
Battle Lines by The Telegraph
The Telegraph
Battle Lines is The Telegraph’s foreign policy, geopolitics and global conflict podcast. It offers expert analysis and on-the-ground reporting everywhere from China and the United States to the Middle East and Europe.
Twice a week, veteran foreign correspondents Roland Oliphant and Venetia Rainey bring you on-the-ground dispatches from the world’s most volatile regions and informed analysis from world-class experts.
Whether it’s the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Gaza conflict, Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, tensions between India and Pakistan, or the civil war in Sudan, Battle Lines covers the world’s most critical flashpoints with depth and clarity.
When will China invade Taiwan? Can Trump bring peace to the Middle East? What should Europe do to help Ukraine beat Russia? Is Iran building a nuclear bomb? What is the point of NATO? Can the United Kingdom still defend itself?
Created by David Knowles, Battle Lines answers all these questions and more, bringing together the best of The Telegraph’s international, geopolitical, and conflict reporting in one place.
Plus, every Friday, the podcast delves into the seismic impact US President Donald Trump is having on the world - from peace talks to tariffs to migration policy.
Don’t forget to follow and leave a review to stay updated on the latest in global conflict and foreign affairs.
Telegraph subscribers get early access to bonus episodes of Battle Lines and its sister podcast, Ukraine: The Latest. You can subscribe within The Telegraph app, or tap on ‘Already a subscriber’ at the top of this page to log in to link your existing subscription, for more information click here.
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Categories: News & Politics
Listen to the last episode:
This episode was recorded before the strikes on Iran — a major development we’ll be discussing in detail in Monday’s episode.
Los Angeles has descended into chaos. A wave of ICE immigration raids has sparked mass protests, violent clashes with police, and nights of looting, fires, and fear. Now, President Trump has overridden Governor Gavin Newsom using a little-known legal loophole to send in the National Guard — and Marines are on the way.
The move has ignited a fierce political battle between California and the White House, raising questions about federal power, state rights, and the limits of presidential authority.
The Telegraph’s U.S. correspondent Susie Coen has spent the week in LA, documenting the unrest and capturing the mood of a city on the edge. And LA author Ryan Gattis joins us to reflect on how today’s turmoil compares to the 1992 riots — and what history tells us about what comes next.
Contact us with feedback or ideas:
battlelines@telegraph.co.uk
@venetiarainey
@RolandOliphant
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Previous episodes
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151 - The battle for LA: How Donald Trump's Californian crackdown could define his presidency Fri, 13 Jun 2025 - 0h
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150 - Inside Hamas leader's secret Gaza tunnel & North Korea doubles nukes Mon, 09 Jun 2025 - 0h
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149 - Can the UK afford to defend itself from Russia? Fri, 06 Jun 2025 - 0h
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148 - Britain put on war footing Mon, 02 Jun 2025 - 0h
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147 - 'Trump is enthralled by Putin' & farewell Elon Musk Fri, 30 May 2025 - 0h
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146 - Gardening in war Mon, 26 May 2025 - 0h
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145 - Inside Trump’s new Star Wars program, plus HIMARS dispatch Fri, 23 May 2025 - 0h
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144 - Israel's new offensive to seize "all" of Gaza Mon, 19 May 2025 - 0h
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143 - Has Trump brought peace to the Middle East? Fri, 16 May 2025 - 0h
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142 - Who won India and Pakistan's four-day war? Mon, 12 May 2025 - 0h
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141 - Trump edition: How MAGA Catholics won the White House Thu, 08 May 2025 - 0h
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140 - ‘Russia is now but China is the long-term threat’ - reporter roundtable Mon, 05 May 2025 - 0h
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139 - How Trump changed the world in 100 days Fri, 02 May 2025
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138 - Record global rearmament plus India-Pakistan war fears Mon, 28 Apr 2025 - 0h
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137 - Trump edition: Breaking the Pentagon Fri, 25 Apr 2025 - 0h
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136 - Who would win a war in space? Mon, 21 Apr 2025 - 0h
