The Irish Times World View Podcast

On the podcast today, Lara Marlowe explains what comes next for France after the election of Emmanuel Macron last weekend. And Rosita Boland tells us about her recent trip to Laos, reporting on the horrific legacy of unexploded bombs dropped on the country by the United States Air Force. Rosita's trip to Laos was supported by the Simon Cumbers media fund. http://www.simoncumbersmediafund.ie

Part one: Denis Staunton and Pat Leahy on a pivotal weekend in Europe. Just as we were celebrating the outcome of an EU Brexit Summit that contained a commitment to protecting Ireland’s interests in any Brexit deal, news emerged of a disastrous conversation between Theresa May and Commission President Jean Claude Juncker. A report of the conversation revealed a startling lack of common ground between London and Brussels that, if accurate, would suggest it is not safe to bank on any deal being reached at all, with damaging consequences for Ireland. Part two: David McKechnie on his series of reports from Colombia on the people involved in its long civil war and their roles in its nascent peace process. His series on Colombia was supported by a grant from the Simon Cumbers fund.

Part one: How can Emmanuel Macron, a political neophyte, govern in the Élysée Palace? (That is, if he beats Marine Le Pen in the second round of French presidential elections two weeks from now, as polls strongly predict he will.) And what will his victory mean for Europe's diminished political centre ground? Or for tortuous Brexit negotiations? Part two: The attacks of "lone wolf" terrorists are impacting daily life and geopolitics across Europe from Paris to Istanbul. Could understanding the psychology of these men help prevent further violence and instability? Guests: Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe in Paris, Foreign Affairs Correspondent Ruadhan Mac Cormaic and Dr Paul Gill, a lecturer in Crime Science at University College London.

This week's podcast is all about political power and the ballot box. In the United Kingdom, Theresa May is gambling that a snap election will give her a mandate to push Brexit through with authority, says London Editor Denis Staunton. In France, the rising popularity of left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has made an uncertain presidential election even more unpredictable, says Lara Marlow in Paris. And on Sunday the passing of a referendum granted Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan much greater powers. How did he pull it off? Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul.

What is President Trump’s plan for Syria? That’s the million dollar question, says Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch in the latest episode of the World View podcast. Last week’s US missile attack on Shayrat air base in response to a suspected gas attack by Assad forces that killed 86 people in the town Khan Sheikhoun, marked a dramatic expansion in the US rules of engagement in Syria. Questions have been raised about the legality of the retaliation and the Trump administration has struggled to outline its policy on the Syrian conflict since the dramatic U-turn. Suzanne Lynch reports on the latest developments in the story, as US secretary of state Rex Tillerson meets with senior Russian officials in Moscow today. Also on the podcast, after forty years of reporting on the activities of the Basque separatist group Eta, Paddy Woodworth says this time it really does seem like it’s all over, after the nationalist organisation handed over their weapons at the weekend.

As well as throwing the delicate balance of power in Syria into further confusion, the missile attack on a Syrian air base ordered by Donald Trump has won support from traditional conservatives and foreign allies, but been condemned by many of his own supporters as well as the Russians. Suzanne Lynch provides analysis of the potential consequences and what might come next.

A little storm has erupted over promises from the European Union that Spain will have a veto on any post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK affecting Gibraltar. London Editor Denis Staunton has the latest on the British reaction to news, following over the top comments by former Conservative leader Michael Howard that they should go to war with Spain on the issue. Political Editor Pat Leahy speaks about the parallels with Irish concerns over Brexit, while Guy Hedegcoe reports on the reaction in Spain, which has long claimed that Gibraltar is a tax haven to the detriment of the Spanish economy. Later in the podcast, we go to Central European Correspondent Dan McLaughlin for details on a new law just passed by Hungary’s parliament that may force the renowned Central European University to leave Budapest, in what critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orban say is his latest attack on liberal institutions financed by billionaire George Soros. He also reports on the landslide victory of Serbia’s Prime Minister Alexandar Vucic in the presidential elections.

On the eve of Theresa May's triggering of article 50, kick-starting the Brexit divorce proceedings, Denis Staunton reports from London where there have been attempts to wind down tensions as both sides prepare for negotiations. Michel Barnier this week warned Britain of the colossal "bar bill" it must agree to pay to the EU before any negotiations on their future relationship can be held. That issue is still outstanding. From the US, Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch has the latest on the spectacular failure of Paul Ryan to get Republicans on board with President Trump's healthcare plan. Ryan's position is safe for the moment, but the fiasco has caused serious damage to the Speaker of the House of Representatives' credibility, she says.

