Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters
The longest running independent international affairs podcast features in-depth interviews with policymakers, journalists and experts around the world who discuss global news, international relations, global development and key trends driving world affairs. Named by The Guardian as "a podcast to make you smarter," Global Dispatches is a podcast for people who crave a deeper understanding of international news.
Episodes
What Is the Future of US-China Relations? | Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Live from the Aspen Security Forum
Nicholas Burns is a veteran diplomat who served as President Biden's ambassador to China during a crucial period in U.S.-China relations. We caught up at the Aspen Security Forum in July for a wide-ranging conversation about Chinese foreign policy, including Beijing's evolving diplomatic role in the conflict with Iran, what Xi Jinping hopes to gain from upcoming summits with Donald Trump, and whet
UN Secretary-General Candidate María Fernanda Espinosa: The Interview
The race to become the next United Nations Secretary-General is heating up, with the Security Council preparing to hold its first straw polls to test the viability of the candidates. In this Global Dispatches exclusive, I speak with María Fernanda Espinosa, a former foreign minister, defense minister, and UN ambassador for Ecuador who served as president of the UN General Assembly from 2018 to 201
How Ukraine Turned the Tide of the War | Live from the Aspen Security Forum
In recent months, Ukraine has clearly seized the initiative against Russia. Its impressive use of drones and autonomous weapons systems has put Russia on the defensive, while strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are causing gasoline shortages for ordinary Russians. I speak with The Wall Street Journal's Yaroslav Trofimov about how and why Ukraine's fortunes have suddenly turned—and what comes
How the Civil War in Myanmar Became the Deadliest Conflict in Asia
The civil war in Myanmar recently passed a grim milestone. According to the conflict-monitoring NGO ACLED, an estimated 100,000 people have been killed since the war broke out in 2021. Seventy percent of them were civilians. This civil war rarely makes headlines in the West. It erupted after Myanmar's democratic transition collapsed and the military seized power in February 2021. The junta then vi
Josh Rogin on Iran, NATO, and the Latest in Trump Foreign Policy
It was a pleasure to welcome The Washington Post's Josh Rogin for a wide-ranging discussion of the foreign policy topics du jour — from Iran and NATO to Syria, Ukraine, and the latest moves from the Trump administration. We kick off by discussing the escalating retaliatory cycle between the United States and Iran, and whether it means the ceasefire brokered last month is effectively dead. Josh exp
The UN Just Held Its First-Ever AI Governance Meeting. Here's Why It Matters
On July 6 and 7, the United Nations convened its first major meeting on AI governance. The Global Dialogue on AI Governance, held in Geneva, was different from other global gatherings on artificial intelligence because it included significant participation from constituencies that are often left out of discussions about AI, including representatives from the Global South, civil society, academia,
Why The Status Quo in Gaza Can't Last Much Longer
There is a ceasefire on paper in Gaza. But in reality, Gazans are being killed on a near-daily basis by Israeli forces. Since the October 2025 ceasefire agreement, more than 1,000 Gazans have been killed in Israeli strikes. Five Israeli soldiers have been killed as Israel seeks to expand its footprint inside Gaza. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid and goods are entering Gaza only in a trickle — far from
Sudan Is on the Brink of Another Mass Atrocity
Sudan's civil war may be entering another catastrophic phase. As I write this, a genocidal militia is massing outside a major city in Sudan, El Obeid. NGOs, the United Nations — and even Donald Trump's State Department — are warning of the potential of a major mass atrocity event should El Obeid fall. Yet, the attack appears imminent. In this episode of Global Dispatches, I speak with Mutasim Ali,
Thousands of Africans Are Being Lured to Fight in Russia's War on Ukraine
Support the show! Here's a 40% discount off a premium subscription! https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff Or at full price here: https://www.globaldispatches.org/ Russia's war in Ukraine has become a grinding war of attrition. Every month, tens of thousands of Russian soldiers are killed or wounded on the front lines. But Vladimir Putin has so far resisted a full-scale mass mobilization t
Colombia Takes a Hard-Right Turn: Who Is Abelardo de la Espriella?
