In this episode, we dive into the controversial decision surrounding the Chagos Islands, with Donald Trump reportedly signing off on a deal to return them to Mauritius. Venetia Rainey sits down with Associate Political Editor Tony Diver to discuss the potential security implications for the UK, US, and Asia, and why Trump might have suddenly backed this move. We also explore the possibility of Trump serving a third term, as political expert Bruce Peabody breaks down the legal options that could make it feasible. He outlines six scenarios that have been around for decades and explains why Trump's camp are not the first to hint at such a move.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/31/iran-urged-to-strike-diego-garcia-base-immediately/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/01/donald-trump-signs-off-keir-starmer-chagos-deal/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/01/mauritius-chagos-islands-agalga-indian-ocean-india-china/

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Myanmar is reeling from a major earthquake that has hit residents who are already struggling to survive amid a brutal four-year civil war. Venetia Rainey speaks to Asia correspondent Sarah Newey about her recent reporting trip from inside the country about how this will affect the junta’s grip on power and why things are likely to go from bad to worse. 

Plus, we look at a major debate underway in Australia about the growing risk posed by China after Beijing sent an unprecedented naval flotilla to circle the country. With snap elections now called for May, Sam Roggeveen, Director of the Lowy Institute’s International Security Program, explains why there is a tussle over the defence budget and how well equipped the Australian Defence Force is.

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This week, we discovered that recent US airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen were coordinated over the unsecured Signal messaging app, where officials accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor of The Atlantic, to the group chat. This astonishing security lapse offered a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into America’s top national security figures as they make high-stakes decisions. So, what did we learn?

Plus: As Vice President J.D. Vance visits America’s air base in Northern Greenland following Donald Trump’s declaration that he will do whatever it takes to assert control over the island, we examine what a potential US annexation means for Denmark, Greenland, and the broader Arctic.

Roland Oliphant is joined by David Blair, former foreign policy speech writer at No10, Curt Mills, Executive Editor of The American Conservative, Danish politician and MEP Anders Vistisen, and Charly Salonius-Pasternak, CEO of Nordic West Office.

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Turkey and Israel: two Middle Eastern democracies in crisis. Venetia Rainey talks to Süddeutsche Zeitung journalist Raphael Geiger in Istanbul about why President Recep Tayyep Erdogan's arrest of the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has sparked rare protests, and what might happen next. 

Henry Bodkin, our correspondent in Israel, explains how the sacking of Ronen Bar, the head of the internal security agency Shin Bet, has sparked fears that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is consolidating unprecedented power and removing critics.

Read:

'Netanyahu spy scandal leaves PM fighting on two fronts' by Henry Bodkin:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/22/netanyahu-spy-scandal-leaves-pm-fighting-on-two-fronts/

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Canadians are angry, very angry. US president Donald Trump is not backing down from his annexation plans - and this week he even called the country "nasty".

On last week's episode, we looked at a small minority of Canadian separatists who said they would welcome Trump's plan to turn Canada into the 51st state. It caused quite a stir among our Canadian listeners. So on today's episode, we go back to Canada and look at the majority's view on Trump's expansionist plans and how the current crisis is affecting politics there in unusual ways ahead of new Prime Minister Mark Carney calling a snap election expected in April.

We hear first-hand from some of our Canadian listeners and Roland Oliphant is joined by Mark MacKinnon, senior international correspondent at Canadian broadsheet, The Globe and Mail.

Read:

'We want to live in America’s 51st state: The Canadians pledging their loyalty to Trump' by Memphis Barker:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/03/15/the-canadians-who-want-trump-to-turn-canada-into-51st-state/

Listen:

Trump Edition: Annexing Canada, negotiating with Russia and containing China

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trump-edition-annexing-canada-negotiating-with-russia/id1712903296?i=1000699135822

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After just two months of a shaky ceasefire deal, the Israel Hamas war has restarted. On Tuesday morning, Israel launched a series of what it described as "extensive strikes" right across the entire Gaza Strip.

The death toll currently stands at more than 400, including many children, with nearly 600 more people wounded, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. That number is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled from the rubble.  A spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said this morning that Israel was left with no choice after Hamas refused a US-Israeli proposal to extend the ceasefire, which technically elapsed at the beginning of this month.

