Amanpour

America faces chaos in Washington, again, with the US government just hours away from shutting down. Barring an early Christmas miracle, the proverbial lights go off at midnight tonight. Norm Ornstein, veteran political observer, joins the show to discuss.  Also on today's show: Mouaz Moustafa, Executive Director, Syrian Emergency Task Force; Charlie Warzel, Staff Writer, The Atlantic; Edward Berger, Director, "Conclave"  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Donald Trump’s second term rapidly approaches, one domestic policy seems particularly clear and predictable: mass deportations. Family separation, you'll recall, was a highly controversial policy adopted by Trump in his first term. Forcibly removing children from their families was purportedly intended to act as a deterrent, but it shocked the country and divided even Trump’s own cabinet. Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris and journalist Jacob Soboroff join the show to discuss the powerful new documentary "Separated," adapted from Soboroff's book of the same name.   Also on today's show: Omer Bartov, Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Brown University; Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, the former longtime opinion columnist of The New York Times  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Iran, there are still those bravely speaking out on issues of human rights, democracy and women's equality. One is Narges Mohammadi, the Nobel Peace Laureate, who has now been imprisoned for the better part of the last 20 years. In a world exclusive interview, Mohammadi has made the extraordinary decision to speak to Christiane Amanpour while out on a temporary release from prison on medical grounds.   Also on today's show: former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper; New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Syria's new leaders are pushing for legitimacy on the world stage and have been meeting with United Nations and European officials this week. The United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, has been meeting Syria’s new authorities in Damascus. He joins the show from the Syrian capital.  Also on today's show: former Washington Post Exec Editor Martin Baron; Brady United Against Gun Violence President Kris Brown  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The defense of Ukraine is top of the agenda for European foreign ministers meeting in Brussels today. With a new year ahead, and a new American administration too, the urgent question is how to end the war soon. Few know better what those negotiations would look like, and the cost of any deal, than former Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, who joins Christiane from Kyiv.  Also on today's show: Mediha Ibrahim Alhamad & Hasan Oswald discuss their new documentary, "Mediha"; US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on The Amanpour Hour, Chrisitane explores the aftermath of the stunning fall of Syria’s Assad regime, unpacking its geopolitical ripple effects with the view from Europe and what Trump 2.0 might do, featuring EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby. Then on the ground in Syria, Jomana Karadsheh reports from Daraya, the birthplace of Syria's anti-regime Arab Spring movement that simply called for reforms, speaking to one woman whose loved ones disappeared into Syria’s notorious prison system. Also on the show, from her archives, Christiane revisits her 2017 interview with the defector known as “Caesar” who documented the Assad dynasty's atrocities. Then, as Netanyahu takes the stand in his corruption trial, Alex Gibney and Alexis Bloom discuss their explosive film, The Bibi Files, featuring banned interrogation footage inside Israel. Finally, Christiane speaks with Mediha and Hasan Oswald about their film, "Mediha," which documents her harrowing story of survival in ISIS captivity through her own video diaries, offering a poignant look at healing and hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Syrian people are still celebrating what so many never thought possible, a country free of Bashar al-Assad. But amid the joy, there is much uncertainty about what lies ahead, and also deep pain, as the heinous atrocities from the past decades are coming more and more to light. Stephen Rapp has been laser-focused on bringing Assad to justice for years, gathering and documenting all the evidence possible. Rapp, who was the leading US official on war crimes, says he wants to see the brutal dictator face responsibility for the detention, torture and murder of tens of thousands of Syrians. He currently serves as distinguished fellow at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Center for the Prevention of Genocide. He joins the show from Washington DC.  Also on today's show: "Daughters" Directors Angela Patton and Natalie Rae; Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO & Chairman  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Wednesday night the United Nations General Assembly demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, and also condemned a new law in Israel that will ban the operations of the relief agency UNRWA. UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini is on a tour of capitals that support the agency's work, trying to get that ban reversed. He joins Christiane in London.   Also on today's show: Golden Globe-nominated director Payal Kapadia ("All We Imagine As Light"); Syrian-American Artist and Architect Mohamad Hafez  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Both outgoing and incoming US administrations hope there’s momentum for a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza. Qatar has played the central mediator role throughout, and this weekend regional leaders gathered there to discuss an end to this war. Christiane Amanpour spoke in Doha to foreign ministers Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani from Qatar, Espen Bart Eideh from Norway and Subra-Manyam Jaishankar from India.  Also on today's show: The producer and director of the new Benjamin Netanyahu documentary "The Bibi Files"; New York Times opinion columnist Masha Gessen  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the early hours after Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad's fall, rumors flew of secret prison cells locked by fleeing guards, deprived of inside of food, water and even oxygen. Today, the Association of Detainees and the Missing say that the notorious Saydnaya prison is now empty, with the White Helmet rescuers confirming "no evidence of undiscovered secret cells or basements." But before that confirmation, fueled by fear and desperation, thousands of relatives went there in search of those who had been condemned to Assad's dungeons. Correspondent Clarissa Ward reports from Damascus.   Also on today's show: EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas; former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby; former Republican and Democratic Counsels to the Senate Judiciary Committee Gregg Nunziata and Noah Bookbinder  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is a new reality in Syria and the road ahead is still unclear. After rebels swept into the capital Damascus in lightening speed and ended half a century of oppressive rule by the Assad family. Rami Jarrah has reported for years on the human toll of violence in his country, often under a pseudonym for his safety. He joins Christiane today from Berlin.  