The Irish Times World View Podcast

The partial destruction of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral has stunned France, a nation already suffering from social and political unrest. What do we know about the cause of the fire, and will the country unite in the face of this calamity? We ask our correspondent, and recently-naturalised French citizen, Lara Marlowe. Plus: Mark Weiss on the outcome of elections in Israel and what it means for returned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the West Bank and the fate of the two-state solution.

Theresa May is expected to be granted a Brexit extension when EU leaders meet tomorrow, but the British prime minister will first have to convince the bloc that she has a credible plan in place to get a deal passed. European Council president Donald Tusk has floated the idea of a ‘flextension’ of up to 12 months which could be cancelled at any time in the event of a deal, but May is looking for a shorter one – until June 30th. Europe Editor Patrick Smyth has the latest. Plus: President Trump looks set to push for tougher border security with the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the removal of Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles. Further departures from the department are likely, as the president targets those seen as close to Nielsen and her predecessor John Kelly. Suzanne Lynch reports from Washington.

Denis Staunton on the ever-narrower set of options facing UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Parliament fails to find a way forward and the April 12th Brexit deadline draws near. Plus: Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, on the electoral defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in local elections in Istanbul, Ankara and other urban areas of the country. Is it a classic 'kick in the shins' delivered to an incumbent party in a second order election, or a sign of a more significant shift among Turkish voters?

The Mueller report is complete and while we only know what President Trump's Attorney General has told us about its contents, it is being interpreted as a major fillip to the Republicans and their leader. Will they now seek to take revenge? Suzanne Lynch reports. Plus: Five years after their Maidan uprising ousted Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich and 14 years on from their Orange Revolution against rigged elections, Ukrainians may take another leap of faith when they choose a president on Sunday. Surveys favour not the incumbent Petro Poroshenko or former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, but a man whose closest brush with politics until now was playing a fictitious president in a television comedy show. Dan McLaughlin was recently in Kiev to find out about Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Patrick Smyth in Brussels and Denis Staunton in London talk about the latest Brexit developments, including Speaker John Bercow's very consequential ruling, and why the EU is likely to agree to Theresa May's request fora short extension but may baulk at a long one.

Theresa May secured what she claimed were significant legal changes to the Brexit backstop in Strasbourg on Monday night, but it hasn’t been enough to convince MPs. With just 17 days left until the UK is due to leave the EU, the prime minister’s plan appears doomed to failure before it faces a vote in the House of Commons this evening. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line to explain what might happen next. Plus: Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress has declared a “state of alarm” over a five-day power blackout that has pushed the country further into crisis. South America correspondent Tom Hennigan, who was in the border town Cúctua recently, reports on how the ongoing political crisis is having a devastating effect on Venezuelans.

Is the net closing around Donald Trump? Certainly the pressure has intensified in recent weeks. With the publication of the Mueller report just around the corner, chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary committee Jerrold Nadler added further fuel to the fire on Monday when he said that it was "very clear" the president has obstructed justice. The committee investigating President Trump’s financial and other affairs has sent dozens of letters to government agencies and individuals demanding documents and information. Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch is on the line with the latest. Later: French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europeans to mobilise “for the values of progress” and warned against the trap of “national entrenchment” in a letter published in newspapers across Europe, including the Irish Times. Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe reports on the reaction to the letter.

First: Denis Staunton on a whirlwind Brexit week in Westminster. Driven by fear of losing control of Brexit altogether, UK Prime Minister Theresa May has given ground, meaning Brexit is much more likely to be delayed if no deal has been struck by March 29th. Later: Rahul Bedi on an air strike carried out by India in Pakistan, targeting what India says was the camp of a militant group responsible for terrorism, including a recent bombing that left 40 dead. The outbreak of violence has raised the heat in the Kashmir region, a source of recurring clashes between the two nuclear powers over decades.

