The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

 Is Pakistan slipping into military rule? Why is the UN sounding the alarm about new changes to the country’s constitution?  Will Imran Khan ever be released?   Yalda breaks down exactly what is going on in Pakistan and speaks to one of Imran Khan's close advisors Zulfi Bukhari to get the latest on the former Prime Minister.   Richard is in Ukraine and has an update as negotiations on a possible peace plan continue between America, Ukraine and Russia. But will President Putin accept the amendments President Zelenskyy has made to the plan that appeared last week?  You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.    Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk 

What is actually in the detail of the Ukraine plan? Will Russia agree to the EU and Ukraine's amendments?  The leaked 28-point plan for peace in Ukraine which emerged last week was seen by many as capitulation to Russian demands. In response, European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy submitted their counter demands.  Richard has been at the peace talks happening in Geneva and breaks down the US plan with Yalda. They go through the main sticking points: territory, military and NATO membership.  They also recap the corruption scandal engulfing the heart of Zelenskyy's government, which is putting extra pressure on the need for a ceasefire with Russia.  You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.  Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk 

Is this Mohammed bin Salman’s comeback tour?  Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, also known as MBS, is returning to the White House for the first time since the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 at the country's consulate in Istanbul. US intelligence concluded that the crown prince approved the capture or killing of Khashoggi, a prominent critic. MBS has denied this but acknowledged responsibility as de-facto ruler. Plus, Richard, now back from Colombia, reveals what he learnt from his interview with the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, who is currently in a war of words with Donald Trump about the flow of drugs into the US.  And Yalda explains why the former Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina has been sentenced to death, and Yalda shares a story about when she caught the ‘fiery woman' off guard. You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.  Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk 

Donald Trump has moved a large amount of US military force to the Caribbean, but why? Trump recently referred to Colombia's left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, as "an illegal drug leader" and has ordered even more troops to the region. The US military has been bombing alleged "drug-boats" suspected of taking illegal drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl to the US, but are drugs just one part of the story? And how might it escalate? Richard is on the ground in Colombia where he explains how tensions have built and why China might play a role in Trump's motivations. Yalda discusses the importance of Syrian leader, Ahmed al Sharaa, visiting the White House. Previously labelled a terrorist by the US, al Sharaa had a $10m bounty on his head and led a faction of al Qaeda, yet now he is in the Oval Office being labelled "handsome" by Trump. How could this impact the dynamics of the Middle East? You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here. Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk

What does Zohran Mamdani's win in the New York mayoral race mean for America? Will the Democrats embrace him? What will Donald Trump do?  The youngest person in 100 years has just been elected the city's mayor and Yalda and Dominic Waghorn - stepping in this week for Richard - assess what's happened.  While young people voted overwhelmingly for Mamdani, young people in Iran’s capital Tehran defied authorities and came out singing and dancing in the streets. But what does this tell us about the current status of the regime? Dom has been to Iran recently and tells Yalda what he thinks. Dom also brings an update on Sudan where horrifying images are emerging. He has spoken to the Sudanese ambassador to the UK who says a genocide is unfolding and the world must wake up. You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here.  Do you have a question for Richard and Yalda? Write to them at theworld@sky.uk 

Sophy Ridge and Wilf Frost bring you the Cheat Sheet to the day’s news in 10 minutes. On this first episode, they look at the Huntington mass stabbing and hear from an eye witness. Sophy’s spoken to the sole survivor of the Air India crash which killed 241 people back in June. And Wilf’s heard from the US ambassador to the UK Warren Stephens, who wants the UK to keep drilling for oil and gas. And India’s women bring home the cricket World Cup. 

Could civil war be about to erupt in Gaza?  As all the remaining living hostages taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, are freed, and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israel are released, Yalda and Richard are in Tel Aviv to debrief on a momentous day for the Middle East.  But with outbreaks of violence between Hamas and rival militias in Gaza, could the Strip be about to descend into civil war?    Yalda was the first journalist to speak to Hamas after the ceasefire was announced, and she asked the spokesman whether the group were ready to put down their arms and leave government. She unpacks her interview with Richard.   The two of them give their assessments on if the peace will last and why the hardest part of Trump's 20-point peace plan is yet to come.    You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here. To get in touch or to share your questions, email theworld@sky.uk.   And share your thoughts on the podcast by filling out our short survey here.  

