Battle Lines

This week on Battle Lines we speak to Middle East correspondent Jotam Confino for the latest updates from Israel, where Israelis took to the streets as Hamas executed more hostages. Then, we speak to our Europe editor James Crisp on the rise of the far right in Germany.Contributors David Knowles (Host)Jotam Confino (Middle East correspondent)James Crisp (Europe Editor)

Ukraine has stunned the world in the Black Sea, pushing back the Russian fleet and sinking numerous vessels. Is it really true that drones have fundamentally changed war at sea? And what is happening in China, where the production of new military vessels is dwarfing the efforts of Western countries? We spoke to former Royal Navy officer Tom Sharp to find out more.ContributorsDavid KnowlesTom Sharp

This week we discuss the biggest Israeli military operation in the West Bank since the Second Intifada and Hezbollah's rocket attack against Israel. We also take a trip into the skies above Gaza with one of our reporters for a rare bird's eye glimpse into the territory. Plus, an al Qaeda linked group has been accused of murdering hundreds of people in Burkina Faso. We discuss jihadists and the security situation in the Sahel region.ContributorsVenetia RaineySophia YanBen Farmer

In this episode of Battle Lines we speak to Tony Diver about his conversation with families of the Israeli hostages who are desperate for a ceasefire deal. Then we speak to Akhtar Makoii who reports on the Taliban soldiers longing for a battle. ContributorsRoland Oliphant (Host)Tony Diver (US editor)Akhtar MakoiiRead‘Sitting in an office is boring’: Taliban soldiers long for war by Akhtar Makoii

On this bonus episode of Battle Lines we talk to Peter Schwartzstein, author of the upcoming book The Heat and the Fury. From ISIS training grounds in Iraq to the pirate-ridden waters of Bangladesh Peter discovers the unexpected ways in which climate change is feeding global unrest and conflict. ContributorsVenetia Rainey (Host)Peter Schwartzstein (Author, The Heat and the Fury)Pre-order The Heat and the Fury HERE

On today's episode, Global Health Editor Paul Nuki joins me from Tel Aviv to report on the mammoth diplomatic effort to avert a full scale war between Israel and Iran. Then we talk to Associate Editor Dominic Nicholls about Ukraine's operation in Kursk, the first foreign incursion into Russia since the Second World War and how it could tip the balance of the conflict in Ukraine.ContributorsRoland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent, Host)Paul Nuki (Global Health Security Editor) Dominic Nicholls (Associate Editor Defense)

In this episode of Battle Lines, we look at how Israel is preparing for a possible war with Iran and a deep dive into how Hamas fights with Middle East Correspondent Jotam Confino. We also pop over to Paris to talk to the Telegraph's Henry Samuel's and see how the French have been covering the riots and what advice they would give the UK. Plus we get an explainer of the political turmoil in Bangladesh with Sarah Newey.ContributorsVenetia Rainey (Host)Jotam Confino (Middle East correspondent)Henry Samuels (Paris correspondent)Sarah Newey (Global Health Security correspondent)ReadHow Hamas fights by Jotam Confino

This week on Battle Lines we look at the assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in the Middle East that are raising fears of a wider war throughout the region amid chaos in the state of Israel. Then we look at the controversial Venezuelan elections that President Maduro claims to have won despite a disputed outcome. ContributorsDavid Knowles (Host)Venetia Rainey (Host)James Rothwell (Berlin correspondent) Paul Nuki (Global Health Security Editor)Simeon Tegel

The tyrant was once thought to be an endangered species. From Vladimir Putin to Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un, there is a new generation of leaders for life. But are they as strong as they look? Marcel Dirsus has written a book looking at that exact question. How tyrants fall. Is there a way to help them along the way? And is it always a good idea to do so?ContributorsRoland OliphantMarcel Dirsus