The Inside Story Podcast

Starvation threatens the people of Gaza due to Israel's blockade. Food and vital supplies are running out across the strip. Yet, Israel is calling up sixty-thousand more reservists to intensify military action. So why is this happening?  In this episode:  Olga Cherevko, Spokeswoman, United Nations Office, Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Gaza City. Sami Al-Arian, Director, Center...

The United Nations says a funding crisis is putting millions of people in danger. An internal review of the organisation is also reported to be looking for drastic cuts and reforms. That's after its biggest donor, the US, has slashed foreign aid. So what's next for the UN? In this episode:  Sherine Tadros, UN Representative, Amnesty International. Martin Griffiths, Director, Mediation Group I...

Mike Waltz has been dropped as US national security advisor. It's the first big shift in personnel of Donald Trump's second term. Weeks ago, Waltz added a journalist to a chat group of senior officials sharing secret information. Is that why he's being moved - or is there more going on? In this episode:  John Halterwanger, reporter at Foreign Policy Magazine covering U.S. national security Am...

Sudan is suffering the world's worst famine in four decades says the United Nations as conflict between government and paramilitary forces rages. Yet international aid, never needed more than now, is dwindling. What's next for the people of Sudan? In this episode:  Amgad Fareid Eltayeb, Executive Director of Fikra for Studies and Development. Kholood Khair, Founding Director of Conf...

US President Donald Trump marks 100 days of his second term -- a time for the US and the world to take stock, and perhaps, a breather. The 100 day mark has been a political yardstick for nearly a century. So, is it important? What does it tell us? In this episode:  Niall Stanage, White House Columnist, The Hill.  Patrick Mara, Chairman, DC Republican Party.  Michael Fauntroy, P...

In one of the greatest political comebacks in Canadian history, Mark Carney has kept the governing Liberal Party in power. It was an intense campaign dominated by tariffs and threats of annexation from US President Donald Trump. So, where does Canada go from here? In this episode:  Robert Fife, Ottawa Bureau Chief, The Globe and Mail.  Shachi Kurl, President, Angus Reid Institute. Camero...

The International Court of Justice hears another case against Israel - in what could be a test of Israeli defiance of international law. More than 40 nations argue its ban on the UN agency for Palestinian refugees is a breach of the UN charter. So, can the world court hold Israel to account this time?  In this episode:  Sam Rose, Senior Acting Director, UNRWA Affairs in Gaza. ...

An extraordinary meeting and a conversation labelled 'historic'. Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in St Peter's Basilica to talk peace in Ukraine, as Washington says a deal is 'very close'. But is it? In this episode:  Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian Member of Parliament.  Rachel Rizzo, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council's Europe Center. Alexander Braterskya, Independent Journalist....

With Pope Francis' funeral, the world's 1.4 billion Catholics are turning the page on an era of reform and liberalism. Now, the Vatican faces the questions - what will its next chapter look like - and how will the next Pope wield the power of the Church? In this episode:  Kayode Akintola, Head, Africa Region, Catholic Agency for Overseas Development. Glenda Miro Antonio, Founder and President...

The United Nations urges calm between India and Pakistan. Relations have plummeted after gunmen killed tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir. Furious rhetoric and diplomatic actions by both sides are keeping tensions high. How serious is this crisis? In this episode:  Maleeha Lodhi, Columnist for DAWN newspaper and former Pakistani ambassador Sumantra Bose, Author of ‘K...

Russia's biggest attack on Kyiv in months, after a day of chaotic diplomacy, ending with the US president accusing Ukraine of prolonging the war. Kyiv has rejected Washington's proposal it concede Crimea and other occupied territory to Moscow. So what's next? In this episode:  Peter Zalmayev, Executive Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative.  Pavel Felgenhauer, Russian foreign...

Global financial turmoil tops the agenda as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank hold meetings in Washington DC. The organisations face significant challenges -- and criticism too. Can they help vulnerable countries or will Western interests take priority? In this episode:  Ali Hasanain, Associate Professor, Lahore University of Management Sciences. Vicky Pryce, Chief Economic Advis...

