The Inside Story Podcast

The capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro by the US came despite his country's long-standing alliance with both China and Russia. Both have criticised the US attack but have taken no action. What are the implications for Russia and China?  In this episode:  Andrey Kortunov, former Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council  Chris Weafer, Chief Executive Officer of Macro-Advisory Shaun Rein, Founder & Managing Director of the China Market Research Group in Shanghai and author of The Split Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has been sharply criticised by his allies, but not by Western nations despite questions about its legality. So, does the attack on Venezuela signal a new aggressive US strategy? What might be its global impact? In this episode:  Charles Shapiro, Former US Ambassador to Venezuela under President George W. Bush.  Stefan Wolff, Professor, International Security, University of Birmingham, UK.  Ernesto Castaneda, Director, Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University in Washington DC.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

US special forces capture Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro - in a daring attack that's taken the country and the world by surprise. He'd denied accusations by president Donald Trump of heading a narcotics cartel. So, what are the implications of Washington's actions?  In this episode:  Phil Gunson - senior analyst for the Andes Project at the International Crisis Group.  Richard Weitz - a U.S. security analyst and Senior Fellow at the NATO Defense College.  Temir Porras - former Foreign Policy Advisor to President Hugo Chavez and the former Chief of Staff for President Nicolas Maduro.  Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

How fragile is the US healthcare system? Millions of Americans face a sharp increase in their insurance premiums. That's after Congress failed to renew subsidies provided by Obamacare. So, what's the impact for those in need? And how much politics is involved? In this episode:  Lindsay Allen - Health Economist and Policy Researcher at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. Neel Shah - Physician and Chief Medical Officer of Maven Clinic as well as Founder of the Costs of Care non-profit organisation. Rinah Shah - Political Strategist and Geopolitical analyst. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Angry protests across Iran as the country faces economic turmoil. The president is calling on the government to hear the protesters' demands. But who's to blame for Iran's deep economic crisis? And how far will the demonstrations go? In this episode:  Ali Akbar Dareini - Researcher at Center for Strategic Studies. Marzie Khalilian - Political Analyst and Academic Researcher. Stephen Zunes - Professor of Politics and Founding Chair of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of San Francisco. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

From close allies to rivals. The United Arab Emirates says it's pulling its troops out of Yemen. That's after an ultimatum by the Saudi-backed presidential council of Yemen. After a decade of alliance, what's triggered this rupture? And where does it leave its plans in war-torn Yemen? In this episode:  Abdul-aziz Al Ghashian, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at Gulf International Forum. Alkharder Sulaiman, the Southern Transitional Council Foreign Affairs Community Liason. Andreas Krieg, Associate professor at the School of Security Studies King's College London. Host: James Bays Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Tension is running high between China and Taiwan. Beijing is carrying out its biggest-ever military drills off the island, saying they're a warning to what it calls separatist forces. So what's behind this show of power? And would China use force against Taiwan? In this episode:  Shaun Rein, Founder & Managing Director of China Market Research Group. Chen Shen Yen, Research Fellow Institute of International Relations. Ja Ian Chong, Associate Professor of political science at the National University of Singapore.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Renewed sectarian anger grips parts of Syria. Alawite protesters confront government supporters and masked men attack security forces. Alawites say they're being marginalised. How serious is this latest threat to President al-Sharaa's effort to unify the country? In this episode:  Fadel Abdulghany, Founder & Executive Director, Syrian Network for Human Rights. Gamal Mansour, Specialist, Comparative Politics and International Relations. Labib Nahhas, Director, Syrian Association for Citizens' Dignity.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

Israel has become the first country to recognise Somaliland, the breakaway region of Somalia. That's angered Mogadishu, as well as African and Arab states. Why are they upset? And how will it affect politics in the region? In this episode:  Adam Matan, Independent Horn of Africa Consultant. Alon Pinkas, Former Ambassador and Consul General of Israel in New York. Xavier Abu Eid, Political Scientist.  Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

The US President says they are against ISIL, claiming it targets Christians in the country.But are his allegations of religious persecution in Nigeria justified?And could his administration have other motives? In this episode:  Malik Samuel, Senior Researcher at Good Governance Africa. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow for Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. David Otto, Deputy Director of Counterterrorism Training at the International Academy for the Fight Against Terrorism. Host: Adrian Finighan Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook