Special

Has Donald Trump taken US-Gulf relations to a new era?

May 16, 2025
Trillions of dollars were pledged during the US president’s three-nation tour of the Gulf this week. The US is preparing to lift decades-long sanctions on Syria, and could be close to a nuclear deal with Iran. Previous presidents might have been expected to make a stop in Egypt, Jordan or Israel. But notably Trump's deal-making tour did not include those countries. So, are the Gulf nations now in sync with the US on some of the biggest challenges in the region? And is Trump re-shaping the Middle East or is it the Gulf states that will dictate future US foreign policy?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida
Guests:
Giorgio Cafiero - CEO at Gulf State Analytics, a geopolitical risk consultancy.
Hassan Barari - Professor of International Affairs at Qatar University.
Alon Pinkas - Former Ambassador and Consul General of Israel in New York and a Columnist at the Independent.

What do the Gulf states gain from the US president's historic trip to the region?

May 16, 2025  
Even before he flew to the Gulf, the focus in American media was on the billions of dollars of new investments Donald Trump was eyeing.

The US President has since signed mega deals, making his 'America first' goal as much a part of economic strategy as foreign policy.

One of the biggest was in Qatar, where Boeing secured its largest ever order of wide-body jets from Qatar Airways.

Doha also promised to invest more than $10bn in the Al Udeid air base, one of America's biggest military facilities in the world.
 
Trump says he's forging a future with the Middle East defined by commerce, not chaos -- but does it mean regional stability and security are now taking a back seat?

And how likely is it that the US President would throw America's weight behind ending the devastating war in Gaza?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Faisal Al Mudahka - Editor In Chief, The Gulf Times.

Andreas Krieg - Senior Lecturer, King’s College London's School of Security Studies.

Paul Musgrave - Associate Professor of Government, Georgetown University in Doha.

Pakistan FM: US didn't force the ceasefire with India | Talk to Al Jazeera

May 15, 2025
After deadly attacks between Pakistan and India, a ceasefire was suddenly declared. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar rejects claims that Washington imposed the truce, insisting Pakistan acted independently. He addresses India's accusations and Pakistan's military influence. As two rivals teetered on the edge of war, Ishaq Dar explains Pakistan's strategy, its position on Kashmir, and whether this ceasefire might not last.

How will the lifting of US sanctions help Syrians rebuild their country?

May 15, 2025  
Syrians are describing it as a turning point -- "the second joy, since the fall of Assad".

US President Donald Trump has announced he will lift all sanctions on Syria--as a way to help the country rebuild after years of civil war.

The UN estimates half of the Syrian population is displaced, and nearly 75% need humanitarian aid.
 
It says, at its current rate of growth, Syria will take at least half a century to achieve its pre-war economic level.

President Ahmed Al Sharaa has already called on the US to invest in the nation's oil and gas sector.

But can he capitalise on the removal of US restrictions and transform the fragmented and devastated country?

And what about Syria's fragile security situation?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Sinan Hatahet - Non-Resident Fellow, Atlantic Council's Syria Project.

Joshua Landis - Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Oklahoma.

Omar Alshogre - a Syrian refugee and Director for Detainee Affairs at the Syrian Emergency Task Force.

Will ceasefire help solve Kashmir crisis between India, Pakistan?

May 11, 2025  
A ceasefire has been announced to stop a bitter conflict, over one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Kashmir has repeatedly been troubled by a dispute, dating back nearly eight decades between India and Pakistan.

Will the latest truce resolve differences going back to colonial times?

Presenter:

Sami Zeidan

Guests:

Victoria Schofield: British biographer and historian and author of  books on Kashmir.

Radha Kumar: Author and academic. A government-appointed negotiatior appointed by government of India to resolve the Kashmir crisis

Ayesha Jalal: Professor at Tufts University, Expert on South Asian history.

New era or false dawn? Rebuilding Bangladesh's democracy after Sheikh Hasina | Documentary

Thursday, May 1, 2025  
Enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial killings: The human rights abuses allegedly committed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s regime have left scores of Bangladeshis scarred and traumatised.

After a student-led movement overthrew the government in 2024, the full extent of the suffering is finally coming to light as an interim government, led by 84-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, tries to rebuild a shattered nation.

From repairing the demoralised police force to seeking justice for victims and presiding over unstable relations with India, it’s a daunting task. How will Bangladesh rise from the rubble of a dictator’s rule? 101 East investigates.

Meme warfare in Trump’s battle with Beijing

Saturday, Apr 19, 2025
A trade war that pits the world’s two largest economies against each other is now under way. Alongside the tariff battle is a heated battle of narratives and messages between the two countries.

Contributors:
Andy Mok - Senior Research Fellow, Center for China and Globalisation
Jude Russo - Managing Editor, The American Conservative
Isaac Stone Fish - CEO, Strategy Risks
Yun Sun - Director of China Program, Stimson Center

On our radar

On April 15, the civil war in Sudan hit the two-year mark. The Sudanese media landscape has been devastated. According to Reporters Without Borders, since the war began, nearly 450 journalists have fled the country. Meenakshi Ravi has more.

How Trump’s '51st state' talk galvanised Canadian voters

Donald Trump’s public musings about how Canada should become the United States’ 51st state, has Canadians rallying around their flag. The Listening Post’s Ryan Kohls discusses the Trump effect and the unprecedented impact it is having on Canadian nationalism and politics.

Featuring:
Rachel Gilmore – Host, Bubble Pop
Jonathan Kay – Editor, Quillette
David Moscrop – Author and Journalist

China will not enter another century of humiliation

Friday, Apr 18, 2025
Amid escalating global instability and a fractured Western alliance, nations in the Global South are reassessing their geopolitical alignments and economic strategies. The BRICS bloc, which includes Russia, Brazil, India, China, South Africa and other emerging economies, has emerged as a counterweight to the US-dominated financial order.

So, can BRICS countries fulfil its potential as a significant force in a multipolar world?

This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with historian and journalist Vijay Prashad.

Psychological terrorism: The war against reproductive rights in the US

Friday, Apr 18, 2025
As Donald Trump begins his second term as president, headlines focus on immigration, trade and free speech. But advocates warn of another front, a quieter campaign targeting reproductive rights and abortion.

Just years after the fall of Roe v Wade, critics say new policies signal a renewed push to erode reproductive freedom, especially for women of colour.

Is the Trump administration waging a quiet war on reproductive rights in the United States?

This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law and global health policy at Georgetown University and author of Policing The Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood.

Gaza is a post-apocalyptic killing zone: UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini

Apr 11, 2025
It’s been almost a month since Israel broke the ceasefire agreement with Hamas, launching daily strikes across Gaza that have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians. Humanitarian aid has also been blocked from entering the area by Israel for more than a month, deepening the crisis.

Humanitarian workers have also been directly targeted. Since October 7, 2023, more than 400 aid workers have been killed - nearly 300 of them were staff members with the United Nations' Palestinian relief agency, UNRWA.

So, what’s needed to ensure justice and accountability for the victims of war crimes? And what is the situation on the ground in Gaza?

This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.