Kenya's president on a five-day state visit to China, its largest lender, while Beijing's trade war with Washington intensifies. How is it worsening? And what's the impact on countries like Kenya, which do business with both economic superpowers? In this episode:  Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow, Taihe Institute.  Robert Scott, Independent International Economist. David Omojomolo, Emerging M...

Many say he was a Pope like no other. Outspoken and forthright, Pope Francis took a stand on many critical issues facing our world. The head of the Roman Catholic Church called out the Israeli government while appealing for peace in Gaza. And criticised right-wing European politicians, as he advocated for an open door policy for migrants and refugees. So, how will he be remembered?...

A controversial return. Former Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila is back home after a self-imposed exile. The government accuses Kabila of backing the M23 rebels who have seized large areas in eastern DRC. So, what does Kabila's return mean for the fragile security situation? In this episode:  Fidel Amakye Owusu, Chief Executive, Def-SEC Analytics Africa. Andrew Mwenda, Edi...

The US President's patience is running thin. Washington's efforts to end the war in Ukraine are making little progress, and the Trump administration is threatening to walk away. Will the warning push Russia and Ukraine to engage seriously to end the conflict now in its third year?  In this episode:  Vladimir Sotnikov, Associate Professor, International Relations, Higher School...

Xi Jinping has rallied south-east Asian nations against Donald Trump's trade war, uniting them against what he calls 'unilateral bullying' by the U.S. So, did he succeed in winning support against America's sweeping tariffs? In this episode:  Shaun Rein, Director, China Market Research Group. Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at Hinrich Foundation. Paolo Von Schirach, President of Global Pol...

Universities threatened, NGOs and media outlets targeted, US overseas agencies shut. The Trump administration has taken drastic action against hundreds of organisations. Why is this happening and what does it mean for the US and its global standing? In this episode:  David Cay Johnston, Author of three books on Donald Trump and professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology.  Ryan En...

Attacks on judges and threats to defy the courts - increasing tension between the Trump administration and US judiciary. Some believe it's a constitutional crisis; others say the president is simply doing what he promised voters. How serious is this and what's at stake? In this episode:  Bruce Fein, Former US Associate Deputy Attorney General. Allen Orr, Immigration Chairperson, National Bar...

Two years of conflict in Sudan between troops loyal to the army and those backing the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Regional countries have been supporting different sides. But, what's the impact on neighbouring countries? And could the conflict spread?  In this episode:  Justin Lynch, Managing Director, Conflict Insights Group. Mohy Omer, Former Senior Sudan Policy Advisor, Biden a...

Israel bombs one of the last working hospitals in Gaza, a place where usually treatable health conditions can now mean death. Targeting health facilities is a war crime, yet, it still happens. So, what's the impact of Israel's attacks on patients and doctors?  In this episode:  Olga Cherevko, Spokesperson, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Gaza....

He led a coup in Gabon, promising to hand power back to civilians. But General Brice Oligui Nguema has just won Saturday's election, and will lead the country for the next seven years. So, will this lead to democratic change and reforms? In this episode:  Jo Dioumy Moubassango, Member, Gabon's Parliament.  Victor Doke, Professor, International Politics, Peace and Security, Kofi Annan Int...

While the US is pushing for a quick end, the Europeans are increasing their military aid to Kyiv. And with no end in sight to the fighting, can those differences be bridged? In this episode:  Hanna Shelest, Director, Security Programmes, Ukrainian Prism. Glenn Diesen, Professor, International Relations, University of South-Eastern Norway.  Domitilla Sagramoso, Senior Lecturer, Conflict a...

Israel and Turkiye have held talks over Syria in a bid to avoid clashes there. Benjamin Netanyahu's government says Turkish military bases in post-Assad Syria is a red line. But what if that line is crossed? In this episode:  Barin Kayaoglu, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Area Studies at the Social Sciences University of Ankara. Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle East...

Drumming up more support for Ukraine against Russia. European countries are considering deploying troops. They're promising more aid as well. It all comes as Donald Trump says he will end the conflict. But can Europeans alone change the course of the war in Ukraine? In this episode:  Pieter Cleppe -- Editor-in-Chief of BrusselsReport.eu. Marina Miron -- Researcher, War Studies...