Editor's Pick

Will Trump do something to stop Israel’s genocide in Gaza?

May 17, 2025
United States President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East this week is his first international trip since he started his second term. Conspicuously absent from his itinerary, however, was Washington’s closest ally in the region: Israel.

A growing rift between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Contributors:
Diana Buttu – Human rights lawyer and analyst
Dana Mills – Writer, +972 magazine and Local Call
Jeremy Scahill – Cofounder, Drop Site News

On our radar:

Tariq Nafi reports on the killing this week of one of Gaza’s best-known journalists - and why it represents a new low in Israel’s unparalleled war on the press.

Are India’s news channels helping or harming?

The tit-for-tat conflict between India and Pakistan lasted only a week before a ceasefire deal was reached, but it was long enough to provide an insight into the role the media might play in a longer war.

We speak with Indian journalist Hartosh Singh Bal about mainstream media under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government - from misinformation to hate speech - and the alternative news outlets trying to provide the antidote.

Featuring:
Hartosh Singh Bal – Executive editor, The Caravan magazine

‘We must adopt an Arab plan to end the war’: PA President Abbas

May 17, 2025
Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, has now also addressed the Arab League summit in Baghdad.

Here are some of his remarks:

Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank “are all part of a complete imperial enterprise [aimed] at undermining our efforts for establishing our independent state”.

We need support from “the Arab states, the US administration and the [UN] Security Council to stand up to this imperial enterprise”.

“[We must] adopt an Arab plan to end the war, establish peace, including the following: first, a permanent ceasefire, immediate release of all Palestinian detainees and Israeli captives, and the unconditional delivery of relief aid, in addition to the total withdrawal by the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip.”

Hamas and all other factions should “lay down and hand over their arms to the Palestinian Authority, the sole representative of the Palestinian people”.

An international conference should “be convened in Egypt for the implementation of the reconstruction plan in the Gaza Strip”.

We want an immediate end to Israel’s “confiscation, annexation and change of the historic and legal status in the Holy sites in Jerusalem”.

We want “the establishment of the Palestinian state on the Palestinian territories with full recognition by the world community”

Politics & diplomacy: Exclusive Interview with Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim

May 15, 2025
Anwar Ibrahim came to power in Malaysia soon after ex-PM Najib Razak was jailed for his role in the $4.5bn 1MDB financial scandal.

He has faced criticism after a royal pardon slashed Najib’s sentence while alleged 1MDB mastermind, Jho Low, remains at large.

Anwar leads ASEAN this year as it confronts Donald Trump’s tariffs and rising transnational crime, including a cyber-scam industry in Cambodia worth billions of dollars.

In a 101 East exclusive, Anwar Ibrahim speaks about politics and corruption in Malaysia and his conversations with Cambodia’s PM Hun Manet before the controversial deportation of domestic worker, Nuon Thoeun.

Israeli leaders trying to complete the Nakba through their actions in Gaza, West Bank: Analysis

May 15, 2025  
Every year on May 15, Palestinians mark Nakba Day to commemorate the ethnic cleansing of Palestine upon the creation of the State of Israel in 1948.

Zionist forces expelled about 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and lands between 1947 and 1949, capturing 78 percent of historical Palestine.

Today, Palestinians and their supporters commemorate the Nakba – “catastrophe” in Arabic – with marches, protests and other events.

As Israel continues its deadly military bombardment of Gaza and tries to push Palestinians out of the coastal enclave, many observers say the Nakba never ended.

Ilan Pappe is the Chair of The Nakba Memorial Foundation and an Expatriate Israeli Historian.

He says Israeli leaders are trying to complete the Nakba, through their actions in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Another level: Qatar, US sign deals to boost defence and trade ties

May 14, 2025  
Donald Trump has made history as the first sitting US president to undertake an official state visit to Qatar. During talks with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the leaders signed multiple agreements to bolster trade and defence cooperation, including a landmark $200bn commercial jet deal.

For analysis, we’re joined by Omar Rahman, Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, and Faisal al-Mudahka, Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Times, both here in the studio. Our correspondents James Bays and Kimberly Halkett are reporting live from Doha, with James stationed at the Qatari Emiri Diwan.

GCC summit shows assertive leadership, but lacks urgency on Gaza: Analysis

May 14, 2025
US President Donald Trump is engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activities in the Middle East as part of his three-nation tour.
 
On his second day, Trump has met the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh.

He addressed a wide range of regional issues during his speech at the summit.

Trump told the council of his plans to negotiate with Iran.

In his speech, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asked Trump to cooperate with GCC countries to deescalate tensions in Middle East.   

The Emir of Kuwait also expressed his hope that the GCC, working with the United States, can help bring about greater stability in the region, with a focus on Palestine.

Abdulaziz al-Ghashian is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Gulf International Forum and Specialist on Saudi Arabia's Foreign policy and Gulf-Israel relations and Sultan Barakat is Professor of Public Policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University.

100 days in, Trump struggles to deliver on bold foreign policy promises

Thursday, May 1, 2025
President Donald Trump entered office with bold promises: to end global wars, curb nuclear threats, and win trade disputes quickly. But 100 days into his presidency, challenges persist. The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, Iran nuclear talks are stalled, and China is resisting pressure on trade and regional disputes.

Analysts say Trump's foreign policy is still taking shape, with mixed results and few clear wins.

Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett reports from Washington.

Rohingya refugees: What changed in Bangladesh since Trump came to power?

Thursday, May 1, 2025  
In his first 100 days, US President Donald Trump has upended long-held beliefs about US foreign policy and how it’s perceived. The United Nations has warned US aid cuts will threaten the survival of refugees at the world's largest refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom joins live from Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, home to more than a-million Rohingya refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar.

Why does the Trump administration refuse to bring Abrego Garcia back to the US?

Friday, Apr 18, 2025
What happens when the US ignores its own courts? Kilmar Abrego Garcia was deported despite a judge’s order and imprisoned in El Salvador in one of the most notorious prisons in the world. The case reveals how gang allegations – often baseless – are still being used to deport immigrants. We unpack the decisions making it possible to turn Abrego Garcia’s life upside down.

In this episode:

-Nayna Gupta, American Immigration Council Policy Director

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat and Amy Walters, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mariana Navarrete, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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.