Guy Hedgecoe on a looming general election in Spain that may herald the return of deadlock to the Cortes Generales. What role will Vox, the new right wing party, play? Middle East analyst Michael Jansen on Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's tour of Pakistan, India and China. Cold-shouldered in the West following the killing of journalist Khashoggi, the prince is being warmly welcomed in the East. But what are his goals?

In July 2014 Washington Post Iran correspondent Jason Rezaian was on the brink of a two-month sabbatical in the US with his wife Yeganeh when his Tehran home was raided by police. A gun was pointed at his head, he was arrested and accused of spying. Yeganeh, who is Iranian, was released after two months, but Rezaian was held in Iran's notorious Evin Prison for 544 days, including a period of solitary confinement. Now back at the Washington Post, Rezaian has written about his imprisonment in his memoir, Prisoner. On today's podcast he talks to Chris about what kept him going throughout the torture and interrogations at Evin, the role of the Obama administration in his eventual release and why he will one day go back to Iran. Prisoner, by Jason Rezaian, published by Harper-Collins, is out now.

First: Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the achievements President Trump is likely to highlight in his State of the Union address this evening. Will he use the opportunity to declare a national emergency in order to get funding for his border wall? Suzanne also reports on the twists and turns in the story of the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, who has refused to resign over racist yearbook photographs from his student days in 1984. Senior Democrats including Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton have called on Northam to step down. Will he cling to power and risk exposing a rift in the party? Plus: Dan McLaughlin reports on fears of a renewed arms race between the US and Russia after both countries pulled out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.

First, Chris talks to Tom Hennigan about the political crisis in Venezuela. Protests had been growing since Nicolas Maduro began a second term as president this month. Then last week, opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself president, a move that has been recognised by more than 20 countries, including the US, which has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil for the first time. But even if Maduro is successfully ousted, there’s no quick turnaround for Venezuela. Plus: Theresa May looks set to ask the EU to reopen the withdrawal agreement, in order to win parliament’s support for her Brexit deal. London editor Denis Staunton has the latest ahead of tonight’s vote.

After her Brexit deal was rejected by MPs last week, British Prime Minister Theresa May returned to the House of Commons on Monday with her Plan B. Is it any different to Plan A? And, are there any other alternatives should it too be rejected by MPs? Denis Staunton is on the line from London. Plus: Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe on the signing of a new Franco-German treaty. Is this a meaningful step towards deepening ties between the two countries, or a largely empty gesture?

After more than two years of talks, British MPs will gather this evening to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. There is no doubt the deal will be rejected by the House of Commons, but what is not clear is just how big that defeat will be. Even less clear is what comes next. On a momentous day in British politics we talk to Europe Editor Patrick Smyth and London Editor Denis Staunton.

Denis Staunton from London as Westminster braces for a vote, finally, on Theresa May's Brexit deal. Has anything changed over Christmas? Suzanne Lynch from Washington on the continuing US government shutdown over President Trump's demand for border wall funding, which is about to be felt in a serious way as pay checks and food stamps fail to arrive. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have felt the political heat yet, but that may be about to change.

Brexit has dominated the agenda in the EU throughout 2018 but today we take a look at the other major trend: how political parties on the far right have taken control in a number of member states, creating new tensions between those states and the European Union. What are the policies that challenge the authority of the European Union, and what has been the response from Brussels? With Europe Editor Patrick Smyth.

Denis Staunton on the last news from London including Jeremy Corbyn's motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May and a growing optimism among members of her government that her deal can pass. And Dan McLaughlin reports from Budapest where street protests against Hungarian PM Viktor Orban have been taking place. What is behind the demonstrations?

EU leaders have made it clear: there will be no renegotiation of the Brexit deal. So what then is left to be said? But Europe Editor Patrick Smyth says there still are things the EU can do to help Theresa May get her deal through the House of Commons. Plus: Suzanne Lynch in Washington on the latest developments in the Mueller Investigation and president Trump's search for a new chief of staff.

