Oliver McTernan: Is peace in the Middle East an impossible dream?
Sarah Montague speaks to former Catholic priest Oliver McTernan who has spent more than two decades working in conflict resolution in the Middle East. He is the director of the organisation Forward Thinking and was involved in negotiations that led to the release of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011. While he has no formal role in the current talks over the war in Gaza, he regularly speaks to senior figures in both Hamas and the Israeli government. Given the history of this protracted conflict, does he hold any hope that it will ever be resolved?
17 Jul 202423min
Maria Butina: Is time on Russia's side?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Maria Butina, member of the State Duma for President Putin’s United Russia party. The war in Ukraine now hinges on strength of will and staying power: the fighting is attritional, the bloodshed horrendous, and Nato has just reaffirmed its commitment to Kyiv. Two and a half years after the invasion, is time really on Russia’s side?
15 Jul 202422min
Laurie Bristow: The West's failure in Afghanistan
Stephen Sackur speaks to Sir Laurie Bristow, Britain’s last Ambassador to Afghanistan who led a desperate evacuation when Kabul fell to the Taliban three years ago. What are his reflections on the significance of the West’s strategic failure in Afghanistan?
12 Jul 202422min
Ilya Ponomarev: How significant is Russian resistance to Putin?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who’s now a key leader of an anti-Putin armed resistance movement active both inside and outside Russia. As Putin’s assault on Ukraine grinds on, how significant is this Russian resistance?
9 Jul 202422min
Asma Khan: Can cooking change the world?
Stephen Sackur is in the heart of London to speak with Indian-born restaurateur and activist Asma Khan. She created the first all-female, high-end Indian restaurant in the world
8 Jul 202422min
Husam Zomlot: Is diplomacy dead in the Israel-Gaza conflict?
Stephen Sackur speaks to the top Palestinian diplomat in London, Husam Zomlot. As Israel’s military assault on Gaza approaches the nine-month mark, with the Palestinian death toll still rising, Israeli hostages still in captivity and ceasefire hopes seemingly dashed, is diplomacy dead in the water?
2 Jul 202422min
Anne Enright: Changing Ireland
Stephen Sackur speaks to Anne Enright, the Irish novelist whose fiction digs deep into the dynamics of family, motherhood, and sexuality. In the course of her long writing career, just how much has Ireland changed?
1 Jul 202423min
Fabrice Leggeri: What would a far-right victory mean for France?
Stephen Sackur speaks to Fabrice Leggeri, an MEP in Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party. The far right has high hopes of winning power in parliamentary elections in France over the next two weeks. The once unthinkable is now very possible – what would it mean for France and Europe?
26 Jun 202422min
