logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
25m 15s

Kurds in the right place: a truce nears

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Yesterday
(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan
Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into hot conflict. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act to lower it. Meanwhile that war’s oil shock brings with it fears of rising inflation; we examine how recent disruptions might inf ... Show More
20m 5s
Mar 23
From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran
As the war in Iran progresses, none of the options available to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implicated in lots of lawless and dodgy behaviour—but clearing out the bad apples is more complicated than it seems. And gene-editing co ... Show More
22m 59s
Mar 20
Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah
As attention has focused on war in Iran, Israel sees an opportunity to crush a weakened Hizbullah in Lebanon. Our correspondent says it would be far better for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining greater primacy in c ... Show More
25m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2025
Turkish delight: influencing the new Syria
The fall of Bashar al-Assad in Syria will reshape the wider region. Our correspondent says few countries have as much to gain from a stable Syria as Turkey. How will it use its leverage (09:25)? Donald Trump’s enthusiasm for cryptocurrencies will change America’s economy. And rem ... Show More
25m 5s
Jun 2025
Truce and consequences: a fragile ceasefire in Iran
Iran’s strikes both before and apparently after a ceasefire began seem to threaten peace. If it holds, what will that mean for Iran’s ambitions, and for the wider region? A meeting of NATO-country leaders seems precision-engineered to appease the alliance’s most fickle member. An ... Show More
24m 44s
Aug 2025
Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syria
Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees: why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of o ... Show More
23m 38s
Aug 2024
Block busters: how Russia flouts sanctions
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the West has deployed massive economic restrictions on Russian trade. So why is Russia’s economy growing? A survivor’s story from the forgotten conflict in Sudan (10:47). And Turkey tries to rid its streets of stray dogs (17:56). Listen to what matt ... Show More
23m 37s
May 2025
Bucharest pressed: Ukraine’s election effect
Negotiations in Turkey to bring peace to Ukraine could be a flop. But the repercussions of shifting alliances with Russia will play out in this weekend’s presidential election in Romania where the leading candidates have polarised opinion. Why British towns are shabby and disorde ... Show More
24m 46s
Jan 2025
Peace by piece: a ceasefire in Gaza is close
After 15 months of fighting, a ceasefire in Gaza may soon be agreed. What does the deal entail – and could it last? Our correspondent has uncovered new information about Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and her relationship with Syria’s ... Show More
25m 32s
Mar 2025
Buck off: US pauses Ukraine aid
In an effort to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table, America has paused military help to the war-torn country. What will this mean on the ground? Our correspondent explores a new cryptocurrency craze, visiting Turkey’s bazaars to meet people trading goods using stablecoins (9: ... Show More
22m 36s
Mar 2025
Conversation peace: can Europe bargain with Russia?
European leaders met in London this weekend after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s public row shattered hopes for a US-led truce in Ukraine. What did the summit achieve? Our correspondent visits Mexico’s border to find out if strengthened force will stem the flow of fentanyl ... Show More
24m 45s
Sep 2025
Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slowing?
The collapse of Russia’s wartime economy has long been foretold, yet massive fiscal stimulus has compensated for the effect of sanctions. Though the pinch is now being felt, the labour market is surprisingly resilient. Protesters in China are getting more creative. And why car to ... Show More
23m 30s
Sep 2025
Combative, conservative, cut down: Charlie Kirk
America’s most prominent young conservative was assassinated while conducting one of his signature campus events. His death might only widen political divides. In Asia a broad trend of deflation points to lower prices but unhealthy economies. And what happens when spiritual leade ... Show More
23m 1s