Amanpour

As the fate of Israeli hostages and a Gaza ceasefire hangs in the balance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families that, deal or no deal with Hamas, Israel's offensive on Rafah is going ahead. With the prospect of a ceasefire dim at best, even as the US Secretary of State crisscrosses the region, Christiane reached Riyad Mansour in New York. He's the Palestinian Observer to the UN, appointed by the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Also on today's show: author Robert Kagan; Stuart Stevens, Senior Adviser, The Lincoln Project Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hamas is set to meet negotiators in Cairo, as Egypt’s foreign minister calls for both sides to accept the proposal on the table: a two-step process over several weeks, involving hostage prisoner swaps, and some sort of pause in the fighting. But Israel has not yet agreed to the proposal, and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is being urged by his extreme right flank to send troops into Rafah. Christiane Amanpour speaks with Amit Segal, a right-wing political analyst close to Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Also on today's show: Isabella Ramirez, Editor in Chief, Columbia University Daily Spectator; Cameron Russell, Author, "How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Hallelujah.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba’s reaction, after the US finally approved military aid for its fight against Russia. But the six-month delay has cost countless lives, and hard-fought territory. Kuleba tells Christiane that "the era of peace in Europe is over." Meanwhile, the struggle of balancing free speech with safety is roiling colleges across the US. Salman Rushdie knows the importance of free speech better than most, since he nearly lost his life defending it. Our Letter from London this week features one of the world’s best-known photographers. Platon has spent decades up close and personal with the most influential figures of our era. From the Amanpour Archive this week, 30-years to the day since Nelson Mandela cast his first ever vote, we revisit an inspirational conversation with his private secretary Zelda La Grange. And finally, from hostage to hero: remembering American journalist Terry Anderson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They were scenes of utter desperation and chaos: thousands of Afghans crowded outside Kabul’s airport, as American troops withdrew and the Taliban swept the country in August 2021. In a congressional hearing last month, former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley blamed the State Apartment for note ordering what’s known as a “noncombatant evacuation operation” sooner. It ended in tragedy for many at the airport, when an ISIS-K suicide attack killed more than 180 people, including 13 US servicepeople. For two years, the US military has maintained that these deaths were all from that single explosion – but new video evidence shows that there was far more gunfire than the Pentagon has ever admitted. Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh has this special report. Also on today's show: actor Michael Stuhlbarg & Director Rupert Goold, "Patriots"; author Michael Arceneaux Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

America’s legal system is once again being tested by former President Donald Trump, who is accused of breaking multiple laws in multiple jurisdictions. In New York, his trial over alleged hush money payments continues today. At the same time, the Supreme Court hears oral arguments over his claim of presidential immunity. Emily Bazelon is a lecturer at Yale Law School and writes for New York Times Magazine. She joins Christiane to break this all down. Also on today's show: Rose Gottemoeller, Former NATO Deputy Secretary-General; UK Labour MP Harriet Harman; Kate Manne, Author, "Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After six months of Republican obstruction, President Biden today signed into law a massive foreign aid package with nearly $61 billion earmarked for Ukraine. But the months of inaction highlighted Ukraine’s vulnerability to western politics, as well as a worrying shortfall in defense production across NATO. That's why British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced plans to lift UK defense spending by almost a hundred billion dollars, investing 2.5% of GDP by 2030. Labour MP David Lammy could become the country's next foreign secretary and he's making a case for what he calls “progressive realism.” He joins Christiane to discuss. Also on today's show: author Salman Rushdie; Anne Applebaum, Staff Writer, The Atlantic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to worsen. Amidst this crisis the US, the UK and others are still withholding funding to UNRWA, the main relief agency there. This was in response to Israel’s claims that some UNRWA staff members took part in the Hamas atrocities of October 7th. An independent review headed up by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna has concluded that UNRWA’s neutrality must be strengthened. She joins Christiane from New York to discuss her findings. Also on today's show: David Vardanyan, whose father is imprisoned in Azerbaijan; historian Doris Kearns Goodwin; Ukranian conductor Oksana Lyniv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Opening arguments were heard today in the first ever criminal trial of an American president, as a jury of twelve detainees determines whether Donald Trump engaged in 2016 election interference over the payment of hush money to an alleged lover. This is happening just six months from the 2024 election where he is vying to get his old job back. Foes and allies of the United States around the world will be watching closely. To discuss all this, Christiane is joined by foreign policy experts Kori Schake and Nathalie Tocci. Also on today's show: climate reporter/author Abrahm Lustgarten; Palestinian and Ukrainian Refugee / Peace Ambassador