The Inside Story Podcast

Sudan's army says it's pulled out of el-Fasher in the north Darfur region. The area is now said to be under the control of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. So, how significant is this development? Is there a risk Sudan could break up? And who can stop the dire humanitarian crisis there? In this episode:  Caroline Bouvard, Country Director, Sudan Mission of Solidarities Internationa...

From armed struggle to politics. The Kurdistan Workers' Party says it's withdrawing from Turkey after a decades-long fight for a Kurdish homeland. So, how will Turkey build on this move? And what does it mean for Kurds across the region? In this episode:  Hiwa Osman, Former Adviser, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani (2005-2008). Mohammed D Salih, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy R...

US President Donald Trump says an international stabilisation force will operate in Gaza soon. Hours later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel can veto which countries take part. What are the challenges facing such a force and in setting it up?  In this episode:  Tamer Qarmout, Associate Professor, Public Policy, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. Tahani Mustafa, V...

US strikes near Venezuela - which President Donald Trump says are targeting drugs gangs.  That's disputed, but the major military mobilisation has brought the issue of narcotics centre stage.  How bad is the problem in the US - and what's Trump's strategy?  In this episode:  Sanho Tree - Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and Director of the Drug Policy Project. Carrie...

The Israeli parliament votes to annex the occupied West Bank - a move unlikely to become law but described as an 'insult' by the U.S. vice president. Donald Trump insists annexation won't happen, but settler violence is escalating.  Are US-Israeli relations in upheaval?  In this episode:  Alon Pinkas - Former Israeli ambassador and Consul General in New York. Mark Pfeifle - Republic...

U.S. President Donald Trump sanctions Russia's two biggest oil companies - after scrapping a summit with President Vladimir Putin on the Ukraine war. New EU measures too - targeting Russian oil and assets. Will they bring an end to the war any closer? In this episode:  Anatol Lieven - Director of the Eurasia Programme at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Steven Erlang...

Has the world lost its fight against malaria? A new report suggest the resurgence of the mosquito-borne disease could cause more deaths, particularly in parts of Africa. But what's behind this? And what should be done to avoid a catastrophe? In this episode:  Joy Phumaphi, Former Minister of Health of Botswana and former Assistant Director General, WHO Tanya Haj-Hassan, Paediatric Intens...

How will China tackle its many challenges in the coming five years? Its Communist Party's top leadership is meeting behind closed-doors to draft a plan. From domestic issues to its trade war with the United States, Beijing has so much to deal with. But does it have a clear vision? In this episode:  Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation. Shirley Ze Yu...

Israel breaches the Gaza ceasefire killing dozens of Palestinians. Now, it says it's returned to the deal but warns Hamas it hinges on handing over the captives' remains. So, how challenging will it be to move to the next phase? And how far will the guarantors go to enforce it? In this episode:  Alon Pinkas, Former Israeli Ambassador.  Hussein Haridy, Former Egyptian Assistant Forei...

After a week of cross-border violence, Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to an immediate ceasefire. Islamabad accuses its neighbour of harbouring armed groups, allegations that Kabul denies. So, will this lead to lasting peace? And how does the conflict play out regionally? In this episode:  Javaid Ur-Rahman, Investigative Journalist.  Elizabeth Threlkeld, Senior Fellow and D...

Hamas hands over the remains of another captive as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel. Eighteen bodies remain in Gaza and the group says it needs heavy machinery to retrieve them. But Israel says Hamas knows where they are. So is time running out? And will Israel use the delay as an excuse to resume the war? In this episode:  Ori Goldberg - Israeli political commentato...

Palestinians are returning to 16 million tonnes of rubble and there's concern evidence that lies under the ruins could be erased. So, will the ceasefire make genocide harder to prove? And is there enough international political will to investigate war crimes in Gaza? In this episode:  Sawsan Zaher - Palestinian human rights lawyer. Dr Mads Gilbert - Researcher and medical doctor who...

