice expert Ruben Carranza says that who stands trial at the ICC reflects the priorities of the countries enforcing its mandates and reflects on his work in the Philippines and elsewhere helping institute transitional justice mechanisms.  This episode is hosted by Al Jazeera Digital’s Mohamed Hassan.  Connect with us: @AJ...

In this episode of Centre Stage, political philosopher and historian Roy Casagranda delivers a sharp analysis of the US. He explains why the US is increasingly relying on military and economic coercion, and why the global landscape today feels eerily like the “1930s 2.0”. This episode is hosted by Al Jazeera English’s Cyril Vanier. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on  Twitter ,...

Iranian-born author and professor Trita Parsi joins Centre Stage to unpack the history between the US and Iran, Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Washington's role as a strategic player in an increasingly divided world. He also breaks down Tehran’s relationships with groups like Hezbollah and Hamas and how those alliances have shaped its regional position. Parsi is also the co-founder and e...

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is journalist Karen Attiah. The Washington Post fired Attiah in September from her role as Global Opinions editor over one of her social media posts. It was written in the aftermath of the assassination of American right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. Attiah, who’d been with The Washington Post for more than a decade, is contesting the decision, call...

Dr Mohammed Mustafa joins Centre Stage to talk about the horrific realities he witnessed during his volunteer postings in Gaza. The Australian emergency physician of Palestinian heritage witnessed first-hand Israel’s war on Gaza and discusses the immense pressure of making life-and-death decisions and what recognition of Palestinian statehood really means at this stage. Connect with us: @AJE...

Fifty years after independence, Mozambique is navigating the challenges of a young democracy—from conflict and displacement to the urgent need for inclusive development. President Chapo shares how he’s tackling these issues while working to position Mozambique as a key player in Southern Africa. He talks about the country’s past, the importance of unity and his vision for a peace...

Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, bestselling author and niece of US President Donald Trump, joins Centre Stage to offer her analysis of her uncle’s influence on US politics, the evolution of the Republican Party and what the 2025 elections revealed about the state and future of US democracy. Mary Trump gained prominence with her bestselling book, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family...

Dr Mimi Syed, a US emergency physician, joins Centre Stage to talk about the horrific reality she witnessed during her two trips to Gaza in 2024. She shares evidence she says indicates the Israeli military is deliberately targeting children, the stories she carries from the patients and families she met and explains why she believes the US is no longer merely an accessory to Israel’s war on...

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Zach Foster, a Jewish historian of Palestine.  He joins us to discuss his work on preserving Palestinian maps and archival materials, despite the deliberate destruction of archives by Israel. Foster explains his journey from growing up in a Zionist household to advocating for the rights and history of Palestinians. Phil Lavelle is a TV news corres...

French political analyst Francois Burgat was charged with supporting terrorism over a social media post he shared, which included a statement by Hamas. He was later acquitted. Burgat joins Centre Stage to unpack the case, the politics behind it, and what he believes it reveals about free speech and support for Palestine in the West. This episode is produced in partnership with the Islam and Muslim...

Rula Shadid, discusses the global perception of Palestine and Western complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on  X ,  Instagram ,  Facebook , and  YouTube

Olivier Roy, a professor of Orientalism, talks about the roots of Orientalism and the enduring myth of how only the West represents progress. From colonial-era narratives to modern-day politics, Roy explores how the Global South is still perceived through a Eurocentric lens — and what that says about our civilisation, modernity and the West’s ongoing struggle with pluralism. Connect wi...

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Dr Gabor Mate, a retired physician, author and Holocaust survivor who has written extensively on trauma and child development, as well as Israel and Palestine. Mate talks about the colonial foundations of Zionism, how living under it has traumatised Palestinians and the ways mainstream media distorts the realities on the ground in Gaza. Phil Lavelle is...

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is scholar and activist Norman Finkelstein. He discusses his latest book on the role of identity politics in the repression of campus protests in support of Palestine. Finkelstein explores how contradictions in wokeism are being weaponised against the pro-Palestine movement and what that means for free speech today. Phil Lavelle is a TV news correspondent...

Jeremy Corbyn, an Independent MP in the UK Parliament, has long fought for economic justice, peace and a British foreign policy that tries to atone for its imperial legacy. In this episode, he talks about the cost of standing with Palestine, and why Europe may need to unite against a US-led trade war. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on  Instagram,  X , Facebook and  YouTube

Harvard fights back against the administration’s cuts — will it succeed? Andrew Manuel Crespo, lead counsel for Harvard’s faculty, discusses the administration’s assault on US higher education Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on  Instagram,  X , Facebook ,  Threads  and  YouTube

International lawyer Ralph Wilde joins Centre Stage to talk about the 2024 landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice that deems Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories illegal — and why it must cease immediately. Wilde provides detailed analysis, which he presented to the court, and tells Al Jazeera principal presenter Cyril Vanier what Israel and the internation...

Pulitzer Prize winning author Nathan Thrall joins Centre Stage to talk about how his experiences, working and living in Israel, Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, drove him to write, A Day in the Life of Abed Salama . Witnessing the discrimination and subjugation of Palestinians, Thrall speaks about Israel’s decades-long system of apartheid and why he still has hope for the future....

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Humza Yousaf, the former first minister of Scotland who made history as the first Muslim to lead a Western country. Yousaf talks about the challenges of being an ethnic-minority leader in an often hostile political climate, the rise of the far-right in Europe and how five countries holding a veto at the UN Security Council ought to be considered a reli...

Patrick Haenni, an author and researcher specialising in Syria, shares his expertise on Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. Haenni discusses HTS’s origins and ideological transformation and reveals how the armed group played a key role in achieving what no other faction could — ending the Assad regime. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on  Twitter ,  Instagram,  Facebook ,  Threads &...

British plastic surgeon, Dr Victoria Rose, travelled to Gaza twice this year to provide life-saving medical care to children wounded by the genocide in Gaza. Rose talks about her difficult experiences of working in the Gaza Strip despite the continued attacks on healthcare facilities and medics by the Israeli military, and what the medical community is doing to try to affect change. Connect with u...

In this episode of Centre Stage, our guest is Palestinian American activist and adjunct professor Amin Husain. New York University suspended Husain indefinitely for statements he made off campus about Palestine. Husain is also the founder of Decolonize This Place, an art collective that promotes social justice. He talks about why Israel’s war on Gaza resonates with students and faculty on universi...