Colombia's President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella is an unusual politician. For one, he has never held elected office and does not represent a traditional political party. Rather, he built a career as a criminal defense attorney, including in Miami, where he represented high-powered clients facing corruption allegations. He also became a familiar presence in Trump circles, with appearances at Tr
How the UN Views the Iran-U.S. Ceasefire | To Save Us From Hell, Free Preview
Get a full subscription at a 40% off: https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett could become the first United Nations Secretary-General of Indigenous descent. Guyana's ambassador to the United Nations was nominated as a Secretary-General candidate this week, bringing the grand total of candidates to six as we enter the final stretch of the campaign before the first S
The U.S.-Iran Ceasefire: What Happens Now? | With Gregory Brew
Since the start of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict on February 28, I've found myself drawn to a handful of thoughtful analysts who have helped me make sense of the unfolding conflict and its vast global implications. One of those people is Gregory Brew, an analyst at Eurasia Group and a historian who studies the intersection of Iran, oil, and U.S. foreign policy. As rumors of a potential ceasefire b
Why This Could Be the Worst Ebola Outbreak Ever — And How to Stop It
The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is raging with no end in sight. So far, there are 676 confirmed cases, including 136 confirmed deaths. The true numbers are likely higher. One reason this outbreak is so bad is that it was detected late. According to my guest today, Jeremy Konyndyk, one reason disease surveillance broke down was that the United States abruptly cut funding for
China's Foreign Policy Twist -- and Beijing's True Intentions at the UN | With Kaiser Kuo
In this special crossover episode between Global Dispatches and the Sinica Podcast, Kaiser Kuo and I use Xi Jinping's two-day visit to North Korea as an entrypoint to discuss how Chinese foreign policy has shifted in recent years — on the Korean Peninsula, in the Middle East, and at the United Nations. Kaiser Kuo is the founder and longtime host of Sinica, which has partnered with Global Dispatche
Introducing: "World's Toughest Job" -- A new podcast about the Next UN Secretary General
I want to recommend a new podcast I think our audience will like: it's called World's Toughest Job, from Foreign Policy magazine and the United Nations Foundation. And today, I'm sharing with you the debut episode. Between now and the end of this year, 193 member states will elect a new secretary-general of the United Nations. This person will oversee a staff of tens of thousands around the world
Why Germany Got Snubbed for the Security Council and What We Learned from the UN Secretary General "Hustings" | To Save Us From Hell
Unlock the full episode with a discount subscription to Global Dispatches --> https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff There was a remarkable scene at the United Nations yesterday as the President of the General Assembly and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock read out the results of a hotly contested race for a Security Council seat. For months, Portugal, Austria, and Germany ha
Scientific Breakthroughs and Political Retreat Set the Stage for a Crucial Global Moment in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
There are two competing trends in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. On the one hand, there has been tremendous progress toward reducing the number of infections and deaths from HIV/AIDS over the last twenty years. Scientific advances in treatment and prevention, new policy tools, and political and funding commitments have driven down HIV/AIDS to the point where it is possible to foresee an AIDS-f
What is the Future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the "glue" that holds the entire global nuclear security architecture together — but is it fraying? I spent much of last month at the United Nations covering the review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This is a conference of all members of the NPT that happens every five years. Countries come together to assess progress toward the treaty'
How to Prevent Global Catastrophic Risks | Stefan Löfven and Jens Orback
Today's episode is produced in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them. The Global Challenges Foundation's 2026 Global Catastrophic Risks report outlines five of the biggest risks facing humanity today -- and how to stop them. You can find the report at globa
Stopping Ebola Requires Multilateralism. America's Retreat Is Making That Harder | To Save Us From Hell
An Ebola outbreak is spiraling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo — and one of the clearest lessons from past outbreaks is that Ebola requires multilateralism: countries working together through existing institutions like the United Nations and the World Health Organization to contain the disease, support frontline health workers, share information, and prevent cross-border spread. But the Tr
