UpFront

Who is Qatar backing in Syria?

We speak to Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah; and we also ask if black lives matter in the US.

In this episode of UpFront, Mehdi Hasan speaks to Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah about the country’s role in Syria, its relations with Iran and the 2022 World Cup.

We also call out those who deny climate change, and speak to one of the leading voices of the Black Lives Matter movement, Deray McKesson. 

The Headliner: Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah

As the conflict in Syria rages on, some critics say gulf countries, including Qatar, are making things worse by backing certain violent and intolerant groups, accusations the government rejects. We discuss this, in addition to Syrian refugees, relations with Iran and the controversy surrounding the 2022 World Cup. 

In this week’s Headliner Mehdi Hasan speaks to Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah. 

Reality Check: A Climate Change Conspiracy?

The list of scientists, academics, politicians, activists and others who are calling for action on climate change continues to grow. Yet, there is still one small, but vocal, group who deny the man-made phenomenon exists.

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence that shows climate change, caused by humans, is real, this group continues to call it a hoax, a conspiracy theory.

In this week’s Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan calls out the climate change deniers and points to the damage caused by pretending the issue doesn’t exist. 

The Arena: Racism and activism in the US

A viral video showing a young black student in the US thrown to the ground in class by a school officer has prompted outrage across the country and world.

The deputy in the video has since been fired, but the incident has again reignited calls for the country to combat police violence toward black Americans.

At the forefront of the calls is the Black Lives Matter movement, which started in 2013 to demand action and draw attention to what it calls police bias and institutionalised racism.

So, do black lives matter in the US? And also, is institutional racism a problem across the world?

In this week’s Arena, Mehdi Hasan speaks to DeRay McKesson, one of the leading voices of the movement.

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