In a major political humiliation for French President Emmanuel Macron, a tax increase on diesel, due to take effect in January, has been suspended for six months. The spectacular climbdown came on Tuesday after weeks of protests and rioting by the so-called Yellow Vests movement that have left four people dead. A fourth demonstration, to take place on Saturday, is expected to be a calmer affair, but Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe says there is a feeling that we’re set for a long period of social unrest in France. Plus: Theresa May will open five days of debate in the House of Commons today, culminating in a vote on her Brexit deal. First though, she must see off a motion submitted late on Monday evening calling on MPs to find ministers in contempt over their decision not to release the full legal advice on the Brexit deal. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line.

(An earlier version of this podcast was deleted due to a problem with the audio file. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.) As the conflict in eastern Ukraine grinds towards its fifth winter, there’s still no sense of how it will end. Thirty days of martial law have been announced by President Petro Poreshenko after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and captured their crews at the weekend. It has sparked fears of an attack by Russian, but what caused the clash? Dan McLaughlin reports on this and the emergence of a rift between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches as Kiev prepares to secure independence. Plus: the race to succeed Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democratic Union party is on. Derek Scally introduces us to the candidates, one of whom could end up as Chancellor sooner than expected.

The European Council is expected to endorse the draft Brexit withdrawal text when it meets this Sunday 25th November. Theresa May appears to have seen off the detractors within the Tory party for now, but the real challenge for the British Prime Minister will come in the form of parliamentary arithmetic when she attempts to get that deal through the House of Commons. On the face of it right now, she doesn’t have the numbers. Could there be a narrow way through? London editor Denis Staunton and Europe editor Patrick Smyth are on the line. Later: Last week the former president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos was given the Tipperary International Peace Award in recognition of his role in brokering a peace deal with FARC, bringing to an end 50 years of violence in his country. But two years after the peace agreement, the situation for Colombians appears to be worse. Irish Times deputy foreign editor David McKechnie spoke to Mr Santos at the ceremony in Tipperary Town.

As Brexit negotiations enter what the British prime minister Theresa May has described as the ‘endgame’, what is the likelihood of a second referendum being held? Resigning as Transport Minister last week, Tory MP Jo Johnson said it would be a democratic travesty not to go back to the people for another vote. London editor Denis Staunton describes the likelihood of such an event and the complicated road to it. Later: Next month Spain will mark the 40th anniversary of its constitution, which laid down the foundations for the country’s entire democratic system following the death of General Franco. The document is held in high regard, but with the Spanish judiciary thrust unwillingly into the spotlight through a series of damaging high-profile cases recently, many Spaniards are beginning to ask if it’s time to reform. Guy Hedgecoe is on the line from Spain to explain the background.

First: In Brexit negotiations over the Northern Irish border, sides have moved closer in the last 24 hours, facilitated by new forms of words over the 'backstop'. Denis Staunton explains. Later: Donald Trump recently announced he wants to tear up the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and told reporters he would increase the US nuclear stockpile – including against China – “until people come to their senses”. Has a new arms race arrived, and what does it mean for security in Europe? Patrick Smyth has analysis.

Suzanne Lynch previews some key battles in next week's midterm elections for the United States Senate and House of Representatives. Plus: Tom Hennigan on why Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro's moderate victory speech should not reassure you.

The immediate threat to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership receded this week as she made some progress and delivered a defiant speech to the Commons on Monday, setting out four Brexit backstop solutions. But even if she strikes a deal with the EU, can Mrs May get it through the house and will she have to rely on support from the Labour back benches? Denis Staunton is on the line from London. Later, Irish Times Middle East analyst Michael Jansen is in studio with her take on the latest plot twists in the murder of Saudi journalist Kamal Khashoggi, after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to deliver on his promise to reveal the details of the case “in all its nakedness” in a speech today.

First: German chancellor Angela Merkel faces another potential state election disaster in two weeks time, after her CSU allies were punished at the polls in Bavaria at the weekend, shaking an already wobbly coalition. Berlin correspondent Derek Scally is in studio to explain what might happen next. Later: Saudi Arabia is reported to be preparing to acknowledge the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared in Istanbul two weeks ago. Just how much damage has the controversy caused to Saudi Arabia's relations with its Western allies and what might the consequences be? Middle East analyst Michael Jansen and Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch are on the line with the latest.