Also on today's show: UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen; US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In his first trip abroad as President-elect, Donald Trump attended the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Dispensing with protocol, world leaders like Emmanuel Macron are eager to meet with him to take the measure of the man they know as a deliberate disruptor to the world stage. One leader who know him very well is former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She joined Christiane in Washington to discuss her new memoir "Freedom," how she handled Trump’s unconventional style, his fascination with dictators, and Putin's fear tactics. As rebel forces in Syria continue to seize key territories, Christiane digs into the archives, when she visited with Syrian refugees in Jordan, highlighting the ongoing human cost of this 13-year conflict. Sitting down with Christiane in New York, award-winning actress and Hollywood star Demi Moore discusses beauty standards and self-acceptance. She talks about her role in The Substance, a film exploring the dark side of chasing youth, our society's obsession with aging, and opens up about family, and supporting her ex-husband Bruce Willis through his dementia diagnosis. Finally, filmmaker Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes-winning film "All We Imagine As Light," a poignant exploration of love and patriarchy in modern India. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The challenges in Eastern Europe extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. Romania's constitutional court has annulled the first round of its presidential election amid allegations of Russian interference. In Georgia, a week of anti-government demonstrations has been met by a brutal police response. And one of Ukraine’s most vocal supporters, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, is leaving office after his political party was defeated in October elections. He joins the show from New York.  Also on today's show: An exclusive interview with Syrian rebel leader Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS); Thierry Arnaud, Senior International Correspondent, BFMTV; Daniel Bogado  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Middle East is in meltdown, and perhaps some of the rawest descriptions aren't coming from aid groups or reporters but from writers. Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha was forced to flee his home in Gaza a year ago. Since then, he and his wife say they have lost almost 100 family members in the violence. Watching from afar in the US, Mosab has released an acclaimed collection "Forest of Noise" which captures the horror and grief of this time in his life.  Also on today's show: actor Demi Moore; journalist Ronan Farrow  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Many South Koreans are demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol either resign or be impeached after he sprung a surprise declaration of martial law late last night, shocking the country's allies across the world, particularly the US, which has nearly 30 thousand troops posted in the country. Joining the program to discuss what comes next to is former US Ambassador to South Korea Kathleen Stephens.  Also on today's show: Colin Clarke, Director of Research, The Soufan Group; Steven Rattner, former counselor to the US treasury secretary; David Frum, staff writer, The Atlantic  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The shocking decision by South Korea's president today to declare martial law spurred protests erupted at the National Assembly, and, within hours, lawmakers unanimously rejected the declaration. Senior American officials say they are "very concerned" by what's happening there. Kenneth Choi is the International Editor for one of South Korea's major newspapers, he joins the program from Seoul.  Also on today's show: former South Korean Foreign Minister Kyung-wah Kang; former German Chancellor Angela Merkel  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Asia prepares for a whole new America under Donald Trump, Christiane speaks with US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel. Plus, no women in combat and ditching diversity issues. Is this the future under Trump's unconventional defense pick? We dig into the real-world impact with former US Defense Secretary William Cohen. And as the great American play "Our Town" returns to Broadway, Michel Martin speaks with Director Kenny Leon and stars Katie Holmes and Jim Parsons.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Thanksgiving, The Amanpour Hour focuses on the power of bridge-building. Following a contentious election, America feels more divided than ever. Renowned political scientist Robert Putnam joins Christiane to reflect on the reasons driving Americans apart and how to rebuild those communities. Former Israeli and Palestinian leaders Ehud Olmert and Nasser al-Kidwa join forces and discuss their shared vision for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Journalist Yuval Abraham and Palestinian co-director and West Bank resident, Basel Adra talk about their collaboration in a new and controversial film, “No Other Land.” Diane Foley, mother of slain journalist James Foley and co-author Colum McCan delve into their book "American Mother," which covers her journey of resilience, meeting her son's killer and rejecting hatred despite her tragic loss. Historian Dominic Erdozain examines the origins of the Second Amendment and its evolving interpretation in his book "One Nation Under Guns," and the need to find political agreement to end gun violence in America. Finally, “Kim’s Convenience” creator Ins Choi sits down with Christiane on-set to celebrate the immigrant experience that unites us all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Syrian rebels say they've entered Aleppo for the first time since 2016. We bring you the latest from the region. Then, Pakistan's capital is turned upside down by anti-government protests. We speak to the former Pakistani ambassador to the US. Plus, "Sugar Cane" is a new documentary exploring the horrific abuse at indigenous boarding schools run by the Catholic church. The filmmakers join us to discuss. And five years after a fire destroyed parts of Notre Dame, the iconic cathedral reopens its doors fora presidential preview.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some governors, led by J-B Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis in Colorado, are trying to strengthen their own state-level institutions to protect against the promised retribution of President Trump. Colorado Governor Jared Polis joins Christiane from Boulder.   Also on today's show: former Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodnyuk; James Beard Award-winning Chef Bryant Terry, author of "Black Food"  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices