The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Has Vladimir Putin traded Donald Trump for Xi Jinping?  Yalda and Richard are back from their summer break and unpack the summit in Beijing. The leaders of Russia, India and North Korea are all there - but what is going on? And what will President Trump make of it?  Richard is recording from Israel where hundreds of thousands of people have been out on the streets protesting against the war in Gaza. He has spoken to the family member of a hostage killed by Hamas, who tells him why the military campaign must now end.  The two also reflect on the latest killing of journalists by Israel, with the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza now reaching 189. International media is not allowed to freely report in the territory.  And Yalda gives an update on the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan and explains why it is women and girls who could suffer the most in the days and weeks to come.  To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk  

Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. Now, they have teamed up to share their experiences from the frontline.    They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events.  From conflict in the Middle East, to the US election, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise  New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday.

Will recognising a Palestinian state help the people of Gaza?Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK would recognise the state of Palestine in September if Israel does not accept certain conditions, including a ceasefire – but what will this actually mean? Yalda thinks that there are better ways to pressure the Israeli government into allowing more aid into Gaza, and she tells Richard what these are. Richard has also been doing some research into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid points and tells Yalda what he has found out. Yalda also speaks to the author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu, The Economist’s Israel correspondent, Anshel Pfeffer. He tells Yalda why the prime minister has no plan for the war or what comes after. To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

On this week's episode, Yalda and Richard talk about the growing international condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza, including from a usually staunch ally – the evangelical right wing of America. But what has made them voice a rare criticism?The two also talk about the shaky ceasefire that is currently in place in the southern Syrian city Sweida. This is the first real test for the new Syrian leader, but can he contain the violence?And, Yalda gives an update on the situation in Afghanistan where women and girls have been arrested by the Taliban for violating their strict dress code.

This week, Yalda and Richard discuss Donald Trump's big decision to send weapons to Ukraine through NATO. Why has he changed his mind?Yalda gives her take on the situation and why she thinks Trump is following a similar position to presidents before him when it comes to the Russian leader.The two also discuss the UK’s secret Afghan immigration scheme after a massive data leak and gagged media. But how serious is this for those people still stuck in Afghanistan trying to flee the Taliban?To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk 

Richard is just back from Iran and tells Yalda what he saw at the Evin prison which Israel bombed. The two also talk about Iran's crackdown on Afghan refugees and undocumented workers in the country, some of whom the Iranian government say were working as spies for Israel.But how true is this? Yalda reveals what her Mossad contact told her.They also ask how close a ceasefire in Gaza might be.To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

In this episode, Richard and Yalda lift the curtain on what life is actually like in Iran, as Richard details how he managed to get into Tehran this week - and what he's found out about a country still reeling from the ramifications of the war against the US and Israel.After President Trump announced on Tuesday night that Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, we wait to see if Hamas accept the terms of the proposed agreement.Yalda and Richard ask what's next for the region, and whether Trump has in fact been successful in attempting to bring peace to the Middle East.To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

The World will be in your feeds a little later than usual this week. To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

In this episode, Richard and Yalda react to US President Donald Trump’s ‘they don't know what the f**k they're doing’’ comment on the White House lawn as the shaky Israel-Iran ceasefire comes into effect. Yalda gives Richard her inside scoop on the phone call Trump had with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop him from bombing Iran and further violating the ceasefire.They also ask each other what could come next and answer a question on what regime change would entail in Iran.Episode contains language some will find offensive.To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

In this bonus episode, Richard and Yalda get together and talk about President Trump’s decision to strike three nuclear sites in Iran.Yalda is in Jerusalem and Richard is in Tel Aviv where both of them have been reporting all night long.Yalda reveals what her contacts are telling her about the extent of the damage done to the sites. They then ask, what could happen next?To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

In this episode, Yalda and Richard meet up in Tel Aviv as they are both in Israel reporting on the Israel-Iran conflict. Yalda has been in Jerusalem since Israel launched its attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, military bases and top commanders. She discusses with Richard the toll this new war is taking on the region and the people of both Israel and Iran. She also unpacks her interviews with the president of Israel and Iran’s ambassador to the UK. Richard has just been at the site of the latest missile attack from Iran and gives his eyewitness account from the scene. He also shares his thoughts on the possibility of a ceasefire or regime change in Iran – a country he spent nearly a month in a few weeks ago.To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