After her bruising election defeat, Hillary Clinton, one of the most scrutinised women in history, may be "ready to come out of the woods", she told a St Patrick's Day event last week. On this week's podcast we talk to Amy Chozick, a New York Times reporter who has written about Clinton's career since 2007, about the real Hillary Clinton as she observed her, the popular misconceptions that hindered Clinton's pursuit of the presidency, and what kind of future she may have planned. She also talks about The New York Time's decision to label certain comments by the 45th president as lies, and the future of the Trump Administration.

Just as Theresa May prepares to pull the trigger on Article 50 and start Britain's departure from the EU, Scotland’s first minister has thrown a spanner in the works with plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence. Denis Staunton reports from London, where the Brexit stakes have been raised by Nicola Sturgeon who will next week ask the Scottish parliament to get behind #IndyRef2. Also on this week's podcast, our Berlin correspondent Derek Scally has the latest on the growing row over the Turkish government's attempts to hold rallies in European countries. And, Asia correspondent Clifford Coonan reports on the strange details of the impeachment of South Korea's disgraced ex-president Park Geun-Hye.

Part One: President Trump has empowered immigration 'police' to deport more migrants. Now those with minor convictions or marks on their record are at risk. Fear is spreading among migrant communities, says Suzanne Lynch in Washington. Part Two: Some of the content of Mark Zuckerberg's recently published 6,000 word manifesto on the future of Facebook strengthened suspicions that the powerful social media guru has political ambitions. Also among the optimistic ideas and platitudes, Irish Times Culture Editor Hugh Linehan found a creepy vision of future society.

Part One: Donald Trump's behaviour has whipped liberal opponents into a frenzy over the past weeks. But is his chaotic presidency really in crisis and facing a premature end? Not likely, says Fintan O'Toole, who talks to us from New Jersey. Part Two (15:55): Mark Weiss on what a one-state solution in Israel might look like, the potential for Israel to become a "pariah state" like South Africa under apartheid, and the double-edged sword that President Trump's support represents for Netanyahu.

Speculation is mounting in Washington as to whose head will roll next in the Trump administration, after the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday night. The president’s fiefdom is in chaos, with the precariousness of press secretary Sean Spicer’s position being highlighted in the US press, as well as that of Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus and his senior aide Stephen Miller. Flynn’s resignation came after revelations he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice-president Mike Pence about the conversations. On the latest World View podcast, our Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch asks whether President Trump knew about those talks at the time and if the whole palaver is indicative of ‘chaotic management’ in his administration. Also on the podcast, Bill Corcoran has the latest from South Africa where parliament punch-ups are the order of the day and embattled ANC leader Jacob Zuma looks likely to have 783 corruption charges reinstated. And, Clifford Coonan reports from Beijing on the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother in Malaysia.

Donald Trump will have many critical dealings with the judiciary in the next four years, from picking Supreme Court justices to tweeting out criticism of those judges who oppose him. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic explains what is known about Trump's choice for SCOTUS, Neil Gorsuch, and why Democrats are in something of a bind over how to handle his nomination. In Romania the government has been forced into an embarrassing climb-down only months after winning office. Its attempt to soften anti-corruption laws proved too galling for many Romanians and brought hundreds of thousands of protestors on to the streets. Dan McLaughlin reports.

On the podcast this week: Denis Staunton in London about what Theresa May's visit to the US tells us about the “special relationship” between the UK and the US and also about Donald Trump’s international philosophy – what’s it with the war on the idea of multilateralism, for long the cornerstone of international relations? Lara Marlowe in Paris on the surprise outcome of the socialist party presidential primary last weekend. The race is now dominated by political outsiders and a former PM who faces serious ethics charges. And Patsy McGarry unravels an extraordinary row between Pope Francis and the powerful leadership of the ancient Order of Malta. The row, which began over a condom distribution programme, says much about the broader struggle between progressives and conservatives in the church today.

On the podcast this week: Simon Carswell on Donald Trump's eventful first weekend in the White House and what's on the new President's agenda in the days ahead. Stephen Starr on Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan using the state to build a bigger personal fiefdom. And Clifford Coonan in Beijing talks to us about Foxconn, the behemoth manufacturer of iPhone and iPad screens, mainly in China. It has signalled an 'interest' in opening a plant in the United States. It will be music to the ears of Donald Trump - but is there any substance to it?

