British MPs are crying foul after the Prime Minister suspended parliament just weeks before Brexit. Some members of Boris Johnson's own party have resigned, while others are calling the move "undemocratic" and a "political coup".
The suspension leaves politicians with little time to prevent the UK leaving the European Union in October without a deal. The government denies it's trying to limit debate. But with Brexit only two months away, is a no-deal exit now inevitable?
Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Asa Bennett - Brexit Commissioning Editor at the Telegraph; Pieter Cleppe - Head of the Brussels Office at the Open Europe think tank; Jonathan Lis - Deputy Director of British Influence
Israel has been blamed for a string of attacks against Iranian-allied forces in three countries over the weekend. That has raised tensions across the Middle East.
Early on Monday, three Israeli air strikes reportedly hit a base belonging to a Palestinian group in Lebanon - in the town of Qusaya, near the border with Syria.
Those attacks came a day after two Israeli drones caused damage in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. One hit a building housing the media office of Iranian-backed Hezbollah in the city's southern suburbs. Another Israeli drone exploded in the air, in the same area. And on Saturday, Israeli forces carried out drone attacks in Iraq and Syria.
One is reported to have killed a fighter from Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces. Israel did not respond to accusations that its assault killed at least one fighter from Iraq's Popular Mobilisation Forces. But Benjamin Netanyahu says an operation in Damascus which triggered Syrian anti-aircraft fire, was to prevent a drone attack on Israel by Iran.
So, why is Benjamin Netanyahu escalating tension with Tehran?
Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Seth Frantzman, Middle East Analyst for the Jerusalem Post; Mohammad Marandi, Iranian Political Analyst and Professor at University of Tehran; Sami Hamdi, Editor-in-Chief of the National Interest journal
Boris Johnson has been touring the Union as a 'No-deal Brexit’ looms, trying to reassure those worried about the divorce with the EU.
Boris Johnson started the tour in Edinburgh. He was met with jeers and boos from protesters, which forced him to leave by the back door of Bute House, the official residence of Scotland's First Minister. Inside, his host Nicola Sturgeon expressed her discontent with Johnson's Brexit plans. She spoke about a 'catastrophic, almost inevitable path to a ‘No-deal Brexit'.
Then it was on to Wales, where Johnson was seeking support for his Brexit plans from the country's agricultural sector. The Welsh farmers' union has warned him leaving the EU without a deal would cause 'civil unrest' in rural areas. Many British farmers rely heavily on trade with Europe, and a no-deal scenario could be costly for their business.
In Northern Ireland, his last stop, Boris Johnson didn't receive the warmest welcome either. There's broad consensus that leaving the EU without a deal could be dramatic, because of the land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, which will become a border into Europe.
If no deal happens, the Sinn Féin party says the government must call a referendum on Irish Unity immediately. However, Northern Ireland has been without a sitting government since 2017. So has Boris Johnson convinced the skeptics, or is the Kingdom fracturing even further?
Presenter: Kamal Santamaria | Guests: Alan Wager, research associate with "The UK in a Changing Europe" initiative at King's College London; Jonathan Lis, Deputy Director of "British Influence", a pro-European think tank; Alasdair Soussi, writer on Scottish political affairs
Boris Johnson will be the UK's Prime Minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership. Boris Johnson had campaigned on a 'do-or-die' pledge to deliver Brexit. The man who has provoked much controversy, won the leadership of the conservatives as was expected, and will be Britain's next prime minister.
When Johnson walks into Number 10, Downing Street this week, he will be tasked with persuading the European Union to revive talks on a withdrawal deal. If that fails, he says he's ready to lead Britain out of the bloc without a deal on the 31st of October.
But Brexit is not Johnson's only challenge. The prime minister has to deal with an escalating standoff with Iran over its seizure of a UK tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. And his critics will be watching very closely how he handles the so-called 'special relationship' with the US.
Donald Trump has backed Johnson to become the UK's prime minister. So, how will he deliver on Brexit and the many other challenges ahead?
