The Inside Story Podcast

Libya’s civil war is now in its sixth year.

A host of countries is involved in providing support to the two sides vying for power; the UN-backed government of Fayez al Sarraj, and the warlord Khalifa Haftar.

At a summit in Berlin on Sunday, world leaders agreed to respect a UN arms embargo, and work towards a permanent ceasefire.

Sarraj and Haftar both attended the talks, but refused to sit in the same room.

However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes the meeting helped lay the groundwork for another meeting in Geneva later this month.

So who has the power to stop Libya's slide further into crisis?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Issa Tuwegiar - former Libyan Minister of Planning

Virginie Collombier - Professor at the Middle East Directions Programme in the European University Institute

Galip Dalay - Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford

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For three months now, people in Lebanon have been demanding change.

A worsening economic crisis means many can't find jobs, pay for basic goods...or even withdraw money from the bank.

And after months of peaceful rallies, the protesters are calling for a week of rage.

Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse crowds near the parliament in Beirut on Saturday. Nearly 400 people were injured.

Protesters are repeating their demand for Lebanon's sectarian political system to end and a government of independent experts with no links with traditional parties be installed.

So what's needed to break the stalemate?

And are Lebanon's leaders willing to change the political system?

Protests have turned violent in Lebanon's capital Beirut after a delay in the formation of a new cabinet.

Demonstrations have been mostly peaceful since Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation in October, however protests escalated this week due to frustration with the ongoing economic crisis.

Protesters aimed rocks, molotov cocktails and fireworks at security forces, who fired back with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon.

As many people in Lebanon struggle to find employment and pay for basic goods, they blame the political elite for corruption and mismanagement.

Will Lebanon's leaders be able to satisfy the protesters' demands?

And how will they bring an end to the economic problems?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Rania Masri - elected council member of the political party Citizens in a State

Jamil Mouawad - lecturer in politics at American University in Beirut

Elias Farhat - retired Lebanese military general

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The UK has added Lebanon's entire Hezbollah movement to its blacklist of what it terms terrorist organisations.

And now it’s freezing Hezbollah’s assets, and will prosecute anyone in the UK who continues to have accounts or financial services connected to the group.

It was in March last year that the British government said it could no longer distinguish between the political and the military wings of Hezbollah.

But it took until this week before it announced it was going after the group’s finances.

The United States has welcomed the decision, saying it had long been seeking such a move from its European allies.

But why now? Is Iran the real target?

And does it complicate an already tense situation in the Middle East?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Afzal Ashraf, assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham's Centre for Conflict, Security and Terrorism

Kamel Wazne, expert on Hezbollah and a director at the Center for American Strategic Studies in Beirut

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding.

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Russia's Parliament has overwhelmingly approved the nation's new Prime Minister.

The former head of the federal tax service, Mikhail Mishustin will succeed Dmitry Medvedev.

He resigned along with the entire government on Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin announced major consitutional changes.

The reforms could see Putin keep influence over policy, even after his final term as president ends in 2024.

So how will Putin retain his grip on power and what does this political transition mean for Russia?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Viktor Olevich, lead expert at the Center for Actual Politics.

Amy Knight, expert on history of the Soviet Union and Russia.

Simon Saradzhyan, Director of the Russia Matters Project at the Harvard Kennedy School.

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After more than two years of escalating tarrifs and a seemingly never-ending trade war, the US and China have agreed on a first step towards a truce.

If it holds, it could be a boost for U.S. President Donald Trump in an election year.

But who will benefit the most from this initial phase of a broader trade agreement?

China has promised to open up its markets and buy more US goods.

In exchange, the US will lift some tarrifs. Yet most will stay in place - and that's where the problems start.

So, could this really be the beginning of the end of the trade war between the US and China?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Dan Wang, analyst for the Economist Intelligence Unit's Access China Service.

Hosuk Lee-Makiyama, Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy and a former Swedish Representative to the World Trade Organization.

Phil Caruso, Member of the Defense Council at the Truman National Security Project and a former Intelligence officer in the US Air Force.

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It was a brief confrontation between what's seen as Sudan's old guard and the new administration.