Theresa May's Brexit speech, a life of crime in the south of Spain and a report from Davos feature on this week's World View podcast. Prime Minister May has finally given us a few clues as to how Britain will take leave of the EU. In Ireland her commitment to preserve an open border between North and South will be welcome. But does that tally with other commitments she has made? London Editor Denis Staunton heard contradictions and hostages to fortune in May's speech - and some inflammatory and condescending language that won't help negotiations down the line. In last Saturday's Irish Times Guy Hedgecoe interviewed Jason Coghlan, an English former criminal turned 'legal advisor' to English speakers dwelling in the south of Spain, some of whom are Irish, and some of whom are involved in organised crime. Why do career criminals flock to that region in such numbers? It's not just the weather, Guy tells us. The problems posed by globalisation must be faced up to by its leaders and proponents. That's the sense at this year's World Economic Forum, the annual carnival of capitalism in Davos, Switzerland, from where Suzanne Lynch reports. Subscribe to World View in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/irish-times-world-view-podcast/id813704540?mt=2

Back in 2015 at the height of the migrant crisis in Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel met Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and asked him what was being done about false reports on refugees appearing on his social network. He said he was working on it. But in 2017 the issue of 'fake news' is seen as an ever-greater threat to centrist politics. A general election will take place in Germany this year and some there fear that false reports on social media platforms will be used as a weapon in that campaign, as it was seen to be in the bruising US presidential election. On today's World View podcast our Berlin correspondent Derek Scally looks at the issue. What changes does the German government expect from social media platforms? And picking up another theme of the digital age, we look at moves in France to ban after-hours contact between employers and employees. Also on the podcast, our Middle East correspondent Michael Jansen on the prospects for peace in Syria in 2017 in the wake of the fall of Aleppo. Who are the main players now, and where do their loyalties really lie?

Happy New Year to all out listeners. To celebrate the end of 2016, we've asked some of our regular contributors to pick a cultural high points from the year that saw so many low points in world affairs. Featuring: - Denis Staunton on Glenda Jackson's performance as King Lear - Lara Marlowe on a battlefield production of Frank McGuinness's Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme - Derek Scally on Markings, the late UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld's book of personal reflections. We hope you enjoy it. We'll return with our regular analysis next week.

Approaching the end of his tenure as Washington Correspondent for The Irish Times, Simon Carswell joins Patrick Smyth to reflect on a tumultuous period in America. Happy Christmas and thanks to all our listeners in 2016.

Angela Merkel is expected to come under further pressure to take a hard line on law and order following Monday night’s attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, says Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally. He spoke to The Irish Times World View podcast from the city where 12 people have been killed and 48 others injured, 18 of them seriously. The German Chancellor is a leader on the defensive ahead of her bid for a fourth term in next year’s general election, says Scally, and events in Berlin could strike a major blow to her image as a safe pair of hands for her Christian Democrats (CDU). From Israel, Mark Weiss has reaction on Donald Trump’s latest controversial appointment. Orthodox Jewish bankruptcy lawyer, David Friedman, is to be the next US ambassador to Israel, much to the dismay of liberal Jews and Palestinians alike. Friedman is opposed to longstanding US issues and supports illegal settlements. He is also against a two-state solution and there is excitement among right-wing Israelis that this would be taken off the table completely when Trump assumes power. Weiss told the podcast most people are adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude, but there are fear that an unprecedented move of the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem may happen under a Trump presidency, while Palestinians are worried that settlements will be given the green light. Also in this podcast, presenter Patrick Smyth asks: are Alaska’s polar bears on the verge of extinction from uncontrolled global warming? He recalled his trip to the village of Kaktovik in the Arctic Circle some years ago, where polar bears are now migrating in greater numbers as their search for food becomes more and more difficult due to climate change.

