Battle Lines is The Telegraph’s foreign policy, geopolitics and global conflict podcast. It offers expert analysis and on-the-ground reporting everywhere from China and the United States to the Middle East and Europe.
Twice a week, veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you on-the-ground dispatches from the world’s most volatile regions and informed analysis from world-class experts.
Whether it’s the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza conflict, Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, tensions between India and Pakistan, or the civil war in Sudan, Battle Lines covers the world’s most critical flashpoints with depth and clarity.
When will China invade Taiwan? Can Trump bring peace to the Middle East? What should Europe do to help Ukraine beat Russia? Is Iran building a nuclear bomb? What is the point of NATO? Can the United Kingdom still defend itself?
Created by David Knowles, Battle Lines answers all these questions and more, bringing together the best of The Telegraph’s international, geopolitical, and conflict reporting in one place.
Plus, every Friday, the podcast delves into the seismic impact US President Donald Trump is having on the world - from peace talks to tariffs to migration policy.
Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict and foreign affairs.
Telegraph subscribers get early access to bonus episodes of Battle Lines and its sister podcast, Ukraine: The Latest. You can subscribe within The Telegraph app, or tap on ‘Already a subscriber’ at the top of this page to log in to link your existing subscription, for more information click here.
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In today’s episode we get two rare insides from the ground. Our team of reporters just returned from the frontline in Kharkiv and Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council witnessed the humanitarian crisis unravelling in Sudan as a result of the ongoing war. Venetia Rainey catches up with both of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lebanon and Hezbollah have struck a ceasefire deal - but how will it work and is Gaza next? For this emergency podcast, Venetia Rainey is joined by Maya Gebeily, Reuters Beirut Bureau Chief, and Jotam Confino, The Telegraph’s correspondent in Israel, to take the temperature on the ground. Plus, as thousands of displaced people in both Lebanon and Israel return home to survey the damage of 14 months of war, we look at why the deal is being treated with caution on both sides. Hosted on Acast. See ...
One year on from the last Gaza hostage deal, Venetia Rainey speaks with Sharone Lifschitz, whose father was kidnapped on October 7th and is still being held hostage by Hamas. We also hear from Amani Ahmed, a Palestinian academic from Gaza, who was at the University of Edinburgh when the war began and after a long ordeal managed to be reunited with her family. Plus: an update of the last week's big news stories from the Middle East, including the ICC arrest warrants, Israel's attempt to assassina...
Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph’s Sarah Newey to talk about her interview with one of the international combatants fighting in Myanmar’s brutal civil war. Plus: as violence escalates in Haiti, MSF are suspending activities in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince until further notice. We hear from their head of mission about the decision and what the mood is like on the ground. Contributors Roland Oliphant (Host) Sarah Newey (Global Health Security Correspondent) Christophe Garnier ...
Con Coughlin, the Telegraph’s defence and foreign affairs editor, joins Venetia Rainey to discuss Israel’s strike on Hezbollah’s spokesman Mohammad Afif, the pope’s calls for an investigation into potential genocide in Gaza and how the geopolitical landscape might shift under Donald Trump’s new cabinet. Plus: Sir Keir Starmer’s upcoming meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping. Contributors Venetia Rainey Con Coughlin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
This week, President-elect Donald Trump made key appointments to his diplomatic and security cabinet. What do his picks for Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and Director of National Intelligence reveal about the direction of his foreign policy? In this episode, we take a closer look at the backgrounds and ideologies of these key figures and explore the potential impact on global issues, from the war in Ukraine to the conflict in Gaza and the US-China relationship. Plus: who might the Br...
Israel has said there is progress in talks about a ceasefire and indicated Russia could play a part. On today’s episode of Battle Lines, Venetia and Roland look at what this means and go over the latest news updates from around the region, including a voicenote from an aid worker fleeing northern Gaza and meetings between Iran and Saudi Arabia. They also chat to Reuters’ Beirut Bureau Chief Maya Gebeily about how Lebanese politicians and citizens are coping with the fighting, what is behind Isra...
What will Trump's second term look like? On today's episode of Battle Lines we discuss Donald Trump's re-election and its implications for both the US and the wider world. Contributors Roland Oliphant (Host) Robert Mendick (Chief Reporter) Edward Arnold (Senior Research Fellow at RUSI) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Is Iran preparing another attack on Israel? On today's episode of Battle Lines we discuss what's next for Iran as they look to retaliate for recent strikes from Israel. Plus we hear from Kamal Mouzawak, a Lebanese social entrepreneur who runs a community kitchen to help displaced Lebanese. Contributors Venetia Rainey Roland Oliphant Kamal Mouzawak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
On today's episode of Battle Lines we speak to Deputy US Editor Rozina Sabur to find out what the mood is like on the ground before the US election. Then we talk to the directors of a new documentary, War Game, which had former US government officials simulate a contested election that led to insurgents taking the capital. Contributors Venetia Rainey (Host) Rozina Sabur (Deputy US Editor) Tony Gerber (director of War Games) Jesse Moss (director of War Games) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
How will Iran respond to Israel's attack? On today's episode of Battle Lines we'll update you on everything you need to know about Israel's retaliatory strike on Iran. We'll also be chatting to Karin Huster, a Médecins Sans Frontières doctor in Gaza to get an in depth look at what's really going on in the north of the Strip amidst Israel's ongoing siege. Contributors Venetia Rainey Roland Oliphant Karin Huster Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
On today's episode of Battle Lines we check in with Russia correspondent James Kilner about why dozens of world leaders are meeting in Russia and what it says about Vladimir Putin's plans for a new world order. Then we chat to East Asia correspondent Nicola Smith about how North Korean troops in Ukraine could have major implications in the Western Pacific. Contributors Roland Oliphant James Kilner Nicola Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Who will lead Hamas now that Yahya Sinwar has been killed? On today's episode we get the latest from the Middle East including the significance of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Hezbollah's attempted assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We also talk to our veteran defense and foreign affairs editor, Con Coughlin, about his time in Beirut reporting on the war with Israel back in 1984. Contributors Venetia Rainey Ben Farmer Con Coughlin Hosted on Acast. See acast...
Is China threatening to take action in Taiwan? On today's episode of Battle Lines we'll be looking at China's aggressive war games around Taiwan and what it tells us about their plans to 'reunify' the island with the mainland. Plus, a behind the scenes look at a British royal's trip to the Sudanese-Chad border. Contributors Venetia Rainey (Host) Nicola Smith (Asia correspondent) Henry Bodkin (Senior reporter) Just 10 miles from a war zone, the Duchess of Edinburgh finds a ‘complete atrocity’ by ...
Why does Netanyahu want UN peacekeepers removed from Lebanon and what does the strengthening of ties between Russia and Iran mean for the war in Gaza? On today's special bonus episode of Battle Lines we update you on the latest from the Middle East with our hosts Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant. Contributors Venetia Rainey Roland Oliphant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Will Israel's conflict with Iran go nuclear? On today's episode, we speak to foreign correspondent Ben Farmer for the latest updates from Lebanon, where Israel is expanding its ground offensive against Hezbollah. Then we speak to US academic Henry Sokolski about fears a direct conflict between Israel and Iran could escalate to a nuclear war. Contributors Roland Oliphant (Host) Ben Farmer (Telegraph contributor) Henry Sokolski (Executive Director of the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center Ho...
In this bonus episode of Battle Lines, Senior Foreign Correspondent Sophia Yan checks back in on year later with two friends, Adam Ben-Shabbat and Nadim Tali, who grew up in a village known as the 'Oasis of Peace'. This village, situated between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, is the only village in Israel where Palestinians and Jewish Israelis choose to live together. How is the village dealing with the ongoing war and how do the two friends feel things have changed? Contributors: Sophia Yan (Senior Fo...
One year on from the Hamas massacre of October 7, Israel is still struggling to recover from the trauma of that day. We share three different Israeli perspectives: Telegraph correspondent Jotam Confino, who has reported on the shifts in Israeli society and politics; Yifat Zailer, whose cousin Shiri Bibas is still being held hostage along with her two red-headed young children and husband; and Joel Carmel, a former IDF soldier who examines the reality of the Israeli military's methods through his...
How will Israel respond to Iran's historic missile attack? On today’s emergency episode of Battle Lines we speak to the Telegraph’s Paul Nuki who was in Tel Aviv as Iran launched 180 missiles at Israel. We’re also joined by the Telegraph’s Adrian Blomfield to discuss Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and what comes next. Contributors Venetia Rainey (Host) Paul Nuki (Global Health Security Editor Adrian Blomfield (Telegraph contributor) I dodged death on historic day for Israel and Middle East by Paul...
In this emergency episode of Battle Lines we get the latest on the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah. What does this mean for Iran's 'axis of resistance' and will this be the tipping point of a full-scale war throughout the region? Contributors Venetia Rainey (Host) Roland Oliphant (Senior foreign correspondent) Adrian Blomfield (Telegraph contributor) Paul Nuki (Global Health Security editor) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
On today's episode of Battle Lines we speak to the Telegraph's Adrian Blomfield in Beirut, and photographer Heathcliff O'Malley in Tel Aviv about the possibility of a ground war in Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces top general has told his troops to be ready to enter Lebanon to fight Hezbollah on their own turf for the first time since 2006. While American diplomats rush to broker a ceasefire, the Middle East stands on the brink of unlikely peace or an even bloodier war. Contributors Roland Ol...
On today's episode we have a special round table with co-hosts Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant who are joined by senior foreign correspondent, Sophia Yan. We'll be talking about the attack on Hezbollah, what it's like reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the challenges of being a foreign correspondent. Contributors Venetia Rainey Roland Oliphant Sophia Yan Read Long arm of China looms over one of the world’s last Uyghur bookshops by Sophia Yan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Sudan has suffered a brutal conflict that has killed nearly 20,000 people, displaced over 10 million, and left around 25 million facing acute hunger. Sudan's cities have been turned into battlefields. Fighting has been marked by mass rape and murder, hospitals have been attacked, one in five people have now fled their homes, and cholera is on the rise.The scale of the humanitarian crisis in Sudan far outstrips Gaza and Ukraine, yet it receives almost no attention. So how did things get so bad? W...
On today's episode we pay tribute to David Knowles, creator of Battle Lines. David tragically passed away at the age of 32 on September 8th, 2024. We've put together some highlights of David's brilliant work for the Battle Lines Podcast. You can leave a message of condolence on David's obituary page using the link below. David Knowles, journalist behind Telegraph’s Ukraine war podcast, dies aged 32 Battle Lines: A war reporter reacts to the film ‘Civil War’ Battle Lines: Could Iran be due for ye...
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) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
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. Contributors David Knowles Tom Sharp Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
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. Contributors Venetia Rainey Sophia Yan Ben Farmer Hosted on Aca...
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. Contributors Roland Oliphant (Host) Tony Diver (US editor) Akhtar Makoii Read ‘Sitting in an office is boring’: Taliban soldiers long for war by Akhtar Makoii Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
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. Contributors Venetia Rainey (Host) Peter Schwartzstein (Author, The Heat and the Fury) Pre-order The Heat and the Fury HERE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
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. Contributors Roland Oliphant (Senior Foreign Correspondent, Host) Paul Nuki (Global Health Security Editor) Dominic Ni...