The Palestinian Authority says it's ready to operate Gaza's only gateway to the outside world - a vital window to the outside world. But for now, the PA has been sidelined by the US-brokered ceasefire deal. So, who will be in control of Gaza's lifeline? In this episode:  Mustafa Barghouti - Secretary General at the Palestinian National Initiative. Tahani Mustafa - Visiting Fellow at the Europ...

Nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners released as part of the ceasefire deal describe what they went through in Israeli jails. But with many of their loved ones killed and homes destroyed what will their fragile freedom look like under Israeli occupation? And what does the future hold for those forced into exile? In this episode:  Milena Ansari, The Israel and Palestine Researcher...

How will Donald Trump enforce his plan for Gaza? In his address to the Israeli Knesset and in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, the US President urged leaders to move past conflicts. But how challenging will that be? In this episode:  Ori Goldberg, Political Commentator. Phyllis Bennis, Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies. Muhammad Shehada, Political Analyst. Host:  Nick Clark Connect with us:...

What's the US planning for the Middle East? President Donald Trump came to the region on Monday to cement his plan for peace in Gaza. He says the end of the war ushers in a historic new dawn. But can he succeed where his predecessors have failed? In this episode:  Sarah Eltantawi, Professor, Fordham University.  Yezid Sayigh, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Middle East Center.  Ke...

Israel agrees to release thousands of Palestinian prisoners as the ceasefire holds. It has detained tens of thousands since its occupation of Palestine. Many have never been convicted of crimes. So why has Israel arrested that many Palestinians? And has this policy served its occupation? In this episode:  Naji Abbas, Director, Prisoners and Detainees, Physicians for Human...

Holding onto their land. After resisting forcible transfer, Palestinians are returning to northern Gaza during the ceasefire. Both Israel and the U.S. wanted to remove them from the strip. So, has a new Nakba been averted? In this episode:  Ines Abdel Razek - Co-director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy. Ilan Pappe - Chairman of the Nakba Memorial Foundation. Gha...

Demilitarisation and no role for Hamas and other factions in the future governance of Gaza. That's part of US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan which led to the ceasefire deal. So what's next for the Palestinian resistance movements?  In this episode:  Muhammad Shehada - Senior Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.  Andreas Krieg - Associate Professor at the Scho...

A ceasefire agreement for Gaza - and cautious hopes among Palestinians of an end to two years of genocide. US president Donald Trump announced the deal - after putting pressure on Israel to agree. What impact has the war had on Israeli-US relations?  In this episode:  Yossi Mekelberg - Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House. Rami Khouri - Distinguished Fellow at the American Universit...

A US military build-up and strikes on boats near Venezuela. President Donald Trump says he's targeting drug gangs - without presenting evidence. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says he'll stand up to Washington - with his country now on high-alert. So, what's next?  In this episode:  Elias Ferrer, Founder of Orinoco Research Paola Bautista de Aleman, Member of the Venezuelan oppositi...

France's political turmoil deepens - President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister in less than two years quits after just 27 days and his government lasting just 14 hours. The Left and Right want elections and for Macron to quit. So, what's next for France?  In this episode:  Thierry Mariani, Member, European Parliament, National Rally Party. Eleonore Caroit, Member, Renaissance...

Will parliamentary elections in Syria lead to a democratic transition? The country has held its first indirect vote since the overthrow of the al-Assad regime. The new parliament is due to pass a new constitution. But with Syria still facing challenges and some minorities excluded, will this poll serve any purpose? In this episode:  Celine Kasem, Human Rights Activist. Omer Ozkizilcik, Non-Re...

Talks to implement Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza are underway. The proposal aims to end Israel's war on the strip, but ignores its decades-long occupation. So, could there ever be peace if Israel continues to occupy Palestinian territories? In this episode:  Andrew Gilmour, Former UN Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights. Victor Kattan, Assistant Professor, Public Int...

The U.S. president tells Israel to stop bombing the strip. Now, negotiations will seek to implement the plan. So, are they likely to work? And can the war finally come to an end? In this episode:  Mouin Rabbani - Researcher, Analyst and Co-Editor of Jadaliyya.  Yossi Mekelberg - Political Analyst and Senior Consulting Fellow at Chatham House. Muhammad Shehada - Analyst from Gaz...