In Aleppo "the situation, which has been so horrifying for so long, is coming to an apex and possibly a very bloody conclusion," says Daniel Gorevan, Syria crisis policy director with Oxfam. There are reports of government-allied militias going from house to house shooting civilians, says Daniel, while survivors describe their friends and family being "disappeared". Daniel calls for a major humanitarian response to help those fleeing the besieged area, and for Western governments to apply pressure on Syria and Russia to assert control over the Syrian armed forces and militias. Also on the podcast, Simon Carswell reports from Washington where the Donald Trump transition takes new and unexpected turns. Reports of the appointment as Secretary of Energy of former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who once forgot the name of the Department of Energy while pledging to abolish it, will fuel further criticism of Trump's team. And Trump's clash with intelligence agencies over suspected Russian interference in elections could complicate his appointment of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State. Finally to India, where last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi invalidated 86 per cent of all cash in circulation in an unexpected move targeting the black market. We hear from our correspondent Rahul Bedhi about the chaos this drastic measure has caused in a country of 1.3 billion people where most business is done in cash. Did Modi fail to anticipate the problems, or does he simply not care?

South Korea’s National Assembly has voted to impeach president Park Geun-hye and suspended her authority after a corruption and influence peddling scandal that has seen huge protests in the capital Seoul. Clifford Coonan explained how the scandal developed on a recent episode of World View.

Angela Merkel's announcement that face veils should be banned in public "wherever possible" shifts a reversal in her position on the issue and an attempt to fend off populist forces. The remark will be welcomed by the conservative right wing of her Christian Democratic Party, who have been frustrated by her approach to the migrant crisis and whose support she need to win a strong new mandate to lead, says Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally on this week's World View podcast. From Washington, Simon Carswell profiles the individuals Donald Trump has chosen for his cabinet, including his one-time opponent (and target for some particularly nasty criticism) Ben Carson and bullish ex-general James "Mad Dog" Mattis. While his picks mainly show that President-elect Trump intends to reward loyalty shown during the campaign, they also offer clues as to whether he is serious about fulfilling promises made on issues like free trade and Obamacare to the white working class in Rust Belt states. And from Rome, Paddy Agnew explains why Prime Minister Renzi's defeat in last weekend's referendum is not a judgement on the European Union, but will still embolden Italian Eurosceptics.

Francois Fillon has emerged as the centre-right contender for the 2017 french presidency. Who is Fillon and what are his views? His broadly Thatcherite views will give Marine la Pen plenty of points of discussion in the the lead up to the election, says Lara Marlowe. Israel always has a vested interest in the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. This time around it would seem they got their preferred outcome with Trump having stated during his campaign that he intends to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Will the seemingly pro-Israel Trump become a powerful ally or indifferent after victory? Our London editor Denis Staunton reports from Tel Aviv. Since his death Fidel Castro's record has been praised and criticised in equal measure. What is Castro's lasting legacy in Cuba and latin America as whole? Journalist and author of 'The Cubans: Voices for change' Lynn Geldof recalls the 1980s in Cuba, a time when the impoverished country saw economic growth and some the positive effects of the socialist regime.

Having a "shaman adviser", as South Korean president Park Geun-hye does, is not as much of a problem for South Koreans as we here might expect, says our Beijing Correspondent Clifford Coonan. But Koreans do have a problem with political corruption, an alleged case of which now embroils the president and her adviser both. Germany's new populist right "need a villain, a villainess, and Merkel is for them Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama rolled into one". So they won't mind that she has announced she'll run again next year, reports Derek Scally in Berlin. VP-elect Mike Pence turned up at a broadway musical last week, where he was unexpectedly addressed by the cast on tolerance to Donald Trump's displeasure. Our theatre critic Peter Crawley talks about Pence's attendance at "Hamilton" and the theatre that ensued on stage and on Twitter.

The ripples set off by Donald Trump’s election across the Atlantic are feeding into Europe’s election cycle. We talk to Lara Marlowe in Paris and Derek Scally in Berlin about what this means for France’s presidential election next year and the rerun of Austria’s presidential election in December. In both cases, candidates of the far-right are expected to benefit from the tide of anti-politics sweeping the world. And we talk to Hugh Linehan, Irish Times Culture Editor, about the seemingly irresistible rise of the far-right Breitbart news site and its former boss Steven Bannon, who has been appointed as Trump's chief adviser. Hugh explains the genesis of sites like Breitbart and the emergence of Bannon as the most effective practitioner of "alt-right" "journalism".

So, what now? How will president-elect Trump influence the world when in power? There are few certainties, and Trump has taken contradictory positions on many issues. But there are three points on which he has been consistent throughout his campaign and before, argues Tom Wright of the Washington think-tank Brookings Institute - and they should be cause for concern. At home, President-elect Trump's tax policies might delight his GOP colleagues, but how will his plans to build an enormous wall and renew infrastructure at huge expense sit with the frugal Republicans? And to what extent can unified Republican government take advantage of three control of the Supreme Court? Graham Finlay of UCD, a political scientist and American, talks about Trump on the domestic political scene.

