Battle Lines

Will there be a Ukraine peace deal this year? What's it like to be a reporter in China? Is Labour too wishy-washy on defence? And which conflicts should we be paying more attention to?

Venetia Rainey is joined by defence editor Danielle Sheridan, senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan and Ukraine: The Latest host Adelie Pojzman-Pontay to discuss the biggest stories of the year so far. 

Plus, they reflect on what it’s li...

This week marked 100 days of Donald Trump’s second term. And what a hundred days it’s been. 

From cosying up to Vladimir Putin and closing USAID, to a trade war with China and effectively ending illegal migration into America, he has been busy.

Venetia Rainey is joined by co-host and chief foreign analyst Roland Oliphant and US editor Rob Crilly to assess everything Trump has done in terms of foreign policy, and what the...

Wherever you look, we’re living in a world of increasing conflict and tensions.

That’s certainly the conclusion of the highly respected Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which found an unprecedented rise in global military spending, the steepest increase since the end of the cold war.

SIPRI senior researcher Diego Lopes da Silva joins Venetia Rainey to look at who the biggest spenders are and what's dr...

Donald Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth shared classified information on an unsecured group chat - not once but twice, according to new details that emerged this week. But the real turbulence shaking the Pentagon isn’t just about loose digital lips. It’s deeper: a toxic mix of internal rivalries, leadership clashes, and a crumbling sense of morale at the very top of America's defence hierarchy.

To unpack the chaos, we spea...

For the past century, war has been fought in three domains: land, sea, and air. But now, there is a fourth.

As America and China rush to establish bases on the Moon and Mars, Ukraine and Russia try to jam one another's satellite signals, and middle sized powers are learning how to protect themselves from enemy space weapons. Many countries now field Space Forces alongside armies, navies and airforces. How close are we to the first s...

Lord Kim Darroch, former UK ambassador to the US, joins Venetia Rainey to talk Trump 1.0 vs 2.0, trade wars and Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. 

The Telegraph revealed this week that the US could finalise a trade deal with the UK within three weeks. That comes on the back of comments from JD Vance about how much Trump loves the UK and that a deal is highly likely. So what could that deal look like? And what would the poten...

The Troubles was a major period of conflict right here in the UK within living memory that continues to echo today, yet very few people know much about it. There is even less awareness about a clandestine network of spies that the British state was running - right in the heart of terror groups on both sides, including Stakeknife in the IRA.

On this bonus episode of Battle Lines, Venetia Rainey sits down with The Telegraph's inve...

Donald Trump has launched fresh talks with Iran to negotiate a new nuclear deal, vowing that there will be “all hell to pay” if Tehran does not agree to disarm. As foreign reporter Akhtar Makoii tells Venetia Rainey, it comes amid a major buildup of American military assets in the Middle East. Israel has repeatedly pushed for a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, would the US go through with it if Iran refuses to compromise?

Me...

What began as Donald Trump’s sweeping trade war against much of the world has sharpened into a tense standoff between two global giants: the United States and China. While Trump eased or delayed tariffs on many countries, China remained the outlier — and the economic tensions have only intensified. In this episode, we trace how the trade war has evolved, why China is still firmly in the firing line, and what the economic implicatio...

Can Trump bring peace to the Middle East? Should the UK recognise Palestine as a state? Should the West work more closely with China? Is the FCDO doing enough to help citizens detained abroad?

Known for being straight-talking and forthright, Emily Thornberry is chair of the influential Foreign Affairs Committee and the long-serving Labour MP for Islington South and Finsbury. She joins Venetia Rainey for a special bonus episode o...

A newly released video casts doubt on Israel’s initial account of the deadly attack on a convoy of ambulances and a fire truck in Gaza, leaving 15 rescue workers dead. Roland Oliphant speaks with co-host Venetia Rainey about the footage and the broader implications of the collapse of the ceasefire.

Plus, we turn to Sudan, where the Sudanese Armed Forces have regained control of Khartoum from the Rapid Support Forces. Chief Forei...

In this episode, we dive into the controversial decision surrounding the Chagos Islands, with Donald Trump reportedly signing off on a deal to return them to Mauritius. Venetia Rainey sits down with Associate Political Editor Tony Diver to discuss the potential security implications for the UK, US, and Asia, and why Trump might have suddenly backed this move. We also explore the possibility of Trump serving a third term, as politic...

Myanmar is reeling from a major earthquake that has hit residents who are already struggling to survive amid a brutal four-year civil war. Venetia Rainey speaks to Asia correspondent Sarah Newey about her recent reporting trip from inside the country about how this will affect the junta’s grip on power and why things are likely to go from bad to worse. 

Plus, we look at a major debate underway in Australia about the gr...

This week, we discovered that recent US airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen were coordinated over the unsecured Signal messaging app, where officials accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor of The Atlantic, to the group chat. This astonishing security lapse offered a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse into America’s top national security figures as they make high-stakes decisions. So, what did we learn?

Plus: As Vice Pre...

Turkey and Israel: two Middle Eastern democracies in crisis. Venetia Rainey talks to Süddeutsche Zeitung journalist Raphael Geiger in Istanbul about why President Recep Tayyep Erdogan's arrest of the city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu has sparked rare protests, and what might happen next. 

Henry Bodkin, our correspondent in Israel, explains how the sacking of Ronen Bar, the head of the internal security agency Shin Bet, has sparke...

Canadians are angry, very angry. US president Donald Trump is not backing down from his annexation plans - and this week he even called the country "nasty".

On last week's episode, we looked at a small minority of Canadian separatists who said they would welcome Trump's plan to turn Canada into the 51st state. It caused quite a stir among our Canadian listeners. So on today's episode, we go back to Canada and look at the majorit...

After just two months of a shaky ceasefire deal, the Israel Hamas war has restarted. On Tuesday morning, Israel launched a series of what it described as "extensive strikes" right across the entire Gaza Strip.

The death toll currently stands at more than 400, including many children, with nearly 600 more people wounded, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. That number is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled fro...

Over the weekend, the United States launched what it called 'powerful and decisive' airstrikes against the Houthis, the Iranian backed rebel group that controls much of Yemen. The Houthis say the death toll so far stands at 53, including two children. American officials said the strikes aimed at the Houthi leadership and came in response to the group's threat to resume strikes on shipping in the Red Sea. But it's not just about Yem...

Donald Trump has long expressed a desire to make Canada the 51st state of the US, with tensions rising as the two countries engage in a trade war. Canada has implemented retaliatory tariffs against Trump’s policies, and outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused Trump of trying to weaken the Canadian economy to make annexation easier. Polling suggests 90% of Canadians say they would oppose becoming part of the US, but not e...