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135 - Trump edition: ‘This is Trump unleashed and unfiltered’ Fri, 18 Apr 2025 - 0h
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134 - Spies, terrorists and state collusion: Investigating The Troubles Wed, 16 Apr 2025 - 0h
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133 - Will Trump attack Iran's nuclear sites? Mon, 14 Apr 2025 - 0h
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132 - Trump edition: Blowing up the global economy to take on China Fri, 11 Apr 2025 - 0h
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131 - Emily Thornberry: Trump's positives, sanctioning Israel and working with China Wed, 09 Apr 2025 - 0h
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130 - Khartoum recaptured plus inside the Gaza ambulance attack Mon, 07 Apr 2025 - 0h
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129 - Trump Edition: Why a third term is possible and the Chagos Islands deal Fri, 04 Apr 2025 - 0h
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128 - Australia boosts anti-China defences, plus inside Myanmar's rebel mountains Mon, 31 Mar 2025 - 0h
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127 - Trump edition: Annexing Greenland, Signal-gate and inside the battle for America’s foreign policy Fri, 28 Mar 2025 - 0h
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126 - How Erdogan broke Turkey's democracy Mon, 24 Mar 2025 - 0h
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125 - Trump edition: The Canadians fighting back against annexation Fri, 21 Mar 2025 - 0h
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124 - Why Israel has restarted the war with Hamas Tue, 18 Mar 2025 - 0h
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123 - US bombs Houthi leaders and South Sudan on brink of civil war Mon, 17 Mar 2025 - 0h
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122 - Trump Edition: Annexing Canada, negotiating with Russia and containing China Fri, 14 Mar 2025 - 0h
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121 - Exiled Crown Prince: ‘Iran is on the brink of a revolution’ Wed, 12 Mar 2025 - 0h
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120 - Nukes, drones and aircraft carriers - inside Iran's military buildup Mon, 10 Mar 2025 - 0h
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119 - Trump edition: Why he hates Zelensky and loves Putin Fri, 07 Mar 2025 - 0h
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118 - Six steps for Britain to survive in Trump's new world order Mon, 03 Mar 2025 - 0h
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117 - Trump edition: 'Woke' Pentagon chiefs in firing line Fri, 28 Feb 2025 - 0h
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116 - What Britain learnt from the Ukraine war & Germany's east-west election divide Mon, 24 Feb 2025 - 0h
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115 - Trump edition: America's embrace of Russia and how to end a war Fri, 21 Feb 2025 - 0h
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114 - 500 days of war: what has Israel achieved? Mon, 17 Feb 2025 - 0h
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113 - Trump Edition: Can Europe defend itself without America? Fri, 14 Feb 2025 - 0h
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112 - Musk and Trump’s war on ‘Marxist’ foreign aid Mon, 10 Feb 2025 - 0h
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111 - Trump Edition: US president unleashed on Gaza, tariffs and China Fri, 07 Feb 2025 - 0h
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110 - Iran's underground missile city masks a regime 'on brink of collapse' Mon, 03 Feb 2025 - 0h
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109 - Trump Edition: America's AI war with China & what his presidency means for Africa Fri, 31 Jan 2025 - 0h
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108 - Hunting Assad's henchmen in Syria and Congo's war for blood minerals Mon, 27 Jan 2025 - 0h
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107 - Trump Edition: American Emperor? Fri, 24 Jan 2025 - 0h
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106 - Trump's mission for Ukraine and Taiwan & fragile Israel-Gaza ceasefire 'holding' Mon, 20 Jan 2025 - 0h
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105 - Gaza ceasefire: How Hamas and Israel's worst war changed history Fri, 17 Jan 2025 - 0h
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104 - Hamish de Bretton-Gordon on Syria’s new leader, Russia’s quick exit and chemical weapons Mon, 13 Jan 2025 - 0h
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103 - The biggest threats to Western security in 2025 Fri, 10 Jan 2025 - 0h
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102 - Israel raids Gaza hospitals. Plus: inside a people-smuggling network Mon, 06 Jan 2025 - 0h