Weapons of war have increasingly found their way into the arsenals of domestic police forces. Few people know that better than protesters in Bangladesh. During the 2024 student uprising, the UN estimates that as many as 1,400 people were killed - the vast majority of them by firearms used by state security forces.

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Paetongtarn Shinawatra dismissed after leaked phone call scandal. Thailand's prime minister has been dismissed by the Constitutional court. Judges ruled Paetongtarn Shinawatra failed to defend the nation's interests in a leaked phone call with a powerful Cambodian official. So, what are the consequences of her dismissal?

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Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber-intelligence division, has long been compared to the US National Security Agency. Its veterans are now embedded in US tech companies, shaping how the world’s data is managed, and making deals worth billions. What does it mean for privacy and security?

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The US has taken a stake in Intel chipmaker as part of a push to secure domestic production and reduce reliance on China. The acquisition is the most significant intervention in private business since the 2008 financial crisis. Supporters call it a smart industrial policy that will protect jobs and national security. But critics warn that this could mark a shift in the relationship between government and private companies, raising concerns about how much control a president should have over business.

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Under the glow of filters and flawless selfies, a growing number of people are reshaping their bodies to match online beauty ideals. This episode looks at how platforms like Instagram and TikTok, along with celebrity influence, are fuelling a global surge in cosmetic procedures. Why are so many heading overseas for treatments? We expose the risks behind the glossy advertisements, from botched surgeries to lasting health fallout.

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Filmmaker Huibert van Wijk explores the complexities of international adoption through the lens of his own family’s experiences. His adopted brother, Tim, and their father, Lex, have been estranged for years due to tensions surrounding Tim’s adoption. While Lex saw adoption as a good deed, Tim was left with deep psychological scars. As the Netherlands plans to phase out international adoption, both men share a sense of regret as they look back on their past.

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Outrage in Lebanon after the US envoy calls journalists 'animalistic'. Tom Barrack's comments come at a time when the US president has stepped up his attacks on media he dislikes. So, what's behind this hostility towards journalists within the Trump administration? And are there wider implications beyond the US?

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Thousands of US troops are on warships heading to Venezuela’s coast. President Donald Trump says the move is part of his administration’s fight against drug cartels that the US has labelled terrorist organizations. In response, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has ordered troops to the border and called on citizens to mobilize to defend the country. Is Trump’s aggressive move about fighting drugs or a signal of broader US intervention?

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France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have triggered a mechanism to reimpose sanctions on Iran after a series of meetings failed to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear programme. The three European countries, collectively known as the E3, had been warning Tehran for weeks that United Nations sanctions could be reimposed by October. This is when a 2015 nuclear agreement between Tehran and major world powers is set to expire. Thursday's decision opens a 30-day window before the sanctions are officially reinstated. It follows a warning earlier this week from a spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who stated that renewing the sanctions would have serious consequences. The E3 has accused Tehran of violating key provisions of the 2015 nuclear pact, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under that agreement, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions on its economy.

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Giorgio Cafiero, the CEO of Gulf State Analytics, joins the show to discuss Israel’s bombing of Hamas negotiators in Doha, Qatar, as they gather to discuss Trump’s “ceasefire” proposal. Qatar, which hosts the US military's Central Command, condemned the Israeli strike, but did not militarily respond. Cafiero will discuss the unprecedented Israeli attack on a regional US security partner, the dubious chances for ceasefire talks and the threat of greater regional war. Tadhg Hickey, a comedian and activist, joins the show aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla after Israeli drone strikes hit two ships attempting to break the siege of Gaza. Despite another Israeli attack on the humanitarian mission, Hickey and flotilla participants aren’t turning back, determined to stop Israel’s starvation of Gaza as it reaches catastrophic levels. Jon Elmer, contributing editor at The Electronic Intifada, joins the show to discuss Israel’s bombing of Gaza City and its impending ground invasion. Elmer will provide an update on the Palestinian resistance, as Gaza’s fighters continue to strike military targets and settlements despite suffering losses in 700 days of genocidal war, in which Israel has failed to achieve its stated military goals. Ju-Hyun Park, a member of Nodutdol and the Web Editor at BreakThrough News, joins the show to break down why ICE stormed a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia. Nearly 500 workers were arrested, including American citizens and Korean visa holders in the largest single-site immigration raid in U.S. history. Park will explain why ROK politicians accuse the Trump admin of using this as a form of “blackmail” in trade talks in which Seoul pledged billions for U.S. investments in exchange for lower tariffs.

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