Inside Story

We look at the reality of increased sanctions on the Islamic Republic and who its really affects. Inside Story by her guests, Bahman Farmanara, the owner of a family-run textile business in Tehran, Raymond Tanter, founder of the Iran Policy Committee, and author of the book: Arab Rebels and Iranian dissidents, and Shashank Joshi, a research fellow of the Royal United Services Institute. He has also written the book: Permanent Crisis: Iran's Nuclear Trajectory.

As the fighting spreads into Lebanon,the pressure on Hezbollah to end its involvement in Syria is mounting.And Lebanon's former Prime Minster, Fouad Siniora, has made it clear that he is calling Hezbollah members to put an end to their implication in the Syrian affair. To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter Mike Hanna, is joined by guests Ahmad Mousalli, professor at the American University in Beirut and a specialist on Islamic groups; Naim Salem, professor at Notre Dame University in Lebanon and a specialist on international affairs and diplomacy and Salman Shaikh, director at Brookings Doha Center and advisor to the U.N. Secretary General on the Middle East.

Anger over plans to develop a city park in Turkey, escalate into nationwide protests against the government. It started as a protest over a park, but plans to redevelop a public open space in Istanbul have sparked wider civil unrest. Tens of thousands have joined nationwide protests, directed at the government. Dozens of demonstrations have taken place in 48 cities across the country, rights groups have accused police of being excessively heavy-handed.

The Indian government is preparing for an all-out anti-Maoist offensive following attacks last Saturday, in which several top Congress Party leaders were killed in Bastar. At least 19 people were killed when a convoy was ambushed in a dense forest, and the Maoists, also known as Naxals or Naxalites, are threatening to carry out more attacks. The Maoists are inspired by the communist ideology of China's late Chairman Mao Zedong. They have been fighting India's federal and provincial governments for more than four decades, demanding land and jobs for the poor and often marginalised farmers. So, while the Indian government tries to put down an insurgency it considers to be its greatest internal security threat, we ask: Is a military response the only option? And what will this mean for the world's biggest democracy? To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, is joined by guests: Ashok Mehta, a retired Indian army general; Rani Singh, a South Asia security analyst; and Kishalay Bhattacharjee, a journalist and specialist on the Maoist rebel movement.

A Swiss government bill was put to parliament to allow Swiss banks to hand over internal information to the US authorities, in a move that was previously outlawed, to co-operate with US investigators and to help what they said was a prevention of continuing criminal activity.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands marched against the US food giant Monsanto, across the globe.In scenes reminiscent of the protests against US-led wars, both in Vietnam during the 1960s and Iraq in 2003, protesters took to the streets in what organisers said to be 436 cities in 52 countries in a 'March Against Monsanto'.

The River Nile has been a source of life for millions over the centuries. Now Ethiopia is diverting water to build a giant dam pushing those downstream who depend on the river, to wonder when and whether this issue can be resolved peacefully. To discuss this, presenter David Foster, is joined by guests: Bereket Simon, Ethiopian minister of information; Lama El Hatow, co-founder of water institute of the Nile and specialist in water governance and climate change; and Cleo Paskal from Chatham House, specialist in water and food security and writer of 'Global warring.'

New types of legual highs were discovered in 2012. These recent type of drugs are cheap, dangerousbut also more and more used across Europe. The video asks about the measures taken by the governments to limit the use of these drugs but it also and above all questions the possible link between the European economical social crisis and drug consumption. To discuss this, Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, is joined by Eleni Marini, a clinical psychologist and head of the streetwork team at KETHEA - Greece's largest rehabiliation and social reintegration network; Frank Zobal, an editor of the European Drug Report and Dimitri Sotiropoulos, a political science Professor and researcher on the social effects of austerity.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and when it comes to art, beauty can also come with an expensive price tag. But for some collectors investing in the art market can be more lucrative than investing in the stock market. China has been driving growth in recent years, and works by Chinese artists have also been highly sought after. Three of the top-selling artists of 2012 were Chinese, including Jang Dah-Cheng, a life-long friend of Pablo Picasso.

A two-child limit has been imposed on Muslim families in a troubled province in Myanmar. The government has blamed a growing Rohingya population for stirring tensions with local Buddhists. They have been described as among the world's least wanted people, and one of the most persecuted. The Roginya Muslims in Myanmar, and a government-appointed commission has declared that their rapidly growing population is representing a serious threat, that is making ethnic Buddhists feel insecure.

As African governments celebrate a golden anniversary of unity, has it really served its people? Inside Story, with presenter Stephen Cole, discusses with guests: Shadrack Gutto, professor of African Renaissance Studies at the University of South Africa; Adama Gaye, the CEO and founder of Newforce Africa - an Africa China Consulting Group; and Alex Vines, the head of Africa programme at Chatham House.

A British soldier has been singled out for what is said to be a revenge attack against the government's foreign policy.Witnesses said he was run down by a car, and then attacked and stabbed to death, in front of passers-by in the London suburb of Woolwich.

In the presidential vote set to be held on June 14, only eight of the 686 people who registered as candidates were cleared to stand. The decision, though not entirely unexpected, is a setback for reformists in Iran. The next Iranian president will now almost certainly be a conservative, loyal to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Thirty years after identifying the virus that causes AIDS, the fight for a cure goes on. HIV remains the world's leading infectious killer.

What does India's growing influence in Afghanistan mean for this volatile region? Inside Story, with presenter Laura Kyle, discusses with guests : Haseeb Humayoon, a member of the Central Council of Afghanistan; general Ashok Mehta, a retired general in the Indian army; and Zahid Hussain, a journalist and author of the book: "The Scorpion's Tail: The renlentless rise of Islamic militants in Pakistan".