The Inside Story Podcast

More than two dozen aid workers are facing trial on the Greek island of Lesbos for helping migrants reach the country between 2016 and 2018. Their charges include spying and smuggling. Rights groups say the case is politically motivated. So, what's going on? 

Join host Hashem Ahelbarra.

With guests: 

Giorgos Kosmopolous - Senior campaigner at Amnesty international.

Marianna Karakoulaki - Journalist focusing on refugees.

Pieter Cleppe - Editor of Brussels Report.eu.

Germany has suspended approval for the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline which would bring Russian gas to Europe. The project is complete and ready to supply energy to the region, so why is it being halted? Is the decision politically motivated?

Join host Hashem Ahelbarra. 

With guests:

Ulrich Brueckner - Professor of Political Science at Stanford University.

Pavel Felgenhauer - Political Commentator and Columnist for Novaya Gazeta.

Cornelia Meyer - Economist and Oil and Gas Specialist.

Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping held their first virtual summit with the aim of resolving differences between the US and China, a relationship often described as tense and fraught. So, did they succeed?

Join host Rob Mathison.

With guests:

Victor Gao - Chair Professor of Soochow University. 

Heino Klinck - Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia. 

Glenn Diesen - Professor of International Relations at the University of South-Eastern Norway.

When the Libyan revolution brought down Muammar Gaddafi 10 years so, many thought his name was consigned to history. Now his son, Saif Al Islam Gaddafi, is running for president. What are his chances? And what will the vote mean for Libya? 

Join host Nastasya Tay.

With guests:

Youcef Bouandel - Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Qatar University.

Anas El Gomati - Director of the Sadeq Institute.

Mustafa Fetouri - Journalist and Contributor to Middle East Monitor.

South Africa's last Apartheid president has died of cancer at the age of 85. To some, FW de Klerk was a Nobel Peace Prize winner who put the country on the path to democracy. To others, he was the last bastion of a grotesque regime. With South Africa still being one of the most divided and unequal societies in the world, what legacy does de Klerk leave behind?

Join host Hashem Ahelbarra.

With guests:

Thembisa Fakude - Senior Research Fellow at Africa Asia Dialogues.

Kim Heller - political analyst and author of the book "No White Lies: Black Politics and White power".

Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota - President  of the Congress of the People, and a Member of the South African Parliament.

A US delegation of lawmakers is visiting Taiwan in a move that has sparked condemnation from China. President Xi Jinping has warned against returning to Cold War-era tensions in the region. So, what's behind the West's sudden interest in Taiwan? 

Join host Sami Zeidan.

With guests:

Brian Hioe - Writer and Founder of New Bloom Magazine.

Robert Kelly - Professor of political science and diplomacy at Pusan National University.

Victor Gao - Chair Professor at Soochow University.

International diplomatic efforts are underway to try to end the year-long conflict in Ethiopia. As Tigrayan rebels advance on the capital Addis Ababa, many fear the country could descend into a wider civil war. So who, if anyone, can mediate the crisis?

Join host Sami Zeidan.

With guests:

Samuel Getachew - Independent Journalist. 

William Davison - Senior Ethiopia Analyst, International Crisis Group. 

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning - Director of Research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Center.

Thousands of migrants are stuck in limbo at the Poland-Belarus border amid soaring tensions between the two countries. As Poland ramps up efforts to stop people entering, it has accused Belarus of using the migrants in retaliation against sanctions. So, what's going on? 

Join host Sami Zeidan. 

With guests:

Viktor Olevich - Lead Expert, Center for Actual Politics. 

Liliana Śmiech - Director of Analysis, Warsaw Institute. 

Pieter Cleppe - Editor, Brussels Report.EU & EU Policy Analyst.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic. After years of making it difficult for health workers to vaccinate children, the Afghan Taliban has announced a nationwide immunisation campaign. So what's changed? And could the disease finally be eradicated?

Join host Mohammed Jamjoom.

With guests:

Dr Nek Wali Shah Momin - Afghan National Emergency Operations Centre for the Eradication of Polio.

Dr Nadeem Jan - Public Health Doctor.

Lutfullah Lutf - Researcher & Political Analyst.

The World Health Organization has warned that Europe could see half a million more deaths by February as the continent finds itself, once again, at the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what went wrong? And will people have to spend another winter in lockdown?

Join host Rob Matheson.

With guests:

Annelies Wilder-Smith - Professor at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. 

Lawrence Young - Infectious Diseases Specialist at Warwick University. 

Maria Ganczak - Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of Zielona Gora.