Presenter: Divya Gopalan | Guests Catherine McBride, senior economist at Institute for Economic Affairs; Markus Becker, Europe correspondent for the German news magazine ‘Der Spiegel’. Owen Jones, political commentator, and columnist at the British newspaper ‘The Guardian’
Iran seizes a UK oil tanker after Britain detained one of its ships.
When the UK seized an Iranian oil tanker two weeks ago, Tehran warned of retaliation. It appears it's carried out that threat.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards detained a British vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. Tehran said the Stena Impero was involved in an accident with an Iranian fishing boat.
A powerful council that works closely with Iran's Supreme Leader later said the seizure was a retaliatory act. Britain's foreign secretary is worried Iran may be going down a dangerous path. Can compromise be found before the situation spirals out of control?
Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault | Guests: Andreas Krieg - Assistant Professor in the Defence Studies Department at King's College London; Mostafa Khoshcheshm - Iranian political commentator and lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences; Joel Rubin - President of the Washington Strategy Group, a national security consulting firm
The House of Representatives has condemned as racist, comments by the US President about four congresswomen. The House's resolution was backed by 240 votes to 187, with only four Republicans supporting the motion.
Trump has launched a series of attacks on the congresswomen of colour, known as the 'squad' - telling them to ‘go back to the crime-infested places from which they came'.
The politicians – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, were born the U.S., and Ilhan Omar came to the US as a refugee aged 12.
The remarks have been widely denounced, mainly by Democrats, who have renewed calls to launch impeachment proceedings against Trump. But as he remains defiant, what does it mean for race and ethnicity in the US?
Presenter: Nastasya Tay | Guests: Rina Shah, Republican strategist and consultant; Christopher Metzler, conservative commentator and author of the book ‘Divided We Stand: The Search for America's Soul’; Christine Pelosi, Democratic strategist and the daughter of House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi
A huge stash of weapons is found in Italy with neo-Nazi sympathisers and the government says the seizure is unprecedented.
An arsenal of weapons has been seized by Italian police in a raid on a far-right group. The stockpile was discovered during an investigation into the involvement of Italy's far-right movement in the conflict in eastern Ukraine; and it included an air-to-air missile, rocket launchers and automatic rifles described as 'latest generation'. Neo-nazi propaganda material was also seized.
Police have arrested three people, including a former candidate for the neo-fascist Forza Nuova party. Fabio Del Bergiolo's house was found to contain a huge stash of arms, as well as Hitler memorabilia.
So, how significant is this? And what does it tell us about the re-emergence of Nazism and the far-right movement in Europe?
Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests Stefano Vergine, Italian journalist; Michal Bilewicz, Chair at the Center for Research on Prejudice at the University of Warsaw; Ludovica Di Giorgi, Manager of the Far-Right Programme at the social enterprise group Moonshot Countering Violent Extremism
The United States, UK and Iran all agree: they don't want war; but tensions are rising by the day. Iran accuses Britain of being a servant of the US as it demands the return of an oil tanker seized off Gibraltar.
It’s been suggested British Royal Marines boarded the vessel at the request of America. And the UK is looking at boosting its military presence in the Gulf after an apparent close encounter with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard just days later.
The US, meantime, is turning the screw further on Iran's already faltering economy, and Britain finds itself in an awkward position. It's working with Europe to try and save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which the US has abandoned. But it also needs to maintain close ties with Washington as it seeks to leave the European Union.
The situation with the tanker has infuriated Iran with the foreign minister demanding Britain return the ship or face what he called 'the consequences'.
Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, research fellow at RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute; Mohammad Marandi, head of American Studies Department at the University of Tehran; Phil Diacon, managing director of Dryad Global, a maritime security risk management company
What started as a leak of secret diplomatic memos to a British tabloid newspaper has led to the resignation of a top ambassador and questions about the UK's position in the world.
Kim Darroch felt compelled to quit as Britain's envoy in Washington after a row over leaked memos. The diplomat had described Donald Trump and his administation as insecure, inept and dysfunctional. The U.S. President responded with a barrage of angry tweets, calling Darroch "very stupid."
Boris Johnson, Britain's likely next prime minister, refused to publicly support the ambassador. So how will this incident affect the UK's ties with its closest ally?