Science Editor Kevin O'Sullivan on a major new report on climate change. The report paints a dire picture of a world devastated by the effects of climate change by the middle of this century unless action is taken now. Plus: Tom Hennigan from Sao Paolo on Jair Bolsonaro's strong showing in the first round of Brazil's presidential election. The crude candidate has done so well, he has brought several down-ballot candidates along with him. His success in the second round seems likely - more bad news for the environment.

The FBI has broadened its investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But will they find anything conclusive? Expectations are low. Democratic lawmakers are instead focussing on the judge’s embittered comments in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, arguing he demonstrated a partisan attitude unsuited to the highest court. Do they have a point? We talk to Ruadhán MacCormaic and Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch. Later: Former British foreign minister Boris Johnson delighted an audience at the Conservative Party conference, once again calling on prime minister Theresa May to "chuck Chequers.” But the audience he delighted are not the ones he needs to convince. Denis Staunton is on the line from London.

Denis Staunton is in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference. The party's official stance on Brexit has always masked a deep division between principle and pragmatism. Is that about to change? Tom Hennigan reports from Sao Paolo on the candidacy of Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right demagogue with a history of misogyny and a fondness for authoritarian figures. Could he ride an anti-political mood to power in Brazil's presidential election?

First: Historical sexual assault allegations against President Trump’s supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have complicated what had appeared to be a smooth confirmation process. Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of a 1982 sexual assault, will give their sides of the story when they testify in the Senate next Monday. With memories of the Anita Hill case in the ether in Washington, Republicans are treading carefully ahead of crucial mid-term elections in November. Our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch has the details. Later: EU leaders meet for an informal summit in Salzburg this week. Will it mark a Brexit turning point? Anyone hoping for a dramatic breakthrough is likely to be disappointed while the outstanding issue of the border awaits a compromise. Europe Editor Patrick Smyth is on the line from Brussels.

First: The White House press corps had their first briefing in 19 days on Monday, after weeks of a news cycle dominated by scandal. There were leaks from an explosive book by Bob Woodward offering insights into a chaotic presidency, followed closely by an anonymous and damning Oped by a senior administration staffer in the New York Times and then Barack Obama stepped out of the shadows to attack the president directly in a speech last week. Suzanne Lynch is on the line to take us through a particularly tumultuous period for Donald Trump, ahead of crucial midterm elections in November. Later: Are we any further along the road to a Brexit deal as the process enters a crucial stage? British hopes remain pinned on an informal meeting of EU leaders in Salzburg on September 20th, when Prime Minister Theresa May will make the case for her Chequers deal directly to the other EU leaders. London Editor Denis Staunton explains why there’s still plenty of room for things to go horribly wrong.

First: It's a familiar story. A far right party on the rise, causing a rightward shift across the political spectrum. It has happened across the continent and Sweden is no different, where a sense of doubt has crept in to a society once better known for its successes, but now concerned about migration and a perception of rising crime rates. Our correspondent Derek Scally reports from Stockholm. Later: Journalist Sally Hayden on the strange plight of hundreds of refugees who were abandoned in Libyan detention centres when their guards fled due to the outbreak of fighting between local militias. The refugees, returned to Libya after being stopped by the Italian coastguard, contacted Sally to report that they and their families went for days without food and water. What does the story tell us about Europe's response to migration?

The Ebola virus exploded in West Africa in 2014, causing the deaths of over 11,300 people. Sinead Walsh was there, serving as Ireland's ambassador to Sierra Leone, and she witnessed first-hand how the international humanitarian system operated, and failed to operate, under the toughest of circumstances. Getting to Zero, the book Walsh has co-written with Oliver Johnson, a British doctor who ran an Ebola isolation unit in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a powerful account of the struggle to bring the outbreak under control. She talked to Ruadhan Mac Cormaic for The Irish Times.

