Today

National front-runner: who can beat Le Pen?

Marine Le Pen, party leader of France’s populist-right National Rally, starts her fourth presidential bid with a commanding lead. The country’s political centre is broad, fragmented—and flagging. A buffer zone against so-called infiltrators in India’s West Bengal state is making ... Show More

19m 48s

Yesterday

The mob rule: criminality consumes South Africa

An illicit shadow economy, rampant extortion and the capture of the criminal justice system: mafia members and tactics are eating away at the state. Oura seems to have captured the market for smart rings; we ask whether it can keep its lead finger-tight. And our correspondent fin ... Show More

20m 48s

Sep 21

Centre punch: Germany’s state-election shocker

Two more state-election results reveal surging support for both the far-right AfD and the populist-left Die Linke parties. Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself described the outcome as a disaster; what will it mean for him? Our correspondent looks into why there is so much enthusias ... Show More

21m 6s

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

Dec 2024

Peace from pieces: Syria after Assad

<p>President Bashar al-Assad has been run out, his regime in tatters. As Syrians awaken to a new era, how can they put their broken country <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/12/08/who-will-rule-syria-now-the-assad-regime-has-been-toppled?utm_campaign= ... Show More

26m 21s

Dec 2024

ISIS 2.0?

As a new leadership emerges in Syria, disparate groups remain in control of different parts of the country. In the midst of the fluctuating situation, what dangers might return?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Sub ... Show More

25m 7s

May 2025

Syria after Assad

It’s been five months since the fall of the Assad regime. Syria is no longer at war but the challenges in rebuilding a fractured country persist. In this episode of the Reuters World News podcast, Timour Azhari travels to a country caught between chaos and reinvention. Sign up fo ... Show More

21m 13s

Dec 2024

The Middle East After Assad

After rebels took Syria’s capital, President Bashar Al-Assad fled Damascus for Russia, ending his brutal 24-year reign. His ouster marks the beginning of a new, uncertain phase for a country that’s been ravaged by 13 years of civil war. On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s ... Show More

15m 28s

Mar 2025

Sects and balances: a violent flare-up in Syria

<p>Horrifying attacks on Alawites, the sect of deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, throw into question the power—or the will—of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s leader, to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2025/03/10/a-horrific-killing-spree-shakes-syria?utm_cam ... Show More

22m 36s

Dec 2024

Buck Brief - Is Syria Becoming a Total Terrorist Hellhole?

With the fall of the House of Assad, Syria is now under new management—but who’s really in charge? Buck Sexton breaks down the transition with Bill Roggio, Senior Editor at Long War Journal. From jihadist factions to the region's strategic importance, they explore the implication ... Show More

25m 48s

Jan 2025

After Assad

In the month since Syrian president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by a coalition of rebel forces, thousands of political prisoners have been released while many more remain missing, assumed lost to the regime. The most powerful group among the rebels, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ... Show More

1 h

Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syr...