Several senior politicians have been detained in a wave of arrests. The government says it's just the beginning. But is this about graft, or is politics involved?

In this episode:

• Ahmed Rushdi, President of the think-tank, House of Iraqi Expertise Foundation
• Renad Mansour, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House
• Manuel Pirino, Regional Advisor for Middle East and North Africa at Transparency International

Host: Imran Khan

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The Democratic Republic of Congo takes Rwanda to the International Court of Justice. Kinshasa seeks to hold Kigali responsible for the war in the eastern DRC. But can international law help end one of Africa's longest running conflicts?

In this episode:

• Demas Kiprono, Executive Director at the International Commission of Jurists, Kenya.
• Kambale Musavuli, Analyst at the Center for Research on the Congo-Kinshasa.
• Phil Clark, Professor of International Politics at SOAS University of London.

Host: James Bays

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Crimea under a state of emergency. The move comes as Ukraine intensifies attacks on the Russian-controlled region. Kyiv says its aim is to press Moscow to end the war. But is that realistic? And why is Crimea so critical to the wider conflict?

In this episode:

• Leonid Ragozin, independent journalist who focuses on Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

• Yulia Kazdobina, Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Program at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council.

• Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham.

Host: James Bays

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Death and destruction after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. The disaster comes just months after U.S. forces abducted the former president. So, how may that impact the flow of aid from Washington? And what kind of politics are at play?

In this episode:

• Jan Eagland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council
• Chris Gilbert, Professor at the Bolivarian University of Venezuela
• Michael Shifter, Adjunct Professor of Latin American Studies at Georgetown University
• Paul Dobson, political analyst and independent journalist

Host: James Bays

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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has wrapped up his three-day tour of the Gulf. Regional states want a greater say in security--after coming under attack during the Iran war. So, can Washington rebuild trust with its regional allies? And will Gulf states be able to steer the future of the Strait of Hormuz?

In this episode:

• Abdulla Banndar Al Etaibi, Assistant Professor of International Relations at Qatar University
• Gordon Gray, Former U.S. Ambassador and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
• Sina Toossi, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Policy, focusing on U.S.-Iran relations

Host: James Bays

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Benjamin Netanyahu says he's grateful to the US for its military aid but that it's time for Israel to build its own weapons-production capacity. The Israeli prime minister's announcement comes as tensions grow over the US agreement with Iran. But demand soars for Israel's weapons — its arms exports hit a record $19 billion last year. Supporters say that it strengthens Israel's ability to stand on its own. Can Israel afford to lose its greatest ally?

In this episode:

• Alexandre Vautravers, Security and defence policy specialist
• Michael Mulroy, Former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East
• Antony Loewenstein, Author of 'The Palestine Laboratory'

Host: Folly Bah Thibault

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Keir Starmer is the latest to step down, after nearly two years in office. He'd been expected to put an end to the political chaos. So, what went wrong? And what does it mean for the future of the UK?

In this episode:

• Jennifer Nadel, Co-Founder of the cross-party think tank Compassion in Politics.
• Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London.
• Zaid M Belbagi, Managing Partner at Hardcastle Advisory.

Host: Imran Khan

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The US and Iran have finished the first round of talks with an agreement on a roadmap to a final deal.

But is there enough trust to end the conflict?

In this episode:

• Mohammad Eslami - Research Fellow at Tehran University.
• Kenneth Katzman - Senior Fellow at The Soufan Center.
• Zeidon Alkinani - Founding Director at the Arab Perspectives Institute.

Host: Anna Burns-Francis

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