What happens if the UK crashes out of the EU? On the EU side, there is a special task force dedicated to figuring just that out, while the UK is publishing numerous papers covering what will happen in all walks of life. Little, though, is certain, and much is entirely unclear. Especially unclear is what will happen on the Irish border. But whatever the outcome, the world will be a very different place the day after. Our guest today is Europe Editor Patrick Smyth, who talks though what is known and unknown about No Deal Brexit, how likely it is and what is being done to avoid it.

Lara Marlowe has worked at the Irish Times for the past 22 years. During that time she has reported from far-flung locations including Algeria, Kosovo, Georgia and Iraq. She was the Irish Times Washington correspondent for the first term of Barack Obama's presidency and as Paris correspondent - her current role - she has covered France under four presidents. On today's podcast Marlowe talks to Chris Dooley about how that country has changed from the Chirac era to Macron, and how it has stayed the same. She also talks about reporting from conflict zones and the dangers faced by foreign journalists in those countries.

First: Derek Scally on the harshening of political rhetoric emanating from Bavaria, and in particular its ruling party the CSU. Later: Dan McLaughlin looks back at the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. What caused it, how did it play out, and what did it symbolise?

This week's podcast: Suzanne Lynch on the week in Washington. Ahead of crucial midterm elections, the downsides for Republicans of President Trump's tariffs are becoming clear, while Trump's deepening feud with billionaire right-wing donors Charles and David Koch threatens to further alienate elements within the party. Plus: Bill Corcoran in Zimbabwe on what we know so far about a historic election, the first of the post-Mugabe era.

It is 26 years since Imran Khan cemented his status as a national hero by leading its cricket team to glory in the World Cup. Throughout that time, three things have remained constant in Pakistani politics: the Sharif dynasty, the Bhutto dynasty and the powerful military. But now polls show Khan's party leading ahead of next week's elections. We talk to Lorraine Mallinder about the charismatic Khan and the campaign which has been marred by violence as well as the usual accusations of corruption and rigging. Later: Denis Staunton provides a final Brexit dispatch before Westminster rests for the summer.

When historians reflect on Donald Trump’s presidency, will yesterday’s press conference alongside Vladimir Putin in Helsinki be seen as one of its defining moments?Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies, saying he saw no reason not to believe the Russian president when he said they did not try to fix the 2016 election. The performance has been dubbed embarrassing, disgraceful and treasonous, drawing criticism from both the left and right, with even Fox News saying it was not a good outing for the president. Analysing what it means for the Trump presidency, the United States and the wider world, today's guests are Suzanne Lynch and Paddy Smyth.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has faced down the 'big beasts', David Davis and Boris Johnson, as she pushes for a soft Brexit. It is just the first of many battles she will have to win, at home and abroad, to get Brexit over the line and keep the Conservative Party intact - potentially including one with the DUP. But there is also now the possibility that no solution to the Brexit riddle exists within Westminster. Has the likelihood of a no deal Brexit just increased? Guests: London Editor Denis Staunton and Europe Editor Patrick Smyth.

This week: Derek Scally on the last-minute deal struck to save Angela Merkel's coalition government, after her Christian Democratic Party's Bavarian sister party threatened to pull the plug over immigration. But there are doubts over the legality of what is being proposed, and over whether the weakened Chancellor can endure much more political punishment. And Denis Staunton on another one of those big weeks in Brexit. With her mysterious "third proposal", can Theresa May find her way onto the edge of the European dancefloor?

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party claimed victory in presidential and parliamentary polls on Sunday, overcoming a revitalised opposition that in recent weeks had gained considerable momentum and looked capable of staging an upset. Stephen Starr reports on the win, which gives Erdogan sweeping executive powers and extends his grip on the nation of 81 million until at least 2023. In the second part of the show, Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports on the latest in the US immigration crackdown and president Donald Trump's reiteration of his zero-tolerance approach, calling for illegal immigrants who enter the country to be sent home immediately.

