Inside Story

As the Sudanese government intensifies its crackdown on anti-government protests that have been going on for almost two weeks, activists have called for a massive demonstration against the government's austerity measures. The protesters defiantly dubbed their anti-government rallies “licking elbows” after officials issued a statement telling people who are dissatisfied with the government to do just that. The protests that were sparked by austerity measures have spread from the capital Khartoum to other areas of the country, with people now openly calling for an end to the 23-year-old rule of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president.

Mongolians cast their votes on Thursday to elect the next government. The country has an estimated $1.2 trillion in mineral reserves. But many Mongolians say they have not seen any benefit from the rapid economic growth. How rampant is corruption? Guests: Jargalsaikhan Dambadarjaa, Andrew Leung, David Sneath.

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, was in Paris on Wednesday to try to find common ground with Francois Hollande, the new French president. The two leaders are deeply divided over how to deal with Europe's financial crisis. Hollande has made growth his priority, and has openly challenged Merkel's insistence on austerity. It is the first split between Berlin and Paris since the debt crisis began 30 months ago. And there are likely to be more battles ahead as a crucial European Council meeting begins in Brussels on Thursday. Officials are pushing a radical proposal to turn the Eurozone into a fully-fledged political federation within a decade.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has fired his defence minister and national security advisor, saying the government needed new tactics to fight the armed group, Boko Haram. The group has intensified its attacks recently. What kind of new tactics will end the violence and is dialogue still an option? Guests: Chinedu Nwagu, Darren Kew, Musa Aliyu.

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, issued a decree on Sunday to prevent legal challenges against any actions taken or orders passed by the recently ousted prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani over the past two months. Gilani was convicted of contempt of court on April 26 and dismissed last week. The Supreme Court ordered Gilani's removal from office for refusing to reopen corruption cases against Zardari. The move was the culmination of a stand-off between the judiciary and the government.

The decision by Egypt's electoral commission ends a week of uncertainty in a country without a parliament or a constitution, and a barely functioning economy. There is a new president, the country's first elected leader. Mohammed Morsi, the candidate for the Muslim Brotherhood. Is Egypt's political limbo over? Guests: Hisham Kassem, Waleed El-Haddad, Adel Darwish.

Sudan's government is facing public anger in response to its newly-announced austerity measures. Opposition forces reject the plan, and calls for a change of leadership are growing. So, where will these protests lead and what could it mean for the already complicated situation in Sudan?

The latest wave of violence in Nigeria started after three churches were bombed on Sunday in Kaduna, a city which lies on the border between the Muslim north and the mostly Christian south. Boko Haram, the armed group that is opposed to Western ideology and which wants to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria, claimed responsibility for Sunday's suicide attacks. Although the group says it is trying to wipe out Western influence in the country, the attacks have a distinctly sectarian hue. Just how much of a threat is the Boko Haram to Nigeria? Guests: William Okoye, Alhaji Garba Sani, Buba Misawa.

The ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), has accepted a Supreme Court decision that disqualified Yusuf Raza Gilani from his post as the country's prime minister. Gilani was convicted two months ago of contempt, for refusing to open a corruption case against his ally President Asif Ali Zardari. And as part of the Supreme Court ruling, any decisions made by Gilani since his April 26th contempt of court conviction can now be challenged.

As Greece's new coalition government takes shape, its leaders still hope to renegotiate the EU bailout deal to soften its impact on the country, which makes up two per cent of the EU's GDP. But any amendment to the bailout terms will need the backing from Germany. Will the new Greek leadership succeed? Guests: Dimitrios Tsomocos, George Stathakis, Jorgo Chatzimarkakis.

Egypt's Supreme Military Council, SCAF has issued a series of amendments to its own Constitutional Declaration that effectively limit the powers of the country's incoming president, and many would argue, cement the authority of the army generals in this post-Mubarak era. SCAF also seeks to control the drafting of Egypt's new consitution. The once all-powerful position of president has been made largely ceremonial and the move to civilian rule has been put on hold in the interests of what the military calls "national stability".

Violence has returned to the streets of Iraq, with one of the bloodiest weeks seen since the withdrawal of US troops in December. The situation has not been this bad in a long time, with more coordinated bomb attacks, more deaths, and with it sectarian tensions stirred up once again. In addition to this, there have also been repeated calls for a vote of no confidence against Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister. Who is behind the recent spate of deadly attacks and is there political capacity to bring the situation under control? Guests: Ghassan Al-Attiyah, Richard Weitz, Mahjoob Zweiri.