Donald Trump looks certain now to pull off one of the greatest upsets in political history by beating Hillary Clinton to the White House. How did he do it, and how did the pundits get it so wrong? Hugh Linehan talks to Simon Carswell and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, who are in New York at the Trump and Clinton HQs.

Britain has hit a fresh snag on its way out the European door. As we know, Britain must trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to leave the EU. But today's court ruling that parliament must vote on Article 50 has the potential to severely complicate an already complex process, if not to derail it entirely. Denis Staunton reports on the significance of the ruling and what it means for Prime Minister Theresa May. If and when Brexit does proceed, a high price will be exacted by Europe for continues access to the common market, predicts former director of communications to David Cameron, Craig Oliver. Before the court ruling came down, Mark Hennessy talked to Craig, who has released a book, "Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of Brexit". He tells Mark why he feels the referendum was an inevitability, and where he believes it all went wrong.

Today's World View podcast features reports from Florida on the US presidential race, from Moscow on how the campaign is being viewed there, and a discussion of Ireland's role in UN nuclear policy. With time running out to overtake Clinton, Donald Trump is visiting states seen as unlikely to vote for a Republican, like New Mexico, Michigan and Wisconsin, meaning there's less time to shore up support in what are seen as must-win states like Pennsylvania and Ohio. He says he has internal polls that shows he can win those states. But does he really have a chance, or is it a sign of desperation? Ruadhan Mac Cormaic reports from Flordia, a must-win battleground state for Trump, where many of the billionaire's supporters say it is a question of choosing the lesser of two evils. If Russian president Vladimir Putin had a vote in the election, his choice would be much easier. Between the alleged involvement of Russia in leaking Democratic Party emails, and the mutual appreciation of Trump and Putin, Russia and its president have played a huge role in this election. But what does the campaign look like to the average Russian, who, says Isabel Gorst, feels "very hurt hurt by the criticism they face from America constantly"? As well as an element of schadenfreude, there is pleasure that a pro-Russian candidate could have got so far. Last week and the UN general assembly, Ireland was among six nations to call for an international conference to negotiate a total prohibition on nuclear weapons. It was passed despite opposition from all known nuclear states. UCD's Professor Ben Tonra talked to us about this new effort in the stalled campaign for nuclear disarmament and the evolution of Ireland's stance on nuclear weapons over the decades.

How influential would Elizabeth Warren be in a Clinton Administration? Maybe it is too early for that kind of talk, but with Trump still slumping in the polls, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats might be forgiven for thinking ahead to November 9th and down the ballot to Senate and House races. Simon Carswell reports. They've been celebrating the 60th anniversary of a famous revolt against Soviet control in Budapest this weekend. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban unfavourably compares Brussels today with the Kremlin then. Daniel McLaughlin reports. And Irish Times food critic Catherine Cleary, whose recent review of a pricey New York eatery did not pass unremarked-upon in The Irish Times' letters pages, describes what it is like to visit a restaurant with three Michelin Stars and the challenge that ranking system presents to restauranteurs.

Ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Las Vegas, an embattled Donald Trump seems to be preparing ground for defeat, going as far as questioning the veracity of the voting process itself. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic joins us on the line from Nevada. Will the EU act "to stop the massacre of the population of Aleppo"? Our Brussels Correspondent Suzanne Lynch outlines the EU's largely ineffectual stance ahead of this Thursday's EU leader's summit. Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a constant source of diplomacy during a 70-year reign. Can his son Maha Vajiralongkorn leave his playboy lifestyle behind when he ascends to the throne next year? Our Asia Correspondent Clifford Coonan talks about the late monarch's special place in Thai society.

As pundits struggle to find the words to describe Donald Trump's performance in the US presidential election over the last week, Donald himself is continuing his campaign and leaving the Republican Party leadership in a lose-lose situation. Simon Carswell reports from the campaign trail in Ohio. In Italy, a referendum on political reform, a cornerstone of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's efforts to fix the nation's creaking system, looks set to be voted down. What is the referendum about, and why might the people not trust their PM? Paddy Agnew reports from Rome.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has come off the fence on the side of a "hard" Brexit. But what does that mean, for life on these islands and for May politically? London Editor Denis Staunton has the latest. In Colombia the rejection by referendum voters of a peace deal with communist militia FARC has left the peace process there in doubt. How did it come to this? Tom Hennigan reports. “France gave me asylum,” said Oscar Wilde, who spent his last years in Paris, having been driven out of England in disgrace. Lara Marlowe talks about the writer's life there (which is the subject of a new exhibition) and the French capital's allure for Irish writers, from Beckett to Yeats.