Presenter: Martine Dennis Guests: Crispin Blunt - Conservative member of the British parliament Nancy Soderberg - Former U.S. Ambassador the the U.N. Matthew Parris - Columnist for The Times newspaper, and a former conservative British MP.
There's an intense debate in Washington about how to deal with Tehran following the downing of a U.S. drone. A tense standoff between the U.S. and Iran, following the downing of an American surveillance drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state television has been showing what it says is drone wreckage retrieved at sea. American media say President Donald Trump ordered air strikes against military targets in Iran - but then later changed his mind.
Congressional leaders were briefed on the incident and called for a robust response, but they also told the president to act with caution. So what does this mean for an already tense region?
Presenter: Peter Dobbie | Guests: Mohammad Marandi, Head of American Studies at the University of Tehran; Hillary Mann Leverett, CEO of the political risk consultancy Stratega and a former U.S. State Department official; Sahil Shah, Policy Fellow at the European Leadership Network
The US President launches his bid for re-election in 2020. Few, including Donald Trump, expected him to win the US presidential election in 2016. Now he's well into his first term, and campaigning hard for a second in 2020.
He launched his re-election bid in Florida, a swing state that he must win. Trump didn't offer new policies during the rally, and again attacked what he called the 'fake news media' and the political establishment for undermining him and his supporters.
Opinion polls suggest Trump could lose to most of the possible Democratic challengers such as Joe Biden. So will he win a second term?
Presenter: Martine Dennis | Guests: Joel Rubin - Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State; Lauren Zelt - Founder & Chief Executive, Zelt Communications & conservative strategist; Rashawn Ray - Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland
Does Saudi Arabia have support to face Iran? Saudi Arabia hosts three summits, calling for action against Tehran as Riyadh accuses its rival of threatening regional order. An emergency requiring three consecutive summits in one location, it certainly sounds like something that needs to be addressed, and quickly. And according to Saudi Arabia, the emergency is Iran.
The Kingdom gathered Arab leaders for meetings of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League, and the Organisation of Islamic Countries. Riyadh said the international community must "use all means to stop Iran from interfering in other countries' affairs".
So, is there an emergency? Or is it another power-play in the Gulf with the addition of a US military presence?
Presenter: Kamahl Santamaria | Guests Majed Al-Ansari, professor of political science at Qatar University; Abdullah Al-Shayji, professor of political science at Kuwait University; Hassan Ahmadian, assistant professor of political science at the University of Tehran
The far-right makes gains after the European Parliament elections but not the clean sweep some feared.
A record-number of voters across Europe have dealt a blow to traditional centrist politics, with far-right and far-left parties making significant gains in the European Parliament elections.
A surge in support for liberal and green parties means pro-EU politicians will maintain their majority in the 751-seat parliament. But far-right and nationalist wins in Italy, France, Britain and Poland gives Eurosceptic parties control of a quarter of the seats for the first time.
Far-right gains were less than expected and won't dramatically change the balance of power. But the EU parliament now finds itself more fragmented than ever. As pro-EU parties retain their majority, what do the results mean for nationalists in the divided parliament?
Presenter: Barbara Serra | Guests: Nina Schick - Author & Political Commentator; Tony Travers - Professor, School of Public Policy, London School of Economics; Thorsten Benner - Co-founder & Director, Global Public Policy Institute
The United States is raising the stakes against what it calls threats from Iran. President Donald Trump is sending an extra 1,500 troops to the Middle East. He's also bypassing Congress to sell billions of dollars' of weapons to Iran's rivals, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran's neighbour, Iraq, is vowing support and offering to mediate. At the same time, Iraq is wary of straining relations with the Americans.
How should leaders in Baghdad handle this balancing act?
Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Andreas Kreig - Assistant Professor, Defence Studies Department, King's College London; Sami Nader - Director, The Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs; Robert Gutsche - Associate Professor, Lancaster University
UK leadership contest begins after Prime Minister Theresa May announces her resignation. Brexit brought UK prime minister Teresa May to power, and it was ultimately the issue that forced her out.