A Surprise Attack in Mali Puts the Government -- and Russia -- on the Defensive
In late April, an unlikely alliance of Islamist militants and separatists from the Tuareg ethnic group launched a series of surprise attacks against government forces in Mali. They attacked the capital, Bamako; killed Mali's defense minister; and even evicted Russian forces from a key city they were defending on behalf of the government of Mali. Mali has been beset by instability since a 2012 coup
How to Prevent an Asteroid Impact | Global Catastrophic Risks
Today's episode is produced in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them. The Global Challenges Foundation's 2026 Global Catastrophic Risks report outlines five of the biggest risks facing humanity today, including an asteroid colliding with earth, the topic of
How the Iran War Is Making Sudan's Civil War Even Worse
The civil war in Sudan is now entering its fourth year. Full-scale conflict broke out in April 2023 following a failed democratic transition, when two powerful rival militaries, the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces, fought each other for control of the country. Caught in the middle were the Sudanese people, 14 million of whom have been displaced, making this the largest humanitar
Inside the (Flawed) Push at the Security Council to Reopen Hormuz | To Save Us From Hell
The Security Council is weighing yet another U.S.-backed resolution on the Strait of Hormuz that is probably doomed from the start. In this first segment of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali and Mark explain the flawed logic behind this latest effort to return the Strait to its status quo ante bellum. Then, Mark discusses what he learned covering the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference,
Introducing: "Houston At Large" -- A New Podcast About How America's Fourth Largest City Impacts the World
I wanted to share with you a new podcast that I've had a hand in supporting. Houston at Large is a show produced by Rice University Master of Global Affairs students Luisa Tolda and Dante Garcia. The podcast aims to analyze Houston's role in international matters such as immigration, energy, and trade. The first episode of this series, presented today, features Dr. Tony Payan, Director of
A Brilliant New Book Tells The Extraordinary Story Of Ordinary Syrians In The Civil War
Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution by Anand Gopal takes readers to the Syrian city of Manbij before, during, and after the civil war. Against all odds, the people of Manbij evicted the Assad regime from the city and built a democracy from scratch, even as civil war raged throughout the country. This experiment in self-rule was complex and inspiring, but ultimat
The High Stakes of a Major UN Meeting on Nuclear Weapons
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is the most important and impactful global agreement on nuclear weapons. 191 counties have joined the NPT since it entered into force in 1970, with just a few notable exceptions, including India, Pakistan, Israel and South Sudan. The NPT has three essential pillars: countries that do not have nuclear weapons cannot acquire them; countries that do have nuclear w
Let the Race for UN Secretary General Begin!
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the four candidates for UN Secretary-General made their case at the UN General Assembly. Across twelve hours spanning two days, they took questions from UN member states and civil society groups eager to learn more about their priorities, proclivities, and leadership styles should they become the next UN Secretary-General on January 1, 2027. It was a marathon —
How the Iran War Is Already Fueling a Global Food Crisis
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is causing a surge in food prices around the world — particularly in places already in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. And it's about to get worse. This is the planting season for much of Africa and Asia, and fertilizer shortages mean that farmers are cutting back. Come this fall, crop yields will be reduced. One of the epicenters of this trend is Sudan, whi
Can International Institutions Survive Democratic Backsliding? Live from Lewis & Clark College
Today's episode was recorded live at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, for the annual Lewis & Clark International Affairs Symposium. The theme of this year's symposium was Crumbling Pillars: The Age of Authoritarianism. For this live episode, I speak with Lewis & Clark professor Kyle Lascurettes about how democratic backsliding and authoritarian resilience are impacting the United Nations
How China Views the Iran War
As I am recording this on Friday, April 10, JD Vance is en route to Islamabad, Pakistan, for negotiations over a ceasefire announced on April 7. This ceasefire is shaky at best. It is clear that there was never a common understanding between Iran and the United States about what might be included in a ceasefire, but American and Iranian delegations are headed to Islamabad to discuss these details.
