New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy | Podcasts

Gender Policy Analyst Amari Jones is joined by Zahra Joya to discuss her memoir, her experience as a journalist, and the broader themes of courage, resilience, and the ongoing struggle for women's rights in Afghanistan. Joya is a journalist from Afghanistan, now exiled in London, and is the founder of Rukhshana Media, one of Afghanistan's first news agencies dedicated to women's stories, and the author of The Vanishing Girl of Kabul. Joya and her team continue reporting under immense danger. Her courageous journalism has earned global recognition, including the Foreign Press 2022 Award, Louis M. Lyons Award, Goalkeepers Changemaker 2022 and Marie Colvin Award. She was named a TIME Woman of the Year in 2022, was among BBC’s 100 Women, and was honoured with Spain's Llibertat Expressions 2022 award. She is a Fellow at Hughes Hall, Cambridge University.

In this week's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter and Andrew Loftesnes discuss the recent events surrounding the resignation of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang amid allegations of him having an affair with a Chinese intelligence operative, as well as the implications on the broader U.S.-China relationship. Elsewhere, In the Middle East, U.S. President Donald Trump has not resumed military strikes against Iran despite reported urging from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Syria stated it may aid Saudi Arabia in defending its border with Yemen. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, trilateral talks among the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia did not deliver substantive breakthroughs, with U.S. envoys subsequently flying to Russia and Ukraine separately to continue negotiations. In the Americas, Mexico reported progress in trade negotiations with the U.S., while Salvadoran troops conducted a joint operation with Haitian troops against the Mawozo gang in Haiti.  

In this week's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter and Andrew Loftesnes take a look at the U.S. midterm elections and what the results could mean for U.S. foreign policy. Elsewhere in the Americas, El Salvador doubled its troops in Haiti, while in Venezuela, the government conducted drone strikes on its side of the border with Colombia against the rebel National Liberation Army. In the Middle East, the U.S. bombed targets on the Iranian island of Qeshm, and Trump refused to rule out resuming attacks against the Iranian mainland. In the Indo-Pacific, China conducted large-scale air and maritime drills in the Pacific, while Taiwan and Japan confirmed plans to sign a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of the year. In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, officials from the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia are preparing for a trilateral summit next week, and the U.S. diverted an incoming shipment of Russian diesel despite a recent agreement struck between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.   - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

In this episode of Why the Balkans?, host Tanya Domi is joined by Marija Šajkaš to examine Serbia’s elections and the shifting political dynamics shaping the country’s future. From the Student List and the mobilization of young voters to the aftermath of the elections, they explore how a wave of civic activism is reshaping Serbia’s political landscape and challenging established political dynamics.

In this week's episode, Jared Jeter, Sebastian Dittgen, and Andrew Loftesnes examine the wave of protests sweeping across Europe, including recent developments in France and Serbia. They discuss the grievances driving these movements, the response from governments, and potential implications for European political stability. Elsewhere, in the Middle East, the U.S. reportedly renewed diplomatic outreach to Iran while preparing for a possible resumption of military operations. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc fell short of securing a parliamentary majority, raising the prospect of prolonged coalition negotiations. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin signaled that trilateral negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S. could resume in November, while Ukrainian drone strikes targeted the Moscow region. In the Americas, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva secured a fourth term in office, while defeated challenger Flávio Bolsonaro fled to the U.S. despite a Supreme Court order to surrender his passports.    - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

In this week's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter and Sebastian Dittgen take a closer look at some of the recent events surrounding Ukraine, including disruptions to its Starlink access and the possibility of future negotiations with Russia. Elsewhere, in the Middle East, the U.S. and Israel are reportedly planning to resume a strike campaign against Iran, while in Yemen the Houthi rebel group continued its campaign to capture the city of Taiz. In the Indo-Pacific, the U.S. and Japan conducted joint military drills centered on island defense, while Taiwanese authorities reported a large spike in cyberattacks ahead of the November Taiwanese midterm elections. In the Americas, Mexico and the U.S. stated they were close to reaching a trade deal, while Meta denied allegations that it had blocked social media ads by the campaign of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.     - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

On today's episode, Milos Maggiore, Sebastian Dittgen, Andrew Loftesnes and Jared Jeter discuss the new ideological front opening in the Democratic Republic of Congo.    Elsewhere, in the Russia/Ukraine conflict, U.S. President Donald Trump stated Ukraine should elect a new  leader after demanding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy halt strikes on Russian oil refineries, while Ukraine’s access to Starlink satellites for combat operations was temporarily suspended. In the Middle East, the Yemeni Houthi group bombed the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and two commercial vessels were sunk in the Strait of Hormuz in two separate unattributed attacks. In the Indo-Pacific, the European Union and China reached a trade deal concerning Chinese exports of hybrid vehicles while North Korea test-fired submarine-based cruise missiles  for the first time since 2024. In the Americas, U.S. security officials raided Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s home and preparing to send 300 troops to Panama for military exercises.   - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

On today's episode, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, and Andrew Loftesnes unpack the results from Brazil's first round of elections. Elsewhere, in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia launched an air campaign in support of a Yemeni government counteroffensive against the Houthi rebels, while the U.S. is reportedly preparing for a possible resumption of large-scale strikes against Iran. In the Indo-Pacific, EU trade officials visited Beijing for a last round of trade talks before the EU’s October summit, while the U.S. and China have discussed visiting each other’s nuclear sites. In the Russia/Ukraine conflict, Russia intensified its bombing campaign against civilian targets while the EU sanctioned over 1,000 Russian entities. In the Americas, the U.S. intercepted 90 shipments of biodiesel bound for Cuba which broke through the U.S.’s blockade of the island.   - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

In this special edition of Global Hotspots, Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, Andrew Loftesnes, and Sebastian Dittgen break down some of the key incidents that happened over this past quarter and look at some of the major trends we can expect as 2026 comes to a close. Conflicts in the Middle East and Russia/Ukraine are expected to intensify, and several other countries will trend toward destabilization as politically polarizing elections occur in Q4. These trends are likely to cause political, social, and economic disruptions, especially to the energy sector. Technological advances may mitigate some disruptions, but all eyes will be on artificial intelligence development and deployment, as that may add instability to the international system. - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.

In this week's episode Milos Maggiore, Jared Jeter, and Andrew Loftesnes are joined by in-house guest Sebastian Dittgen to examine growing instability in Ethiopia, as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front joins forces with other insurgent groups and raises new questions about the country’s security trajectory. Also in this episode: • U.S.-China: Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping extend the trade truce by two months during talks in Washington. • South Korea: Washington highlights new investments tied to last year’s trade agreement. • Transatlantic security: The U.S., Denmark, and Greenland sign a revised security treaty. • Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian forces launch more than 1,000 missiles and drones toward the Moscow region. • Middle East: Iraq orders the cancellation of flights from Iran amid U.S. sanctions pressure, while Israeli forces kill Hamas’ finance chief in Gaza. • United States: A judge reverses a White House ban affecting several news outlets. • Venezuela: Interim President Delcy Rodriguez says elections will be held, but gives no timeline. Listen to this week’s Global Hotspots for analysis of the geopolitical developments shaping the week. - Explore the Global Forecast Monitor here.  - Register for a 28-day free trial of the Geopolitical Forecasting Platform here.