Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files

Did the capture of President Maduro give Trump the confidence to start a war with Iran? Christiane and Jamie trace how January's Venezuela gamble led directly to a disastrous conflict - and ask whether 'might makes right' has become the defining doctrine of this Presidency.
They examine whether Secretary of State Marco Rubio is effectively running Venezuela as America's 'Viceroy', whether the US has colonised a sovereign nation and what that means for how it is viewed around the world.
Plus, Christiane explains how Obama succeeded in making a deal with Iran where every other president failed, and Jamie gives his take on what The Odyssey can teach us about modern diplomacy.
Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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How do you challenge a president who calls you fake news and walks out? Christiane reflects on the futility of confrontational questioning, and why she'd rather ask Trump how he became who he is.
Jamie argues the Iran war is the most unpopular US military conflict he can remember, with no rally-around-the-flag effect and no stated objective successfully achieved. Could it lead to an uprising or ‘Arab Spring’ in the US, with Trump’s actions driving a potential midterm reckoning?
Plus, Hamas has signalled willingness to disarm as part of a Gaza deal, but is this a sign of real progress or another false dawn in the peace process? Jamie unpacks what Tony Blair's Northern Ireland playbook might look like in Gaza and why none of it matters without an Israeli government willing to allow a Palestinian state.
Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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Imran Khan - the legendary cricketer and former Prime Minister - has now spent three years in a Pakistani prison. The UN says he is being held in solitary confinement in 'inhumane' conditions, something the Pakistani government denies. His supporters insist the charges are politically motivated.
In this episode, Christiane speaks to Khan's son, Kasim, about what it's like to go months without hearing from a father known to be suffering serious health problems. She and Jamie are also joined by Zulfikar Bukhari, a former Minister in Khan's government, on the geopolitics of his imprisonment and why President Trump hasn't done more to help.
Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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A 22-year-old international student launched India's "Cockroach Party" and has successfully forced the education minister to resign. Christiane and Jamie unpack how a tongue-in-cheek protest movement exposed widespread exam corruption, won government reparations, and may signal the beginning of the end of Modi's unchallenged power.
They also explore whether Putin's apparent weakness makes NATO membership for Ukraine more realistic. Jamie explains why the answer is still no, but why Kazakhstan's president telling Putin to "freeze the war now" matters more than people realise.
Plus, Trump wore a "Trump 2028" cap to the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Even if he was joking, does floating a third term normalise the erosion of constitutional limits?
Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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Has Trump fired the starting gun on a nuclear arms race in the Middle East? His controversial deal with Saudi Arabia has sparked alarm - but is it already on the brink of collapse, after the President said it hinges on the Gulf nation normalising relations with Israel?
Christiane and Jamie unpick the agreement and its long-term consequences for the region and the world. They highlight how Iran will weaponise the deal for propaganda - asking why Riyadh should be allowed to enrich uranium while Tehran cannot - and look at whether Trump's standoff with Iran risks becoming another Forever War. Plus, Christiane reveals the growing desperation of ordinary Iranians who are struggling to afford to eat as they live under the continued threat of US airstrikes.
Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files is a Global production, available every Tuesday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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