From Detection to Decision-Making: Understanding Pandemic Risk | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2
Pandemic Risk Assessment is an emerging scientific toolkit designed to assess how pandemic risk is evolving over time. Rather than predicting the next outbreak, it integrates evidence across scientific disciplines to identify the drivers and estimate the probabilities of pandemic outbreaks. And in so doing, it can help policymakers prioritize prevention and preparedness investments before crises e
How Existing Disease Surveillance Networks Can Catch New Outbreaks | Before the Outbreak, Episode 2
Many of our best surveillance tools today that were originally built to target specific diseases like polio and malaria have become critical infrastructure for outbreak response and early warning across a wide range of pathogens. This includes laboratory networks, diagnostic tools, and community health workers—all of which play vital roles in broader outbreak preparedness. In today's episode, two
Introducing: "Before the Outbreak" — A Three-Part Series on Disease Surveillance and Pandemic Preparedness
Robust disease surveillance systems are the foundation of strong public health systems and are essential to preventing, detecting, and responding to health threats before they escalate. Commitments to and investments in quality disease surveillance systems are key to smart, cost-effective public health decision-making, which is needed more than ever. Before the Outbreak is a three-part podcast ser
How To Prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing Geopolitical and Military Landscape | Global Catastrophic Risks
Today's episode is produced in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them. The Global Challenges Foundation's 2026 Global Catastrophic Risks report outlines five of the biggest risks facing humanity today, including weapons of mass destruction, the topic of this
The Case Against Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court
One year ago, in 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was extradited to The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity and murder for orchestrating a campaign of extrajudicial killings against people he deemed to be involved in the drug trade. Over the course of several years while he was president, thousands of people were killed by police and hit squads. Now, he faces justice
Is Cuba Next?
For the first time in nearly 70 years, it looks like there may be major political changes afoot in Cuba — driven by the United States. The Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure on the island, including by imposing an oil embargo that is strangling the country's energy supplies. On Monday, March 16, Cuba experienced a complete collapse of its electric grid, triggering a nationwide bl
The Iran War Ignites a Global Humanitarian Emergency
Earlier last last week, he United Nations reported that around 300,000 Lebanese had been displaced since Israel opened a new front in southern Lebanon amid this widening regional conflict. Yesterday, that figure surged to more than 800,000 people forced from their homes in just a matter of days. Lebanon is where the humanitarian crisis stemming from the Iran war is most urgent at the moment—but th
How to Prevent Catastrophic Climate Change | Global Catastrophic Risks
Today's episode is produced in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them. Global Challenges Foundation's 2026 Global Catastrophic Risks report outlines five of the biggest risks facing humanity today, including catastrophic climate change, the topic of this epi
The War in Iran Comes to the UN | To Save Us From Hell
We cover a lot of ground in this week's episode of To Save Us From Hell! There are two new entrants to the race to succeed António Guterres as the next UN Secretary-General; Cindy McCain announced she is stepping down as head of the World Food Programme, meaning there will soon be a vacancy at the top of one of the largest UN agencies—one typically led by an American; and we dissect a bizarre Secu
How Does The Iran War End?
Things are obviously moving very fast in the Middle East. When I caught up with my guest today, Dalia Dassa Kaye, the war was in its second day. Bombings in Iran and throughout the region continued at a rapid clip, and there was little sense of when, if, or how it might end. Regular listeners of the show are no doubt familiar with Dalia Dassa Kaye. She is a senior fellow at the UCLA Burkle Center
Anthropic vs. the Pentagon: The High-Stakes Fight Over Military AI—and Autonomous Weapons
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth held a high-stakes meeting with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and, according to several news reports, delivered an ultimatum: either Anthropic drops the safety guardrails built into its AI model, Claude, or it faces potentially punishing consequences—including invoking the Defense Production Act to effectively seize Claude, or banning Anthropic outrig
Ethiopia Is Sliding Fast Toward Major War
Ethiopia is on the brink of a war that could turn into a major regional conflagration. Over the past several weeks, military forces have been moving into position across the region in a conflict that would pit the government of Ethiopia and some allied militias against Eritrea and a rebel faction from Ethiopia's northern Tigray region, among others. There are several concurrent forces driving the
Board of Peace v United Nations | US To Attack Iran? - To Save Us From Hell
It was an odd juxtaposition: Trump's inaugural Board of Peace gathered in Washington, D.C. as the U.S. appeared to be readying for war with Iran. In this week's To Save Us From Hell episode, Mark and Anjali discuss why this Board of Peace can't really compete with the Security Council, and what its advent says about international relations today. They then discuss a looming American attack on Iran
Why Has the United States Deployed Gunboats to Haiti?
On February 3, the United States deployed a warship and Coast Guard vessels off the coast of Haiti, near Port-au-Prince. The move came amid political wrangling within Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council, as some members sought to block Washington's preferred candidate from becoming the next prime minister. This deployment comes amid a deepening political, security, and humanitarian crisis in
The Last Nuclear Arms Control Agreement Between the US and Russia Just Expired. What's Next?