Debate on Britain's departure from the European Union exposed deep divisions in the country. May faced intense pressure to step down, after parliament repeatedly rejected her withdrawal deal with the EU.
She will resign on June 7th, and her governing Conservative Party is now looking for a new leader. But can her successor unite parliament and the United Kingdom? And what will a change of UK leadership mean for Brexit?
Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Mark Garnett - Senior Lecturer in Politics at Lancaster University; Jonathan Lis - Deputy Director at British Influence, a pro-European Think Tank; Matthew Goodwin - Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent
Saudi Arabia has jailed many activists and dissidents since Mohammed Bin Salman became the Crown Prince two years ago. Now media reports suggest three religious scholars may be sentenced to death after the Muslim month of Ramadan.
Salman Al-Odah, Awad Al-Qarni and Ali Al-Omari were arrested in September 2017 on what Saudi Arabia described as terror charges. They are seen as reformists who have spoken about human rights.
The United Nations and rights groups have been calling for their release. Why are they targeted? And what message will this send about human rights in the Kingdom?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan | Guests: Sami Hamdi - Editor-in-Chief of The International Interest, a current affairs magazine; Bessma Momani - Professor of Political Science at the University of Waterloo; Ali Al-Ahmed - Director of the Gulf Affairs Institute and a former Saudi political prisoner
Mainstream politicians face a challenge from the far right as 400 million Europeans vote in this week's European Parliament elections. Elections for the European Parliament get underway on Thursday.
Immigration and the economy are dominating the political agenda, and the rise of the far-right is dominating the headlines.
On Saturday, right-wing leaders from nearly a dozen EU countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands gathered for a rally in Milan to show their unity. The gathering was led by the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, who wants to form a far-right block within the EU Parliament.
Some analysts believe that the future identity of European politics––and the EU itself––is at stake. So, how will voting shape the continent?
Presenter: Barbara Serra | Guests: Theofanis Exadaktylos, senior lecturer in European politics at the University of Surrey; Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe initiative and a former special adviser to the House of Lords EU committee; Stefano Vergine who is an Italian journalist focussing on economics and foreign affairs
'Sabotaged and significantly damaged'. Saudi Arabia says two of its oil tankers have been attacked off the coast of the UAE. Riyadh has also called on the international community to protect maritime navigation.
The incidents happened off the coast of Fujairah. The Emirate denied reports of explosions at its port on Sunday. But the Emirati government later said four commercial ships flagged under several nationalities had been hit - although there were no injuries or deaths. The attack was condemned by several countries, including Iran.
What does it mean for global oil supplies?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan | Guests: Mahjoob Zweiri, Director of the Gulf Studies Center at Qatar University; Manouchehr Takin, Senior Analyst at the Centre for Global Energy Studies; Elias Farhat, retired military general and defence analyst
Europe is scrambling to save the Iran nuclear deal from collapse. A year after the US withdrew from the 2015 agreement, Iran is threatening to produce more enriched uranium unless other parties to the deal protect its economy from US sanctions. Iran gave Europe, China and 60 days to comply.
EU leaders have rejected that ultimatum, but say they're committed to keeping the nuclear deal alive. Iran says the response isn't strong enough, and is accusing the Europeans of submitting to pressure from the United States. Can a way forward be found?
Presenter: Halla Mohiedeen | Guests: Nathalie Tocci - Director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs and a special adviser to EU foreign policy chief; Federica Mogherini. Mahdi Ghodsi - Economist at The Vienna Institute For International Economic Studies; François Nicoullaud - Former French Ambassador to Iran
The US president decided a year ago to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement, which imposed limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities. Trump then re-imposed sanctions against Iran, and recently extended them to threaten those countries still party to the deal.
Iran has now reacted, warning the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia, it will step up uranium production unless they meet their commitments within 60 days.
Russia is putting the blame on what it calls 'lamentable' behaviour from the US, while EU leaders are warning Iran of possible consequences.
Can the deal be renegotiated and revived?
Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Mohammad Marandi - Professor of North American Studies at University of Tehran; Rina Shah - Republican Strategist and Consultant; Ali Fathollah-Nejad - visiting fellow at Brookings Doha Center