Will Hamas agree to disarm? Will the bodies of all the hostages in Gaza be recovered? Will Israel keep up its side of the ceasefire deal?   In this bonus episode of The World podcast, Richard and Yalda are recording from Jerusalem reviewing the last few days.  Live on air, Yalda got a text from a source inside the negotiating room who gave her the heads up an agreement was coming sooner than expected.  The two of them discuss the deal, and crucially, what will happen next. They also answer some of your questions.  You can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here. To get in touch or to share your questions, email theworld@sky.uk.  And share your thoughts on the podcast by filling out our short survey here.  

How close is a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas? Just how badly does Donald Trump want the Nobel Peace Prize? Why has Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to this deal now?   Richard and Yalda are both in Israel, two years on from the October 7 Hamas attacks, in a week where a ceasefire could be close between the two sides.   Both Richard and Yalda have been speaking to the family members of hostages still in Gaza as well as those who were taken captive.   They also reflect on two years of devastating war in Gaza which has left 67,000 Palestinians dead. Thousands are without homes and without adequate access to food and aid as Israel continues to bomb parts of the Strip. Will Donald Trump's call to stop the bombardment be listened to?   We love making this podcast and we're always looking at ways to make it even better. We'd really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out our short survey here. 

A new US-brokered deal is on the table: Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza is endorsed by Benjamin Netanyahu and awaiting Hamas's response. It promises hostages freed, aid flowing, and Gaza rebuilt under international oversight. But who really gains, and who gets to decide Gaza's future? Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim break down the proposal and speak to key players about whether peace is finally within reach, or still a distant hope. Did you know you can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here. To get in touch or to share your questions, email theworld@sky.uk.  We love making this podcast and we're always looking at ways to make it even better. We'd really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out our short survey here.  

What was Donald Trump’s message to the world in his UN speech? Will his position on Gaza ever shift? Will the UK’s recognition of a state of Palestine actually do anything for the Palestinians in Gaza?  Yalda is recording from New York where the United Nations General Assembly is taking place. All the most prominent world leaders are there to talk about global politics and diplomacy. Yalda talks about the most surprising thing she saw – and the inside information she got from former Director of the CIA General David Petraeus.  Richard has an update from a brother and sister in Gaza that he has known for nearly 5 years. Their house has been bombed by Israel and now they have to leave their home in Gaza City.  To visit their YouTube page where you can watch new episodes, click here.  To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk 

What do you do when the President of Ukraine tells you he wants an interview? You get on a plane and go.  Yalda is recording in Kyiv just after she sat down with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who agreed to an exclusive interview the day before Donald Trump's state visit to the UK. He also agreed to a rare walk with Yalda around bombed-out Kyiv to show her the extent of the Russian damage.  What was his message for Donald Trump? For Europe? For NATO?  Yalda breaks down what Zelenskyy said with Richard and gives some behind the scenes of what goes into an interview like this.  To watch Yalda’s full one hour interview with Zelenskyy, click here.   To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

How significant is Israel’s airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar?And, with Russian military drones being shot down in Polish airspace, what will NATO do?  Richard and Yalda debrief on the international reaction to the latest from the Middle East and Europe.   Also featuring interviews with the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and NATO general secretary Mark Rutte.  To watch the whole of Richard's interview with Mike Huckabee, click here. If you'd like to get in touch or ask Richard and Yalda a question, you can email: theworld@sky.uk.

Why has France just lost its fourth prime minister in two years? Why is its debt spiralling out of control? Is the EU going to have to bail it out?  Yalda is in Paris answering all these questions as she covers the fall of Emmanuel Macron's latest prime minister.  Thousands say they will descend on the streets, while opposition politicians call for Mr Macron to stand down. But will he go?  Richard is still in the Middle East, where he visited the scene of the bus depot attack in Jerusalem and tells Yalda what he saw.  He has also been in the West Bank where settler violence is increasing, and the Israeli government has decided whether it will annexe parts of it.  What does this all mean if France and Britain choose to recognise a state of Palestine later this month?  To get in touch or to share questions, email theworld@sky.uk

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