Amanpour

A categoric denial from the Russian Ambassador to the UK today, as Andrei Kelin tells Christiane that Moscow using nuclear weapons is “out of the question,” in a revealing interview. This after the British, American and French governments sent Moscow a stern warning this week, fearing Russia is preparing for an escalation in Ukraine by planting false flag alarms. But the ambassador’s firm stance may not calm fears; after all, Russian officials said all along they were not going to invade Ukraine, yet they did. Kelin is a veteran foreign service officer whose portfolio has included arms control and NATO relations, and he sat down with Christiane at the ambassador’s residence in London. 

Also on today's show: US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry; Russian investigative journalist Yevgenia Albats.

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Without any evidence – and despite denials by Kyiv and Washington – Moscow is claiming that Ukraine plans to use a “dirty bomb” on its territory. Ukraine’s foreign minister calls the story a “pure Russian lie” and says no one should be fooled. As the grinding military battle continues, Ukraine makes hard fought gains in the east and south while Ukraine’s citizens are hunkered down for a possible winter of energy blackouts after vital infrastructure was hit by Russia. President Zelensky’s chief diplomatic adviser joins the program.

Also on the program: bestselling author Jon Meacham details Abraham Lincoln’s most difficult decisions in his new book And There Was Light, plus Scott Jennings and Tom Perez discuss the upcoming midterm elections.

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After a tumultuous several weeks, Britain has a new prime minister and possibly some stability. The former chancellor Rishi Sunak takes over after the implosion of Liz Truss, who in turn took over after Boris Johnson had to resign. Sunak will be the first person of color in the post, and at 42, the youngest in two centuries. To discuss the challenges ahead, Christiane speaks with editor of The Spectator magazine Fraser Nelson, and Ayesha Hazarika, a former Labour Party adviser. 

Also on today's show: Clea Newman Soderlund, daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, talks about her father's posthumous memoir Paul Newman: The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man; MacArthur Fellowship winner Reuben J. Miller; Edward Enninful, Editor-in-Chief at British Vogue.

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From Bosnia to Syria to Ukraine, war crimes are an all-too-common reality wherever conflict arises. The failed promise of “never again” after the Holocaust rings hollow time and time again, and with fewer survivors living to tell the tale with every passing year, testimonies like today's first guest become more vital than ever. Tova Friedman was just five years old when she was taken to Auschwitz, where several members of her family were killed. Now she is sharing her life story in a new memoir, The Daughter of Auschwitz. She joins the program alongside her co-author, journalist Malcolm Brabant, to discuss what compelled her to tell her story now, in all its painful details. 

Also on today's show: Johanna Hamilton & Yoruba Richen, co-directors of the new documentary, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks; AOL co-founder Steve Case.

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Resigning after just 45 days in office, Liz Truss has cemented herself as the United Kingdom’s shortest-serving prime minister. She presided over a period of chaos: her economic plan tanked the pound and sent markets into freefall, raised interest rates and threw ordinary people into panic about their mortgages and the cost of living. Her slew of tax cuts for the wealthy has been ditched now by her new chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Now, the Conservative Party will hold yet another leadership election, aiming to have another prime minister in place by next Friday. But the calls for a general election are growing louder. Can – and should – the Conservative Party really govern Britain right now? Former Conservative MP and minister Sir Alan Duncan joins the program, followed by Labour MP and Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy. 

Also on today's show: Robert Draper, author of Weapons of Mass Delusion; wildly popular Iranian singer Googoosh.

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Millions of Americans have already turned out in early voting for this year’s midterms in a number of states, setting up a battle between two competing visions for America. While Republicans hammer home messages on inflation and the economy, Democrats focus on defending democracy and the rights of women and families. But with President Biden facing low approval ratings on the economy, it's a tough political environment for Democrats right now. Correspondent Jeff Zeleny looks at a closely-watched race in Michigan. 

Also on today's show: Nic Robertson on the realities of Russia's war; Ben Macintyre, author of Prisoners of the Castle; US Senate Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse; Matthew Delmont, author of Half American.

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Concern is growing about Elnaz Rekabi, the 33-year-old Iranian athlete who competed in South Korea on Sunday without a mandatory hijab. On social media today, Rekabi said there was a problem climbing with the covering, apologized, and said she was returning to Iran. Now rights groups based abroad are raising the alarm about what might happen to her once she’s home. It comes amid ongoing protests by Iranian women and male allies, sparked by the death of police custody of Mahsa Amini. Amini was an Iranian Kurd, and that community has borne the brunt of the regime’s crackdown. Now some are fleeing across the border to Iraqi Kurdistan and joining armed opposition groups. Correspondent Nima Elbagir traveled there to learn more about this budding insurgency. 

Also on today's show: British MP Crispin Blunt, the first Conservative Member of Parliament to call for new Prime Minister Liz Truss' ouster; author Anand Giridharadas; Gina Kim, executive producer of Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day in March.

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What's happening in the UK right now has heads spinning around the globe. New Prime Minister Liz Truss is already scrambling to survive. Her new chancellor Jeremy Hunt today brought down the axe on nearly all of her tax-cutting plan after it sent the markets spiraling. To make sense of all of this, Christiane spoke to Rory Stewart, former conservative party MP and cabinet minister, and economist Mariana Mazzucato. 

Also on today's show: Frank Tsai, the founder of China Crossroads, which works closely with academic and business figures in China; Rana Faroohar, a global economic analyst for CNN and columnist at the Financial Times; actor Jeremy Strong and director James gray discuss their new movie Armageddon Time.

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It’s a dangerous time for Russians speaking out against President Vladimir Putin – though many still bravely do so. Russian human rights group Memorial has been working since the 1980s to expose abuses by the Russian state. The Nobel committee recognized this in awarding the group this year’s Peace Prize, which it shares with Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, and an imprisoned Belarusian human rights advocate. Christiane speaks with its Chairman Jan Raczynski about the Nobel honor and his fight against repression. 

Also on today's show: Defending Democracy Together cofounder Sarah Longwell; artist Barbara Chase-Riboud.

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Temperatures are falling in Europe, so the urgency is rising to get Ukraine ready for winter warfare. NATO defense ministers have just wrapped up two days of meetings in Brussels, with Germany, the Netherlands and France rushing air defense systems to the country after Russia launched a wave of missile attacks that killed civilians. The alliance also says it will go ahead with its annual nuclear exercises planned for next week, amid Putin’s veiled threats about tactical nuclear weapons. For more on this, Christiane speaks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. 

Also on today's show: Professor Vali Nasr, a former State Department official, gives his take on the continuing Iran protests; Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice at the ACLU, discusses misconceptions about transgender health and rights.

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