Two world leaders, in two key elections, 10,000 km apart: One is a political novice, whose election last Sunday threatens to undo a historic and hard won peace deal. The other has been criticised for authoritarian tendencies after 15 years in charge of his country. Tom Hennigan reports from Colombia where Iván Duque, the conservative political newcomer, was elected as the country's president last Sunday. Meanwhile in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), is running for the presidency again this weekend. Stephen Starr has the latest from there.

On this week's podcast, Clifford Coonan reports from Singapore where US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in a historic summit today. Comparisons have been drawn with president Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to China to reopen relations with Chairman Mao Zedong. But with a good deal of vagueness in the wording and nothing concrete on denuclearisation plans, the day was largely symbolic with much left to be done. In the second part of the show, nine months after many of them were driven from their homes in Rakhine State, the one million-strong Rohingya community in Bangladesh faces a defining period. A repatriation deal providing for them to return to their homes has been signed, but not delivered upon. Now, the approaching cyclone season poses a major threat to vulnerable refugee camps. Irish times deputy foreign editor David McKechnie and video producer Kathleen Harris have just returned from a trip to Bangladesh with Concern. They speak about the conditions on the ground.

Guy Hedgecoe on a dramatic week when Spanish politics was turned on its head. Mariano Rajoy is out. What comes next? Dan McLaughlin on the strange story of Ukrainian journalist Andrei Babchenko, who faked his own death in order to expose an alleged Russian plot to assassinate him.

Chris Dooley talks to Patrick Smyth about Italy's unfolding constitutional and political crisis, and to Suzanne Lynch about the scarcely believable saga of the Trump-Kim Summit.

A bizarre political experiment in underway in Italy, and Brussels is watching with concern. Patrick Smyth on the makeup of the new government, its internal contradictions, its plans for the economy and immigration - and the novice who will likely become the next Prime Minister. Plus, Tom Hennigan on the reelection, widely seen as democratically illegitimate, of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Despite his win, Maduro faces huge obstacles both within and without the chavista movement he leads, as Venezuela lurches away from democracy.

Today's guest is Thomas Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Washington-based thinktank The Brookings Institute. Last summer, Thomas talked to us about his expectations of the Trump Administration in the foreign policy arena. Almost a year on, the Trump Administration has made many consequential foreign policy moves, including pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, striking in Syria and agreeing to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump has also made major changes in his foreign policy staff, most notably the replacement of former senior figures and "adults in the room" H. R. McMaster and Rex Tillerson by the more hawkish John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. We asked Thomas back to talk about a chaotic year of Trump foreign policy. Will Bolton and Pompeo empower the President - and can they work together? Is the Trump administration still a genuine player in the Middle East peace process after the bloodshed of recent days? Is the forthcoming Korea Summit set up to fail?

Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch explains the many twists and turns in the story of porn actor turned political player Stormy Daniels, and her alleged affair with President Donald Trump. Could his attempts to handle the controversy, including a payment made by attorney Michael Cohen that is now under investigation, potentially lead to his downfall?

On this week’s World View podcast, London Editor Denis Staunton reports on the appointment of Conservative MP Sajid Javid as Home Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd. The son of Pakistani immigrants, Mr Javid has promised action on the Windrush immigration targets scandal that led to the exit of his predecessor. Described as unsentimental, a Thatcherite and a man prone to recitations of Ayn Rand, his appointment should take some of the poison out of the crisis for the Prime Minister but weakens the Soft Brexit side of her Cabinet. It comes as the Conservatives suffered another major defeat on Brexit in the House of Lords on Monday night. Also on the podcast: In Spain, thousands have protested against a decision by a court in Pamplona to absolve five men of rape, in a case that has garnered international attention and ignited the country’s MeToo movement. Guy Hedgecoe reports on the details of the story, concerning the attack of an 18-year-old woman during the San Fermines bull-running festival in the city in the summer of 2016.