On today’s episode we check in with Israel Correspondent Nicola Smith about the controversy surrounding Israel’s hostage rescue, the latest ceasefire talks and could a full scale conflict break out with Lebanon. Then we spoke with Europe editor James Crisp about the surprising gains by the far right in the EU elections. Finally Senior foreign correspondent Sophia Yan explains why three judges have quit the courts in Hong Kong this week.

Across the world, from Europe to Asia, from the Americas to the Middle East, tensions are rising between nation states as the traditional alliances and alignments evolve in the 21st century. 

This year sees war in Europe and the Middle East, and elections in major economies, from the US and the UK to Taiwan. Insurgencies flare in Yemen and Burma, tensions escalate in East Africa, and all around the world the international security architecture buckles under increasing pressure.

Battle Lines, a new podcast from The Telegraph, combines on-the-ground reporting with analytical expertise to help the listener to better understand the course of world politics, wars and tensions, as fault lines grind and slip in an increasingly dangerous and confusing multipolar world.

Listen to Battle Lines using the audio player in this article or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or your favourite podcast app.