Amanpour

On June 6th 1944, the allied forces landed on the Omaha Beach in Normandy, breaking through the Nazi’s Atlantic wall. At huge cost they turned the tide of World War II and began the liberation of Europe: a moment of time forever immortalised as D-Day. US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron led the 80th anniversary commemorations in Normandy today and stood beside those world leaders were soldiers past and present – including members of that greatest generation who fought on the beaches all those years ago. Christiane is joined in Normandy by NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, General Christopher Cavoli. Also on today's show: D-Day veteran Jake Larson; actor/filmmaker Tom Hanks; sculptor Anilore Banon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joe Biden's controversial executive action on migrants who cross the southern border illegally came into effect overnight. Biden says he was left with "no choice," blaming Republicans for blocking a bipartisan border deal. It's a huge shift for the democratic party, who for years criticized President Trump's policy on immigration. Andrea Flores was a former adviser to President Obama and President Biden on immigration policy and she joined the program from Washington. Also on today's show: Correspondent Melissa Bell; "The Cranes Call" Director Laura Warner & Exec Producer Evan Williams; Debbie Walsh, Director, Center for American Woman and Politics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Israel, any hopes for a ceasefire deal appear to be dwindling. President Biden announced on Friday that the latest ceasefire plan had come from Israel, and was welcomed by Hamas – and yet, Netanyahu is vowing to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed. All of this is creating an understandable air of confusion. Meanwhile on the ground in Gaza, the death toll has surpassed 36,400 and the situation for those held captive worsens. To unpack all of this, Haaretz columnist and Netanyahu biographer Anshel Pfeffer joins the show from Jerusalem. Also on today's show: Washington Post columnist Barkha Dutt; correspondent Gustavo Valdes; author R. Derek Black Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a breakthrough moment for Mexican women as former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum is elected the country's first female president. While the result is undoubtedly historic, many see her as the continuity candidate -- Sheinbaum is the protege of the popular outgoing president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador -- and are concerned that while she will continue his popular anti-poverty measures, she may also inherit some of his anti-democratic efforts as well as his failure to rein in violence. Mexican scholar and public policy analyst Viri Rios joins the program to discuss. Also on today's show: Tessa Dooms, Program Director for Rivonia Circle, a South African NGO; Åsne Seierstad, Author, "The Afghans"; TV host George Stephanapoulos Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, her sisters set the record straight on her legacy in a new documentary and relive the moment O.J. was acquitted of her murder. Also, John Legend joins to discuss Afghanistan’s answer to American Idol and cultural revolution through music. Then our roundtable conversation on the big stories of the week. Plus, a retrospective on the development of the atomic bomb with one of the few remaining survivors from the Hiroshima blast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Splashed across newspapers the world over is the historic news of the first-ever criminal conviction of a former US president. Former US Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal joins the show to discuss the facts of the case and what happens next. Also on today's show: Norm Eisen, former House Judiciary Special Counsel in Trump’s first impeachment trial; David Urban, Republican strategist; Sarah Longwell, Executive Director, Republicans Against Trump; Tim Naftali, Presidential Historian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Israeli troops take control of Rafah’s strategic Philadelphi Corridor, correspondent Jeremy Diamond reports on the human toll of the military offensive. Also on today's show: Nick Maynard, a British surgeon recently returned from Gaza; Grammy Award-winning musician John Legend; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President/CEO Austan Goolsbee Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As humanitarian concerns abound regarding the dire situation in Gaza, satellite images show that a much-touted US pier intended to deliver aid has been completely broken up in rough seas over the weekend. Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who sits on the Foreign Relations Committee, has been a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and has repeatedly called for more humanitarian aid. He joins Christiane to discuss the US stance on the conflict. Also on today's show: Marking the 30th anniversary of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, Christiane speaks with Nicole's sisters Denise, Dominique and Tanya Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Eyewitnesses report Israeli tanks are moving in on central Rafah for the first time since the assault on the city began in early May. This comes after a deadly airstrike there that killed at least 45 people and injured more than 200, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called “a tragic error." Global condemnation was swift: France, the EU and other governments call on Israel to immediately halt all Rafah operations. Correspondent Jeremy Diamond is in Jerusalem to discuss the latest from Rafah. Also on today's show: NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg; Songezo Zibi, Leader, Rise Mzansi party; Beeban Kidron, Member of the House of Lords; author Luis Miranda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A "brutal attack." That's how Ukrainan President Volodymyr Zelensky described a deadly strike that killed at least 18 people in a busy shopping centre in Kharkiv this weekend. Russian troops continue their advance in the east, stepping up their bombing campaign and leaving a trail of destruction. Latvia shares a border with Russia, and the country's President Edgars Rinkēvičs joins Christiane in London. Also on today's show: Matthew Hollingworth / WFP Palestine Country Director; Jelani Cobb / Dean, Columbia Journalism School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Survivors, not statistics: We start with the persistent and pernicious violence against women, and the lack of action and accountability to protect them. This