Yet, the revolt from within the ranks of the security services posed a major challenge for the transitional government.

Members of a disbanded intelligence unit were angry at the terms of their dismissal.

They'd played a large role in cracking down on the nationwide protests against President Omar Al Bachir that started in December 2018.

Fighting broke out on Tuesday in the capital Khartoum and the city's airspace was briefly closed.

The unrest ended when the security agents surrendered.

So what does it mean for Sudan's transition to a civilian rule?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests

Hajooj Kuka, filmmaker and activist.

Alex De Waal, Executive Director of the World Peace Foundation at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

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Our oceans are heating up, and fast.

Sea temperatures in 2019 were the highest on record.

Oceans are the clearest measure of climate change, since they absorb 90 per cent of the world's heat.

Warmer seas mean more intense storms, droughts, floods and wildfires.

The study is the latest warning on the climate crisis facing our planet.

However, greenhouse gas emissions are still at record levels.

Are we starting to tune out to the constant stream of bad news on the climate? If so, how should we change the conversation?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Anto Mohsin - Assistant Professor at Northwestern University in Qatar who researches energy and the environment.

Heike Vesper - Director of Marine Programmes at the World Wildlife Fund

Cornelia Meyer - Energy economist and CEO of Meyer Resources.

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Last year was the worst yet in the fight against armed groups in the Sahel region of West Africa.

The UN says the unprecedented rise in 'terrorist violence' killed more than 4,000 Africans.

The unrest has continued into the new year, with 89 soldiers from Niger killed on Thursday at a military base near the border with Mali.

France and five regional countries - Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali and Mauritania- have thousands of troops fighting groups, some linked to ISIL and Al Qaeda.

But anger against the operation - and France - is growing.

President Emmanuel Macron has hosted a summit to discuss whether French soldiers should stay.

Has the military campaign failed?

And could the conflict spread further in West Africa?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Emmanuel Dupuy - President, Institute of European Perspective and Security

Hannah Armstrong - Senior Consulting Sahel Analyst, International Crisis Group

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning - Professor of Security Studies, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #WestAfrica

Last year was the worst yet in the fight against armed groups in the Sahel region of West Africa.

The UN says the unprecedented rise in 'terrorist violence' killed more than 4,000 Africans.

The unrest has continued into the new year, with 89 soldiers from Niger killed on Thursday at a military base near the border with Mali.

France and five regional countries - Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Mali and Mauritania- have thousands of troops fighting groups, some linked to ISIL and Al Qaeda.

But anger against the operation - and France - is growing.

President Emmanuel Macron has hosted a summit to discuss whether French soldiers should stay.

Has the military campaign failed?

And could the conflict spread further in West Africa?

Presenter: Martine Dennis

Guests:

Emmanuel Dupuy - President, Institute of European Perspective and Security

Hannah Armstrong - Senior Consulting Sahel Analyst, International Crisis Group

Emmanuel Kwesi Aning - Professor of Security Studies, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre

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#AlJazeeraEnglish #InsideStory #WestAfrica

Tsai Ing-Wen’s emphatic re-election win sent a clear message that Taiwan rejects China’s plan for reunification with the island.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for the president, whose party suffered major losses in local elections just a year ago.

However, months of anti-government protests in nearby Hong Kong boosted her campaign. Scenes of police cracking down on demonstrators appear to have galvanised younger voters.

Tsai warned that Taiwan's democratic rights must be preserved. The island has its own military, currency and a passport accepted in most countries. But, crucially, it does not have a seat at the United Nations.

Only 15 countries officially recognise Taiwan’s democratic government...and the United States is not one of them. But Washington is the island's most important ally and trading partner.

So how might Beijing respond to Tsai Ing-Wen’s win, which gives her a second term in office?

And how far is the U.S. prepared to go to defend Taiwan?

Presenter:

Martine Dennis

Guests:

Joseph Cheng, retired professor of political science at City University of Hong Kong.

Andy Mok, senior research fellow with the Centre for China and Globalisation.

Drew Thompson, visiting senior research fellow with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and a former U.S. Defense Department official.

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