for One Young World Zoya El-Miari Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We begin the show with the wider war nobody wants and the chain reaction playing out in the Middle East. With Israel and Iran’s decades-long shadow war now playing out in the open, the rules of engagement are being completely re-written. Christiane spoke to Britain’s former top spy John Sawers about the volatile situation. Meanwhile, in the absence of vital US aid for Ukraine, other allies are stepping in to fill the vacuum. The Czech Republic is now leading an international effort to deliver a million and a half artillery shells to Ukraine within a year. Czech President Petr Pavel - a former army general, and senior NATO official – joins Christiane from Prague. The world's biggest democratic exercise is underway in India as nearly a billion eligible voters decide whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves a third term. CNN’s Will Ripley explains what’s at stake for this crucial US ally. Ukrainian Maestro Oksana Lyniv is a classical music trailblazer with a passion for conducting shaped by her life and the war in her homeland. Christiane met her at the New York Metropolitan Opera. From the Amanpour Archive this week, we revisit Christiane’s conversations with the stakeholders at the center of the aborted 2015 nuclear deal, which would have reshaped the Middle East as we know it. And, with military aid locked up in congress, Ukraine’s air defense crisis deepens by the day and Putin is pressing the advantage. Christiane asks Donald Trump's former Defense Secretary Mark Esper if he thinks GOP holdouts have fallen victim to Putin’s propaganda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just before sunrise in Iran, an Israeli strike targeted a military airbase in Isfahan, a retaliation against Tehran for attacking Israel over the weekend. Iran’s attack was itself a retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria which killed several Iranian commanders. To discuss all this, retired Israeli General Amos Yadlin, former Head of Israeli Defense Intelligence, joins the show from Tel Aviv. Also on today's show: Ray Takeyh, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; 2022 Nobel Prize Laureate, Ukrainian human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk; climate expert/author Bill Weir Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a make-or-break moment for Ukraine, as the US Congress looks closer than ever to finally pushing through its long-stalled aid package. Without US support, Ukraine has had to rely on other allies – including the Czech Republic, which has pioneered an effort to buy ammunition for Kyiv from third countries. Last week, President Zelensky met with Czech President Petr Pavel in Vilnius. Since his election just over a year ago, Pavel has been one of the most outspoken European leaders on countering Russian aggression, warning that “if Ukraine fails, so will we.” As a former top NATO general, he knows the military realities and the threats from Russia better than most, and he joined the program from Prague. Also on today's show: David Sanger, Author, “New Cold Wars”; Grammy award-winning composer Terence Blanchard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Israel continues its war on Gaza, a strike on a refugee camp on Tuesday killed at least 13 people. Over half were children, according to hospital officials. The latest UN figures show that one child is injured or dies every 10 minutes there. Amongst all this, over the weekend in Gaza rumours of Palestinians being allowed to return home turned deadly. International correspondent Jomana Karadsheh reports on the chaos that unfolded as people attempted to go back north. Also on today’s show: Tamir Hayman, Former IDF intelligence chief; Tareq Abu Azzoum, Correspondent, Al Jazeera English; Akbar Shahid Ahmed, Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, HuffPost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Israel's war cabinet met again today to weigh up a response to Iran's strike over the weekend. In Tehran, President Ebrahim Raisi warns even the smallest of actions would be met with a “severe, extensive and painful” response. The United States is urging caution and calm from both sides, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin telling his Israeli counterpart that the US goal is "regional stability". Joining the program to discuss is former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who served under Donald Trump and has since become one of his fiercest critics. Also on today's show: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani; Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris; author Jonathan Vigliotti Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leaders from the US, UK and EU urge restraint as Israel mulls its response to Iran. America has made it clear it will not participate in a counterattack. Jordan accuses Israel of using this confrontation to take attention off Gaza. Iran’s missile and drone attack was heavily telegraphed and 99% intercepted by Israel and its allies, however it raises the question of how Israel would do in an all-out war, without allied participation. The United States remains desperate to prevent that region from descending into a much wider war. