With no end in sight to conflicts in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar and many more places, 2025 promises to be at least as tumultuous as last year. So what is the biggest threat to security for Britain, and its Western allies? From complacency and our underfunded army to China and Russia, we get the views of Alicia Kearns MP, former chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and now Shadow Minister for National Security; General Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British army; and John Bo...
Jan 10, 2025•21 min
In late December Israeli forces raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza , forcibly evacuating its wards of patients and medical staff and arresting the hospital’s prominent director, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. Venetia Rainey catches up with The Telegraph’s Middle East correspondent Jotam Confino to find out more. Plus: the inside track on a migrant smuggling network that reaches from Afghanistan’s Herat to the French port of Calais. Our foreign correspondent Akhtar Makoii infiltrated the ne...
Jan 06, 2025•32 min
On another special episode of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and guests look at the war memoir. How have war memoirs shaped our understanding of wars? Has the art and the role of the memoir changed over time? And will the ones written today similarly influence how future generations will remember the wars of our time? Contributors Francis Dearnley (The Telegraph’s Assistant Comment Editor) Dr. Matilda Greig (Historian at the National Army Museum in London, specialising in the Napoleonic period) C...
Jan 03, 2025•41 min
On this special end of year episode, Roland Oliphant is joined by The Telegraph's Chief Film Critic Robbie Collin to look back at the best war films of the year. Plus: Are we seeing an era of growing conflict reflected on film? And what do the films we make say about our attitudes to these unsettling times? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 30, 2024•48 min
In another special episode looking back at history, Venetia Rainey talks with the author of ‘Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs’, a book that came highly recommended by David Knowles. It’s a new look at how the Aztecs dealt with internal conflict, how they lost the war with the Spanish, and how history has misremembered them. 'Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs’, by Camilla Townsend, is available here: https://global.oup.com/ukhe/product/fifth-sun-9780197577660 Hosted on Acast. See...
Dec 27, 2024•31 min
On this special episode of Battle Lines, Roland Oliphant and guests tackle the late David Knowles’ favourite conversational gambit: Who is your favourite of Napoleon’s Marshals? As they ponder their own choice they look back at who the generals were, what made them ‘great’, and why they continue to capture the imagination. Contributors Francis Dearnley (The Telegraph’s Assistant Comment Editor) Dr. Matilda Greig (Historian at the National Army Museum in London, specialising in the Napoleonic per...
Dec 23, 2024•55 min
As mysterious drone sightings near US military bases continue to unsettle anxious citizens, we look into what a new drone age means for the future of warfare. The flying objects have been defining the battlefield for a while, dominating the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East. But now, with the advent of Artificial Intelligence, anyone can build an autonomous killer drone. So could this herald a new age of assassinations and mass destruction? How can it be controlled? And can it be kept o...
Dec 20, 2024•27 min
In the first episode of our special holiday series taking a left-field look at conflict and war, we hear personal stories from two countries that have had to grapple with multiple crises in recent years: Lebanon and Afghanistan. Journalist Sune Engel Rasmussen lived and worked in Afghanistan for nearly a decade. He spent hundreds of hours interviewing everyone from Taliban fighters to female activists for his book “Twenty Years: Hope, War, and the Betrayal of an Afghan Generation” He talk...
Dec 16, 2024•47 min
On today’s episode we speak to Farouq Habib from Syria’s White Helmets about returning to his home city of Homs for the first time in over a decade. He tells us about the devastation Bashar al-Assad wreaked across Syria, and how the country can heal now that the regime has fallen. Plus: The Telegraph’s senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan has been on the Turkish-Syrian border. She’s been speaking to refugees excited to finally be able to go back, but also to Turkish Alawites who continue to h...
Dec 13, 2024•36 min
Within the space of 10 days, opposition forces have toppled the Assad regime, ending five decades of the family’s authoritarian rule. In the streets of Damascus, Hama, Homs and Aleppo, Syrians are celebrating, saying this is a new dawn for their country. Venetia Rainey and Roland Oliphant discuss how we got here, and what happens next. Plus: renowned war photographer Paul Conroy shares his reflections on the fall of Assad, nearly 13 years after the Syrian regime injured him and killed his collea...
Dec 09, 2024•49 min
Roland Oliphant speaks with The Telegraph’s senior correspondent Sophia Yan about her analysis of satellite images showing Russia ramping up its military presence in the African state. Plus: The Telegraph’s James Rothwell on how children are being recruited to carry out gang killings in Sweden . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 06, 2024•38 min
How has a Syrian rebel lightning offensive managed to seize Aleppo from Bashar al-Assad's regime? Who are the leaders, Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham? And could it reignite the civil war? Venetia Rainey is joined by Dr Haid Haid, Syrian columnist and consulting fellow at Chatham House, to answer all those questions and more. Plus: an Israeli conscientious objector tells her story of why she spent three months in prison for refusing to serve her compulsory military service. Hosted on Acast. ...
Dec 02, 2024•37 min
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....
Nov 29, 2024•35 min
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...
Nov 27, 2024•28 min
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...
Nov 25, 2024•36 min
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 Ga...
Nov 22, 2024•23 min
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....
Nov 18, 2024•26 min
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...
Nov 15, 2024•34 min
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...
Nov 11, 2024•35 min
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....
Nov 07, 2024•45 min
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....
Nov 04, 2024•25 min
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...
Oct 31, 2024•34 min
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....
Oct 28, 2024•35 min
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....
Oct 24, 2024•29 min
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...
Oct 21, 2024•29 min
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 ...
Oct 18, 2024•25 min
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....
Oct 14, 2024•25 min
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 Educatio...
Oct 11, 2024•44 min
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...
Oct 09, 2024•31 min
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...
Oct 04, 2024•42 min