To make sense of all this, Venetia Rainey speaks to a Palestinian aid worker for MSF in Gaza, the cousin of Israeli slain hostage Tal Haimi, whose body is still held by Hamas, and The Telegraph's Jerusalem correspondent Henry Bodkin.

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Over the weekend, the United States launched what it called 'powerful and decisive' airstrikes against the Houthis, the Iranian backed rebel group that controls much of Yemen. The Houthis say the death toll so far stands at 53, including two children. American officials said the strikes aimed at the Houthi leadership and came in response to the group's threat to resume strikes on shipping in the Red Sea. But it's not just about Yemen. On Monday afternoon, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that 'Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, and from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran.'

Iran, he said, will be held responsible and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire. So what does this new wave of strikes mean for the people of Yemen and for the wider Middle East? Roland Oliphant speaks with Farea Al-Muslimi, research fellow at Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa program.

Plus: as a UN helicopter is attacked in South Sudan raising fears of a return to civil war, we hear diary extracts from Dr Ryan McHenry who spent three months working with MSF in the country's arduous circumstances.

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Donald Trump has long expressed a desire to make Canada the 51st state of the US, with tensions rising as the two countries engage in a trade war. Canada has implemented retaliatory tariffs against Trump’s policies, and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Trump of trying to weaken the Canadian economy to make annexation easier. Polling suggests 90% of Canadians say they would oppose becoming part of the US, but not everyone shares that view. Telegraph foreign correspondent Memphis Barker meets with those who believe joining the US might not be such a bad idea.

Plus: Thomas Wright, strategic and national security advisor in the Biden White House, speaks with Roland Oliphant about Trump's approach to Russia and China, and the surprising continuity between the Biden and Trump administrations.

For more context on the issue of Canada, listen to the episode 'Trump edition: The Canadians fighting back against annexation'

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trump-edition-the-canadians-fighting-back-against/id1712903296?i=1000700229713

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On this Bonus episode, Roland Oliphant speaks with Reza Pahlavi, the son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran who was overthrown in 1979. The Crown Prince has lived in exile ever since, but he now believes the regime could be heading for collapse and is positioning himself as the potential figurehead of a democratic transition. We asked him why he thinks Iran is headed for a revolution like the one that overthrew his father, why he believes he could lead such a change, and what he thinks Western governments should do in this delicate moment in Iranian history.

This episode is part of a new series of regular bonus material that Battle Lines will be releasing every month. From extended interviews with key political and defence figures to deep dives into the state of the world's biggest militaries, all you need to do to hear these episodes as soon as they're released is subscribe to The Telegraph and link your subscription in Apple Podcasts. For more information, click here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/contact-us/telegraph-subscription-bonus-content-apple-podcasts/

Read more

'Iran’s Crown Prince: My country is on the brink of a revolution like that of 1979' by Roland Oliphant:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/23/crown-prince-reza-pahlavi-iran-on-the-brink-of-revolution/

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As Iran carries out military drills with Russia and China, Venetia Rainey chats to Telegraph reporter Akhtar Makoii about the country's attempts to build up its army with new weapons and new capabilities. They also discuss Iran's renewed attempts to strike a nuclear deal, and why Donald Trump's threatening letter to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei might backfire. 

Plus: The war in Sudan continues to rage with no sign of resolution. The Telegraph's global health reporter Lilia Sebouai and photographer Simon Townsley gained rare access to Sudan's Nuba Mountains. They tell Roland Oliphant the stories they heard first-hand, including the way mass rape is being used as a weapon of war by the Rapid Support Forces.

Read more

'Iran unveils new ‘stealth fighter’ drone for bombing and reconnaissance' by Akhtar Makoii:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/04/iran-unveil-stealth-fighter-drone/

'Putin agrees to help Trump start direct talks with Iran' by Akhtar Makoii:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/03/04/putin-agrees-help-trump-direct-talks-with-iran/

'Dispatch: Children reduced to skin and bones in war-torn Sudan’s forgotten famine' by Lilia Sebouai and Simon Townsley:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/sudan-war-famine-nuba-malnutrition-starvation-conflict/

Children as young as four among victims of gang-rape and ethnic cleansing in war-torn Sudan by Lilia Sebouai and Simon Townsley:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/terror-and-security/child-victims-of-gang-rape-and-ethnic-cleansing-sudan-war/

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