On this bonus episode of World View we bring you reflections on the state of British politics post-Brexit, and on Englishness, immigration and the state of the Union, from the commentator, columnist and former Tory and Thatcher aide, Sir Ferdinand Mount. He has just published a book of his essays on English public figures in the last thirty years, entitled English Voices: Lives, Landscapes, Laments 1985–2015. Ferdinand spoke to Irish Times News Editor Mark Hennessy.

Simon Carswell and Paddy Smyth look at last night's presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: - high and low points for both candidates - Clinton's canny debate strategy - Trump veering off message - where does the campaign go from here?

On World View this week: one year ago the EU laid out its plan for member states to take their fair share of asylum seekers. Today it is clear the plan has not worked. Ireland has taken only 69 of its promised 2,600 refugees. What's the hold-up? Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports. In part two, Derek Scally is on the line from Berlin, where Angela Merkel's CSU party had a poor result in elections last week. Her open-door policy for Syrian refugees is blamed for diminished party prospects, and she is moving to reassure voters that matters are in hand. But what does that mean for Germany, Europe and the migrants?

Uncertainty over the reported timeline of events culminating in Hillary Clinton's near-collapse outside a 9/11 commemoration has allowed her opponents to repeat the claim that she is not honest or trustworthy enough to be president. On this week's World View podcast Simon Carswell reports on the turn of events and how damaging they are to Clinton's campaign. Also on the podcast, Suzanne Lynch looks at moves in Europe to forge closer security ties in the face of terror threats and the continuing influx of migrants. What will it mean for the EU and how much integration will be acceptable here in Ireland? And Guy Hedgecoe, having spent the morning at the Toro de la Vega festival in Tordesillas, Spain, reports on how a new ban on the traditional slaughter of bulls at the festival has led to conflict between locals and animal rights activists, and why the future for bloodsports in Spain is looking increasingly bleak.

On the podcast this week: The minister with responsibility for Brexit, David Davis, yesterday gave a speech to the House of Commons on what progress is being made. Are we any clearer as a result? Not very much, says London Editor Denis Staunton, but there were some takeaways from the lengthy address. Denis also explains why Prime Minister Theresa May has ruffled some feathers among Leave campaigners, and how Japanese firms with UK bases have made their feelings about what should happen next very clear. Also on the show, Lara Marlowe reports from Paris where the mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced plans to set up two new camps for migrants, the first ever camps for migrants in the city. But will they be enough? Meanwhile to the north in Calais, the continuing existence of "the Jungle" with its 10,000 inhabitants is causing local tempers to fray.

Part One: After 52 years Farc rebels have lain down their weapons in Colombia. But the legacy of death and upheaval left by their conflict with the central government present a major challenge to future peace. Former Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, now EU envoy to the Columbian peace process, explains how the settlement is designed to punish and reintegrate perpetrators without jeopardising the hard-won peace. Part Two: From Irbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Ruadhri Giblin reports on a city with aspirations to westernise and modernise. But there are innumerable barriers to Kurdistan's progress, not least that their Peshmerga fighters will soon be taking part in an assault on Isis-controlled Mosul, just 50 miles away.

Part One: Middle East analyst Michael Jansen on the tragedy still unfolding in Syria and the significance of the battle for the divided city of Aleppo. Part Two: Eight months of political paralysis in Spain may at last have been broken. If it hasn't, yet another fresh election may loom. Guy Hedgecoe reports. Part Three: Badly-behaved tourists are a well-established phenomenon in this part of the world, but in China, for whose people global-trotting is a nascent hobby, reports of misbehaviour abroad have provoked a strong negative reaction at home. They're merely teething problems for a wonderful new industry, says Clifford Coonan.

Part One: Donald Trump's few electoral paths to the White House are growing fewer by the week as polls show him lagging in the key swing states. One of them is Pennsylvania where, with its history of economic stagnation, his message should be resonating. Why is he failing there? Simon Carswell reports. Part Two: Scottish National Party MEP Alyn Smith sits down with Patrick to talk about Scotland and Northern Ireland's roles in Brexit negotiations and the prospect of another Indyref. Part Three: Ideological provocation, or harmless compromise between religious faith and the need to take a dip? The Burkini has been banned by three municipal authorities in France who see it as the former. Lara Marlowe gives her take on the controversy.