week two more women accused rapper Sean "Diddy" Combs of sexual assault. This comes after CNN obtained sickening video of Combs attacking his girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. Christiane speaks with a transatlantic panel of women: attorney Gloria Allred, along with Lejla Dauti and April Hernandez Castillo, who are both survivors and advocates. Then, how journalists “operate in a disinformation ecosystem” is a “defining issue,” as the world heads into a wave of critical elections, says Columbia Journalism School Dean Jelani Cobb. Meantime, Former US State Department Senior Advisor and historian Vali Nasr discusses the succession crisis in Iran after the sudden death of its president. “Moving towards the middle gives more room for the US to engage Iran,” he says. From the Amanpour Archive this week: When ex-Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic became the first sitting head of state to be tried by an international criminal tribunal. And, in our Letter from London, the best-selling Israeli author and historian Yuval Noah Harari asks whether the Middle East can ever escape the "Israeli-Palestinian trap." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Ukraine pleads for weapons, Russia has again struck Kharkiv with missiles, killing at least seven civilians. Kharkiv and the surrounding region is now the centre of this war. President Volodymyr Zelensky blames Western hesitation for the country's weakness, restricting where and how Kyiv can use NATO weapons. According to the New York Times, a debate is raging in the White House over allowing Ukraine to fire US weapons into Russia and after a “sobering” trip, US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, plans to change US policy. Earlier this month the United Kingdom gave Kyiv permission to target Russia with its weapons. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, senior fellow and director at the Center for a New American Security, joins Bianna Golodryga to discuss the potential ramifications of these decisions. Also on today's show: Susan Glasser, Staff Writer, The New Yorker; best-selling author Amor Towles; Meryl Streep & Tom Hanks (from the archives) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Diplomatic isolation is mounting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. This week began with the ICC seeking indictments for him and his defense minister. That was followed by Ireland, Norway and Spain formally recognizing Palestine as a state. Christiane speaks to the Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris on his nation’s policy and the intractable Israel-Palestinian catastrophe. Also on today's show: Mustafa Barghouti, President, Palestinian National Initiative; Avner Gvaryahu, Executive Director, Breaking The Silence; Aaron Tang, Professor of Law, UC Davis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Three European leaders today made a major diplomatic move, to recognize Palestinian statehood. Spain, Norway and Ireland say the decision is an important step toward peace. Israel reacted right away, recalling its ambassadors from all three countries. Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares joined the program from Madrid. Also on today's show: attorney Gloria Allred, survivor/advocate Lejla Dauti, survivor/advocate April Hernandez Castillo; author Aisha Beliso-De Jesus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yesterday's action by the ICC action targeting both Israeli and Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity has prompted furious condemnation from Israel and the United States, but France and Belgium have broken with these allies by supporting the court. Bestselling Israeli author and historian Yuval Noah Harari has been thinking deeply on his homeland and the possibility of peace between Israelis and Palestinians even now, asking in a Financial Times op-ed "Is there a way out of the Israeli-Palestinian trap?." He joins the show in London. Also on today's show: Chef Fadi Kattan, Author, "Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Food"; Steven Johnson, Author, "The Infernal Machine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, the International Criminal Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan told Christiane he is seeking warrants for three Hamas leaders for crimes committed during the October 7th attacks on Israel. The ICC is also seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing the subsequent war in Gaza. Karim Khan explains his decision to Christiane in an exclusive interview. Also on today's show: Geoffrey Nice, lead prosecutor at the trial of Slobodan Milošević; Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the US Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Supported by China, armed by North Korea and Iran, Putin tightens his anti-America alliance. A former NATO chief says the West should make sure Ukraine doesn’t just hang on, but win the war. Plus, caught between Russia and the West, the president of Georgia says Putin is using Soviet-era subterfuge to pull her country back into the Kremlin’s orbit. Also, a Bethlehem-born chef on celebrating Palestinian food but struggling to cook while his people are starved in Gaza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced that the Israeli army found the bodies of three hostages in tunnels in Gaza. It is thought over a hundred hostages are still held by Hamas. Correspondent Nic Robertson joins the show to tell us more. While the world’s attention is focused on the war in Gaza, there’s been a spike in violence in the occupied West Bank. Since October 7, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded at least 800 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank that resulted in casualties or property damage. Now, a years-long investigation by the New York Times finds that violent factions within the Israeli settler movement have come to pose a threat to Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and to Israel’s democracy. Journalist Ronen Bergman helped to lead the investigation, spending years investigating extremist violence. He joins the show from Tel Aviv. Plus, Walter Isaacson talks with author Kristin Hannah and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is wrapping up his trip to Ukraine. While there, America’s top diplomatic pledged two billion dollars of aid to help build up the country’s defense industry. And throughout his trip, he has been trying to reassure Kyiv of Washington’s support. Words that hide a bitter truth, the 7 months of U.S. delay in sending military aid has left Ukraine’s troops over-stretched and under-armed. And it couldn’t come at a worse time, with Russia pushing against multiple fronts including Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv. President Zelensky has been on those front lines assessing the situation along with his Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who joined the program from his car. Plus, Retired US General Wesley Clark, Israeli author David Grossman and Anton Ptushkin, director of "Saving The Animals of Ukraine." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Palestinians have been marking the 76th anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe, when more than 700,000 were expelled or fled during Israel’s War of Independence in 1948. This year's observations come amid acute pain for both, since the October 7th massacres in Israel, and the mass death and destruction in Gaza. Correspondent Jomana Karadsheh joins the show, to talk about this and brings us her report on her visit with injured children in Doha. Also for today's show: Michael Froman, President, Council on Foreign Relations; Geoff Duncan, Former Georgia Lieutenant Governor; Frank Bruni, Author, “The Age of Grievance” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Georgia's future is hanging in the balance. The former Soviet republic has seen mass protests for weeks, coming to a head today as riot police clashed with pro-European demonstrators after its parliament passed a controversial "foreign agents" bill which critics say mirrors a law in Russia used to crack down on any opposition, dissent, and NGOs. Georgia's president Salome Zourabichvili joins the program from Tbilisi. Also on today's show: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former Ukrainian Defense Minister; David Herszenhorn, Russia, Ukraine Editor, The Washington Post; Reza Aslan; Author, "A Kids Book About Israel & Palestine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It is Memorial Day in Israel, more solemn this year in the shadow of October 7th, when more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds taken hostage by Hamas. But also, a more divisive time than usual, as government ministers are booed and heckled over their war in Gaza, now in its eighth month, where more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed. With no ceasefire or hostage deal in sight, it is unclear what the Israeli government’s plan is. Major General Amos Yadlin is the former Chief of Israeli Military Intelligence. He joins Christiane from Tel Aviv. Also on today's show: Arwa Damon, President and founder, INARA; former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki; author Ray Suarez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Correspondent Matthew Chance's exclusive report about allegations of abuse at a secret Israeli military prison. Plus: A defiant Benjamin Netanyahu pushes back at Joe Biden as Palestinians flee Rafah in fear of a looming israeli attack. And: A new Human Rights Watch report says militants have committed crimes against humanity in Sudan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

First: Asked about Israel's expected incursion into Rafah, President Biden replied, "If they go into Rafah I'm not supplying the weapons they've used historically." Senator Chris Van Hollen gives us his reaction to this major policy shift. Plus: Ukrainian defense is being bombarded from the air as it waits for crucial military aid. We get the latest from General Ben Hodges. And: It's victory day in Russia as Putin begins his fifth term as president. But what's the mood like behind the pomp and propaganda? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US pauses a bomb shipment to Israel over their potential use in the Rafah offensive. As fears of a wider war between Israel and Iran persist, so do the nuclear concerns. Bianna speaks with the head of the International Energy Agency. And as the world remembers the victims of the Holocaust, she's joined by a survivor of that atrocity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As a ceasefire deal stalls, and fears of an Israeli incursion in Rafah, Bianna Golodryga speaks with Haretz journalist Amos Harel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just as today's show begins we receive breaking news that Hamas has accepted a ceasefire proposal by Egypt and Qatar which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We begin with the biggest anti-war protests on American college campuses since Vietnam. Christiane speaks with Afua Hirsch, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California, who questions whether some colleges really understand the concept of free speech. Also on today's show: Rabbi Sharon Brous, Columbia University professor Tim Wu, former Reagan Republican Robert Kagan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Paris to Sydney, students across the world are joining protests over the war in Gaza. Northwestern’s leader Michael Schill is one of the few who engaged with students and managed to strike a deal. The agreement is being hailed as a success by some, but also facing backlash. Schill joined the program from Evanston, Illinois. Also on today's show: Jodie Ginsberg, CEO, Committee to Protect Journalists; acclaimed photographer Platon; Brad Wilcox, Author, “Get Married” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

College campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war have been spreading across the United States, and more than 1,800 people have been arrested. While the demands by students vary somewhat, they are calling for a ceasefire, and many demand their colleges divest from companies that support Israel. Senator Bernie Sanders has been outspoken about these protests and he joined the program from Washington, DC. Also on today's show: Douglas Belkin, Higher Education Reporter, Wall Street Journal; author Sathnam Sanghera Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the US, police have again moved on campuses from coast to coast: over a thousand people have been arrested from more than 25 colleges. At the heart of it all is a mostly peaceful protest against a dire situation in Gaza and a deep dissatisfaction with US policy in the region. Rabbi Sharon Brous is the founder of IKAR, an influential progressive Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. Last week, she visited both Columbia and UCLA to visit the protests, and she speaks to Christiane from L.A. to share her experience. Also on today's show: Sanam Vakil, Director, Middle East and North Africa Program, Chatham House; Kenneth Stern, Director, Bard Center for the Study of Hate / Author, “The Conflict over the Conflict” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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