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt Daniel Kurtzer joins Christiane from Washington DC. Also on today's show: Neal Katyal, Fmr U.S. Acting Solicitor General / Law Professor, Georgetown University; Eddie Glaude Jr., Author, “We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For” / Professor of African American Studies, Princeton University Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every week more and more Democrats are expressing frustration with American policy on Israel and the war in Gaza. Some heavyweights, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are now even joining the call for the U.S. to stop arms transfers to Israel. Senator Bernie Sanders has been one of the loudest voices on this issue. At 82 years old, he manages to be the voice of young liberals, and warns that if President Biden doesn't change tack on the Israel war, and doesn’t expand his economic policy for working families, he could lose in November. Senator Sanders joins Christiane from Washington. Then, the unbelievable life story of the newly elected New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam. He was just 15 when he, and four other teens, were falsely accused of raping a jogger in central park in 1989. The media went all-out, assuming their guilt and the group became known as the "Central Park Five.” Salaam spent nearly seven years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He and the others were exonerated after the real perpetrator confessed and submitted DNA to prove it. But Salaam refused to be beaten by bitterness, and began this year being sworn in as the councilor for Harlem. He speaks with Christiane about all of it as they sit down together in Manhattan. This Sunday marks a decade since terror became reality in Chibok, Nigeria, sparking a global cry to 'bring back our girls', when nearly 300 innocent students were kidnapped by Boko Haram militants. Many of those taken have yet to return home. And kidnapping has become a recurring horror in the country. Now, CNN’s Stephanie Busari takes us to where tragedy unfolded, as part of CNN’s ongoing series on gender inequality called As Equals. Also in this week's show, Bill Weir, CNN’s Chief Climate Correspondent who has spent years covering our warming planet, says there is still room for hope, despite all the despair surrounding climate change. His book , ‘Life as we know it (can be)’, goes on sale on April 16th. He joins Christiane in New York. From the Amanpour Archive: With war raging in Gaza, the Israeli Palestinian conflict may feel more intractable than ever. Peace may feel like a distant possibility. But there was a time when Northern Ireland felt like that too. After decades of brutal sectarian conflict and terrorist violence, its leaders and its people bravely chose peace. And this week they celebrated 26 years since the Good Friday Agreement that secured it. It remains one of the United States' greatest diplomatic triumphs as President Bill Clinton and Senator George Mitchell brokered the talks. Along with British Prime minister tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, and of course Northern Irish leaders themselves, they got the deal over the line. And last year, on its 25th anniversary Christiane travelled to Belfast to speak to Clinton, Blair, and Ahern. A peacemaker’s reunion. We revisit some of that historic conversation. We end the hour with a little opera for the soul. And a history making show at the Met in New York. “Fire Shut Up In My Bones” by the Grammy-award winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard, made history as the first work by a Black composer at the Metropolitan Opera in its 138-year history. And now it's back. Christiane went to the Metropolitan Opera House to meet him. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Arizona has become a flash point for America’s abortion-rights battle, as the Supreme Court there votes to uphold a Civil War-era law banning nearly all abortions. To discuss what happens now and how will this development impact people in Arizona and across America, law professor and author Mary Ziegler ("Abortion and the Law in America") joins the show. Also on today's show: US Special Envoy to Sudan Tom Perriello; author Percival Everett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

OJ Simpson has died from cancer at age 76. The former NFL star was the center of American attention in the mid-1990s, accused of brutally killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. Criminal defense attorney and legal analyst Joey Jackson and Ann Olivarius, an attorney who specializes in sexual harassment cases, join Christiane Amanpour to discuss. Alson on today's show: Yusef Salaam, New York City Councilmember, former member of the Central Park Five; Juliette Kayyem, Former Assistant Secretary, Department of Homeland Security Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake of October 7th, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis, Senator Bernie Sanders spoke out in favor of Israel’s right to defend itself. But now he says Israel is violating international law, arguing “the United States cannot continue to be complicit in the horror that is taking place now." Senator Sanders joins the program from Capitol Hill to discuss America’s politics at home and abroad. Also on today's show: Michelle O’Neill, First Minister of Northern Ireland; global affairs journalist Emily Tamkin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What leverage does America still yield, whether in Israel, in Ukraine, or beyond? And is it as good as its word? There is a rising sense that the values America says it represents in the world are not reflected in its actions. For decades, Wendy Sherman was at the center of the US foreign policy establishment. Serving under three Presidents and five Secretaries of State, Sherman was Antony Blinken’s top deputy until she retired last summer. She joins Christiane from Washington DC and helps us understand the answers to these questions. Also on today's show: actor Michael Douglas; Judy Craymer, Director/Creator, "Mamma Mia" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Across the Americas people looked up today, as a total solar eclipse journeyed across Mexico, toward the United States and Canada. The skies above delivered a huge communal opportunity across what can only be described as a bitterly divided country. As it started to pass across the Americas, physicist, mathematician, and author Brian Greene joined the program to discuss what made it so special. Also on today's show: Sharone Lifschitz, Father held hostage in Gaza; David Autor, Ford Professor of Economics, MIT Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices