logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2025
23m 38s

Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syr...

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Yesterday
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
Mar 19
An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing
A rash entry into a war of choice exposes President Donald Trump in a number of ways—and he may prove more dangerous as he becomes weaker. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial just began. And ... Show More
24m 43s
Recommended Episodes
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
Jun 2025
Confused unity: the mood in Iran
A sudden war made Iran’s leaders look unprepared. And many Iranians loathe the regime. But there are no signs yet that internal dissent will shape the conflict. Shortly after Nayib Bukele became El Salvador’s president, he was labelled as the world’s first millennial dictator; no ... Show More
23m 28s
Sep 2025
Go, fourth? France likely to lose another PM
An unpopular budget will probably spark the ousting of another prime minister, Francois Bayrou—and with him goes another government. Parliamentary impasse is now business as usual, and voters are fed up. Getting Chinese spenders spending is tricky, so policy wonks are at last con ... Show More
21m 50s
Dec 2024
Mass graves: revealing Syria’s horror
Ten days after the fall of Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, the full brutality of his rule is being uncovered. Our correspondent travels to a site near Damascus, thought to be a giant mass grave. Will France’s new prime minister restore stability (14:37)? And The Economist’s gui ... Show More
29m 9s
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
Jul 2025
Old-school Thai: is another coup coming?
After Thailand’s constitutional court suspended the country’s prime minister, our correspondent explains the need for fresh elections to avoid economic stagnation – and the possibility of the army stepping in. More celebrities are setting up businesses. And what the sea slug can ... Show More
21m 15s
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
Oct 2025
Syrian mass grave, U.S. data darkness and French pensions
Bashar al-Assad's government secretly relocated a mass grave to cover up evidence of tens of thousands of killings in Syria, a Reuters investigation has found. The U.S. government shutdown has switched off the flow of economic data and that spells trouble for the countries which ... Show More
12m 4s
Sep 2024
Grand Barnier: France’s new prime minister
Two months ago, French politics was thrown into crisis after a snap election left no party with a clear majority. Michel Barnier, the new prime minister, has a huge task ahead. Donald Trump’s campaign took time to adjust to the nomination of Kamala Harris. Now he’s on the attack ... Show More
25m 5s
Mar 2025
One week in the life of Volodymyr Zelensky
After a turbulent seven days, how will President Volodymyr Zelensky tackle the domestic and international challenges ahead? Our correspondent attends “Ode to Resilience”, a concert of defiance in Ukraine (9:55). And how “The Economist” reported on the Allies’ advance across Europ ... Show More
22m 59s