Israel has attacked Iran and its operation will continue for "as many days as it takes", according to Benjamin Netanyahu – meanwhile, Iran's leader has vowed "severe punishment" in return.    In this extra episode of The World, Yalda Hakim is joined by Sky News' international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn to ask why Israel decided to launch these attacks now and whether this is the start of something much bigger. He's standing in for Richard - who is on his way to the Middle East.    Yalda reveals what she's hearing from Mossad agents in Israel and Dominic - who has just returned from Iran - explains why the leaders there are boxed in a corner.    Also - Yalda and Dominic discuss whether the initial response from the rest of the world will hold. Can Donald Trump stay out of any escalation? And what does it mean for the UK?    To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

This week, Richard is in Ukraine, recording just hours after the country was hit with 500 drones from Russia. He is in Mykolaiv and brings Yalda up to speed with what the city is like, over two years into the conflict.Yalda then takes Richard behind the scenes of her headline-making interview with the Russian ambassador to the UK who blamed Britain for the Operation 'Spiderweb' drone attack.Then, they are joined by ex-CIA director John Brennan who was head of the spy organisation from 2013-2017. He was in post when the CIA began working with and training Ukrainians and he tells Richard and Yalda why he thinks Ukrainian spies are now some of the best in the world.He also gives his take on Trump's peace plans, which he calls "naïve" and "unsophisticated".The three of them also dissect the protests going on in LA.To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.ukEpisodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

A bunker. A scenario. A group of former senior ministers, military chiefs and other experts. Russia knows our weaknesses – but do you?    Sky News' security and defence editor Deborah Haynes presents The Wargame – a major new five-part series from Sky News and Tortoise, set in the near future.  Launching 10th June.

This week, Richard and Yalda talk about ‘Operation Spiderweb' - the Ukrainian drone attack that is being described by some analysts as 'Russia's Pearl Harbor'. How did Ukraine pull this unprecedented attack off? Where does this leave peace talks? And how might President Putin respond? Richard and Yalda also reflect on the difficulties of not being able to report from inside Gaza. Israel has previously said it has escorted journalists to Gaza to allow them to report safely.Yalda also dissects the Gaza special programme she fronted and dissects two of the interviews she did. One which saw a former UN humanitarian chief use the word genocide to describe Israel's actions in Gaza, and the other which saw a heated debate with Netanyahu's former adviser.You can watch Yalda's special programme here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0rlmON8leA To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.ukEpisodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

As international criticism of Israel’s latest military offensive in Gaza mounts, Richard and Yalda ask how likely a ceasefire is in the coming weeks.  Also, one of Richard’s contacts tells him how Israel is using talking drones in Gaza which he describes as ‘like something from Black Mirror’.Yalda unpacks her interview with a Hamas official who has an interesting revelation about negotiations. Meanwhile, Richard gives his thoughts on how possible a US-Iran nuclear deal is. He also unveils the life of the super-rich in Iran's capital.Later on, they both try to make sense of the latest drama between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.ukEpisodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

Former GCHQ director Sir Jeremy Fleming joins Richard and Yalda for a wide-ranging conversation covering the war in Gaza, Donald Trump’s foreign policy, the threat of China and the dangers of AI.What does the former spy chief think will happen in the war in Ukraine? How close is a nuclear deal with Iran? What are the biggest threats to the UK’s national security?Sir Jeremy, who held the top role for six years before leaving in 2023, also answers questions from listeners on spies, cyber wars and who might be the next James Bond.GCHQ, short for Government Communications Headquarters, is the UK's largest intelligence agency, focusing on counter terrorism, cyber security and international intelligence.To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.ukClick here to visit their YouTube channel where you can watch all the episodes.Episodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

This week, Yalda is in Riyadh and Richard is back in Tehran as they discuss President Trump's trip to the Gulf states. He hails a "Golden Age of the Middle East" and vowed to stop sanctions on Syria and repeats his desire for a nuclear deal with Iran.Richard also tells Yalda about his trip to Syria where he joined a search for American hostages killed by ISIS - and Yalda shares her concerns over the fragile ceasefire brokered between India and Pakistan. You can watch Richard's exclusive report from Syria here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqCEELavbFg To get in touch or to share questions for Richard and Yalda, email theworld@sky.uk Click here to visit their YouTube channel where you can watch all the episodes.Episodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.

In a special extra episode, Yalda talks to Sky News' India reporter and producer Neville Lazurus in Delhi on the roots of the latest hostilities between the two nuclear-armed countries and asks if this has the potential to escalate into a global conflict.

Former US national security adviser John Bolton talks to Yalda about his experience of being the target of an attempted assassination plot by a member of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.Mr Bolton also discusses why he believes China poses an "existential threat" to the West - and why he describes working in Donald Trump's White House as like "living inside a pinball machine".Episodes of The World With Richard Engel And Yalda Hakim will be available every Wednesday on all podcast platforms.