The Inside Story Podcast

That's come after the Senate failed to agree on extending federal spending. Hundreds of thousands of employees are affected. But how is it being felt across the country? And what is it costing the economy? In this episode:  Eric Ham - Political Analyst and Author of ‘The GOP Civil War: Inside the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party’. Drew Friedman - Reporter...

European leaders meet to discuss Russia and the Ukraine war - after a surge in attacks by both sides in September. More sanctions are under discussion - and new defences against Russian drones. So what next for peace efforts - or are Russia and Europe moving closer to conflict? In this episode:  Mattia Nelles - CEO and co-founder of the German-Ukrainian Bureau. Eldar Mamedov - Non-Resident Fe...

A vital speech for UK prime minister Keir Starmer to rally his party - hoping to reverse dismal poll ratings a year on from a huge election win. Immigration policy and the right-wing Reform UK party pose serious challenges. Can Starmer overcome them - and if not, what next?  In this episode:  Patrick Diamond - Professor in Public Policy at Queen Mary University of London. Jenni...

A 20-point plan unveiled by US President Donald Trump to end the war on Gaza with Israel's prime minister by his side. It's been welcomed internationally while Hamas studies the details. So, what's on the table? And what does it mean for Palestinians?  In this episode:  Salman Shaikh, Founder, The Shaikh Group.  Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary General, Palestinian National Initiat...

Calls for Israel to be banned from global sports and cultural competitions are growing. Many argue it should not take part in international events while committing genocide in Gaza. With next year's World Cup and Eurovision Song Contest on the line, what's the case for and against barring Israel?  In this episode:  Ashish Prashar, Campaign Director, Game Over Israel campaign.  Dan P...

Iran is once again under pressure for its nuclear programme. The UN has reimposed sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal. Tehran insists its programme is peaceful, but Western countries say it's not. So, what's next in this long-standing crisis? And does diplomacy still stand a chance? In this episode:  Ellie Geranmayeh, Senior Policy Fellow, European Council on Foreign Relati...

Israel has spied on millions of Palestinians using Microsoft's powerful technology. Now, the high-tech giant says it's cancelled some of its services to the Israeli army. But as the military expands its devastating war on Gaza, is this move enough? And will it make any difference on the ground? In this episode:  Rob Pegoraro - Technology journalist and Analyst. Taghreed El-Khod...

Reviving ties between Turkiye and the U.S. Donald Trump hints at lifting sanctions on Ankara buying F-35 jets during a meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In return, Turkiye is urged to stop buying Russian oil. So, can this lead to a closer alignment between Washington and Ankara? In this episode:  Alan Makovsky - senior policy analyst and former staff member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs...

Will Donald Trump's plan for Gaza work? The U.S. President has presented a proposal to end Israel's war on the strip. And he's secured firm support from regional leaders. But what about the two main players: Hamas and Israel? In this episode:  Thomas Warrick - former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Counterterrorism Policy. Daoud Kuttab - journalist and columnist. Faisal Abdulham...

Contrasting speeches and world visions at the United Nations General Assembly. Attacks on the validity of the UN from US President Donald Trump before he met other world leaders there to discuss Gaza and Ukraine. So, how important is the UN General Assembly in today's world?  In this episode:  Ravi Agrawal, Editor in Chief, Foreign Policy.  Maleeha Lodhi, Former Pakistani Ambassador...

Artificial intelligence is the tech revolution of our times. But more than 100 countries are falling way behind those leading the AI surge and are losing out. That's what the UN General Assembly will hear this week. So what's the risk of a digital divide in AI?  In this episode:  Rahul Dogra, Founder, A.I. World Today.  Atoosa Kasirzadeh, Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon Univers...

NATO sends more forces east after Russia is again accused of violating a member state's airspace. Ukraine hit by some of the largest drone strikes of the war while it attacks Russian energy facilities. What's happened to diplomatic efforts to end the conflict?  In this episode:  Peter Zalmayev, Executive Director, Eurasia Democracy Initiative.  Chris Weafer, CEO, Macro-Advisory...