The ANC, the political party of Nelson Mandela, has barely lost a vote since the end of apartheid in 1994. Now it has lost control of several districts in municipal elections, in what's being called a tipping point in the nation's political history. Bill Corcoran reports from Johannesburg. Akihito, Emperor of Japan, is not allow to comment on Japanese politics or laws - including the law that established his own position. Therefore it was tricky for him to let the nation know that he'd quite like to retire at the age of 82, says David McNeill in Tokyo. And here in our Dublin studio, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic explains how a new selection process for U.N. Secretary General allows potential replacements for Ban Ki-moon to get the message and drop out with dignity, if they lack support - but there's still room for plenty of politicking over the crucial appointment.

Could Donald Trump have really gone too far this time? London Editor Denis Staunton reports on his trip to Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton's nomination party was overshadowed by yet more controversial remarks from Trump, this time criticising parents of a dead soldier. Has he holed his campaign under the water? Plus, what do Democrats make of Brexit - could it and Trump be two sides of one coin? Find out everything you need to know about on-again, off-again nuclear power plant, Hinkley Point. Irish Times' resident boffin Dick Ahlstrom visits the studio to provide the backstory to this French-built, Chinese-financed, expensive, white elephant - is it any wonder Theresa May has hesitated with the green light? Or is it just another Brexit bargaining chip? It's August and the EU is taking a badly needed holiday, as is our Europe Correspondent Suzanne Lynch. She nevertheless obliges with a report on what progress has been made in Brexit negotiations - it's a very, very short report. Suzanne also tells us about Julian King, the UK's new Commissioner, who has been handed the security brief.

Part One: Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul where the heavy crackdown on alleged plotters against President Erdogan is continuing. Part Two: Bavaria, and its capital Munich, is reeling from four terrorist attacks in the last week. How much pressure will this heap on Angela Merkel, and how much can she withstand? Part Three: Our Moscow Correspondent Isabel Gorst is in Dublin, so she visited the World View studio to talk about Vladimir Putin's swelling fan club of world leaders - and his standing among Russian citizens.

Part one: Following Turkey's failed coup, President Erdogan has seized the opportunity to purge his political opponents. Some eighteen thousand have been arrested at last count, is Erdogan forcing his agenda or did the plot go that deep? To offer some insight, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic reports from Istanbul. Part two: "A most unconventional conventional", is how our Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell describes the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Plagiarized speeches and Nixon comparisons are just the beginning. Part three: Lara Marlowe reports from a shell-shocked Nice. Tensions are still high with Arabs feeling scapegoated for last Thursday's Bastille day attack and support for the right-wing National Front on the increase.

Lara Marlowe reports from the scene of the attacks in Nice, France that have left 84 dead and hundreds injured.

Part One: Race relations in the United States, always fragile, hit a low point in the last week with the shooting of police officers in Dallas, in apparent retaliation for the shooting of African Americans. Simon Carswell reports on the aftermath of the bloodshed and how it is spilling over into the election campaign. Part Two: Newly relected Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe may now attempt to change the constitution, brought in by the occupying Americans after World War Two, to remove stipulations including a prohibition on waging war and the powers of the Emperor. David McNeill reports from Tokyo. Part Three: London Editor Denis Staunton on Theresa May's surprisingly straightforward ascent to Number 10.

Part One - Who will be the next Tory leader? Tough, pragmatic Theresa May, who has survived the 'political graveyard' of the Home Office longer than any other politician? Charming ideologue Michael Gove, whose reputation for courtesy belies a willingness to wield the political knife? Or Andrea Leadsom, a hardline Leaver? Denis Staunton reports from London. Part Two (14:30)- Elvis Nilsson of Swedish paper Svenska Dagblad laments the departure of Britain, the country with whom Swedes - and Danes and Dutch and Norwegians - feel they have most in common. Part Three (21:00) - Germany's leaders, 'inconsolable' at the news of Brexit, have many questions to ask themselves about their country's role in a diminished Europe. Derek Scally joins us from Berlin to look at Angela Merkel's hardening stance on Brexit negotiations the remergence of an old idea: a "two-speed Europe".