A mosque bombed in Sudan is the latest atrocity in a conflict that's caused the world's worst humanitarian crisis, says the UN. A new US-led political initiative gets a cool response from Khartoum. What's happening in the conflict and what hopes for peace?  In this episode:  Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, Executive Director, Fikra for Studies and Development.  Kholood Khair, Sudanese Politic...

Will the US and China reach a deal on TikTok? Donald Trump says an agreement is well on the way, after a call with Xi Jinping. But why is the Chinese social media app problematic in America? And who stands to gain from the sale of its US operations? In this episode:  Richard Weitz, Senior Non-Resident Associate Fellow, NATO Defense College. Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow, Centre for In...

Yet again, the US blocks a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. It's the sixth time Washington has used its veto power since October 2023. Where does this leave the UN's relevance in the war? And what are the options for international action? In this episode:  William Lawrence - Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at American Universit...

The European Commission calls for a suspension of free trade agreements with Israel in response to the war on Gaza. It also wants to sanction two government ministers. But some EU countries oppose the move. Will it be enough to force Israel to stop its genocide? In this episode:  Yannis Koutsomitis - European affairs analyst Akiva Eldar - Israeli political analyst. Ulrich Brück...

Israel has committed genocide in the Gaza Strip, says the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry. Israel's accused of committing genocidal acts defined by global conventions. But will this new report make any difference to the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza? In this episode:  Jonathan Kuttab, International Human Rights Lawyer. Mouin Rabbani, Political Analyst.  Toby Cadma...

The United Nations General Assembly meets to debate next week. Crises including the Gaza genocide, Ukraine war and climate change are placing the world body under severe scrutiny. It's also facing pressure from the Trump administration. What role can the gathering of world nations play?  In this episode:  Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor, International Relations, Dublin...

More than a hundred thousand people demonstrate in London against immigration - with arrests after violent clashes with police. The rally was organised by a far-right activist with criminal convictions, backed by Elon Musk. What are the implications?  In this episode:  Peter Geoghegan, Editor, Democracy for Sale. Jennifer Nadel, Director and Co-Founder, Compassion in Politics. Tariq Ali,...

Russia and Ukraine target each other with large-scale drone attacks. Tension rises in Europe after Russian drone incursions in Poland and Romania. US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war have failed so far. So, what's next?  In this episode:  Pavel Felgenhauer, Defence and Russian Foreign Policy Analyst. Steven Erlanger, Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe, The New York T...

International condemnation at the UN Security Council for Israel's attack on Qatar. Qatari prime minister meets US President Donald Trump ahead of a regional summit in Doha. What can Gulf states do? And how much has Israel's attack damaged the US? In this episode:  Muhanad Seloom, Assistant Professor, Critical Security Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.  Omar Rahman, Fellow, M...

An attack that exposes the deep polarisation in America. The shooting of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk has triggered fears of a cycle of political violence. But what's fuelling this trend in the US? And what are the implications? In this episode:  Eric Ham - U.S. political analyst and author Greg Swenson - Political commentator and chairman of Republicans Overseas UK Richard Sc...

How much of a burden has Israel become for the US? Washington stands accused of shielding Benjamin Netanyahu's government as it continues its genocide in Gaza. From providing weapons to using veto power, is there no limit to how far will the US go in defending Tel Aviv? In this episode:  Glenn Carle, Former CIA officer and National Security Analyst Ori Goldberg, Academic and political comment...

Israel's strike in Qatar is condemned around the world. Benjamin Netanyahu says it targeted leaders of Hamas. It comes as he's expanding Israel's war on Gaza. So, how will this strike affect the conflict - and the talks to reach a deal? In this episode:  Ali Ghanem Al-Hajri, Political Commentator.  Stephen Zunes, Professor, Politics and International Studies, University of...

France's prime minister quits after losing a confidence vote in parliament. There's a sense of deja vu. The country is in a deep financial crisis that a succession of prime ministers hasn't been able to resolve. But what's behind it all? And could the European Union step in? In this episode:  Jean-Christophe Gallien, Political analyst and Communications Strategist.  Jonathan Portes, Prof...