The New START treaty, signed by the United States and Russia in 2010, limited both countries to 1,550 deployed strategic warheads, placed restrictions on how those weapons could be deployed, and included strong verification mechanisms to ensure compliance. On February 6, 2026, that treaty formally expired. And now, for the first time in decades, there is no bilateral nuclear arms agreement between
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Is Rewriting the Political Playbook
Donald Trump doesn't much like Pedro Sánchez — and the Spanish prime minister is perfectly fine with that. Unlike other European leaders who reflexively genuflect to the American president, Pedro Sánchez stands apart for his willingness to confront Trump—not for its own sake, but in service of a theory of politics that diverges sharply from many of his European counterparts. As my guest, journalis
The Secretary General Race Heats Up — And the Epstein Files Hit the UN | To Save Us From Hell
For the first time in history, multiple countries have jointly nominated a candidate for UN Secretary General. Earlier this week, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico endorsed Michelle Bachelet—a former president of Chile, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a survivor of brutal repression under the Pinochet regime. The move is unprecedented—and potentially transformative. What does it signal a
What Americans Really Think About Foreign Policy
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs has been tracking American views on foreign policy since the end of the Vietnam War. Last week, it released its 2025 survey—and the results point to a widening partisan divide on some of the most fundamental questions about America's role in the world. That was not always the case. For most of the past 50 years, Democrats, Republicans, and independents largely
Civil War Has Returned to South Sudan
For the past year and a half, South Sudan has been on the brink of a new civil war. A 2018 peace deal that ended the last civil war has been faltering, while the war across the border in Sudan has threatened to spill south. According to my interview guest, Daniel Akech of the International Crisis Group, the tipping point has been breached. We are now in the early stages of a new civil war in South
One Year On: What Have Trump's HIV/AIDS Cuts Cost The World?
One year ago, the United States was winning the global fight against HIV/AIDS. Thanks largely to American leadership, infections and deaths from HIV/AIDS have dropped precipitously over the past 20 years, ever since the U.S. government made combating the disease a global priority. Some once–hard-hit countries in sub-Saharan Africa were even on track to become AIDS-free by 2030. But then, suddenly
The Stories that Will Drive the UN Agenda in 2026 | To Save Us From Hell
Can Donald Trump's new Board of Peace really compete with the Security Council? Will we even be discussing it a week or two from now, or will Trump and other world leaders simply move on? And what's with the Board's logo, which looks almost like a parody of the United Nations emblem? Mark and Anjali break down the newest—and perhaps strangest—entrant into the multilateral peace and security space,
Why a U.S. Strike Against Iran May Backfire
Protests sweeping Iran are unlike anything the regime has faced since coming to power in 1979. What began as demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over the sharply devalued Iranian rial quickly morphed into sustained, nationwide anti-government protests. The government responded with extreme brutality, killing thousands of people—and in doing so, once again put itself in the crosshairs of the Un
The Curious Case of America's Christmas Day Missile Strikes in Nigeria
On Christmas Day, the United States launched a series of missile strikes in Nigeria, ostensibly against jihadist groups. In the weeks prior, Donald Trump had been claiming that Christians in Nigeria were being subjected to systematic attacks by such groups, and he framed these strikes as a "Christmas present" that killed jihadist leaders and destroyed terrorist camps. But that does not seem to hav
The View from Denmark as Trump Threatens Greenland | Søren Lippert
Danes are reeling from the aggressive nature of Donald Trump's designs on Greenland — but there is little they can do to stop the United States from acquiring the territory, whether by force or coercion. This is an odd position for Denmark, which has long been one of America's staunchest allies, as well as a core member of the European Union and NATO. My interview guest, Søren Lippert, is the CEO
How China is Responding to the "Donroe Doctrine"
I'm joined by one of my favorite fellow podcasters and Substackers, Kaiser Kuo, host of the long-running Sinica Podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation on China, Venezuela, and America's shifting role in the world. We start by unpacking how trade ties between Venezuela and China have produced a deeply imbalanced relationship between Caracas and Beijing, before turning to Beijing's reaction to Tru
Is This an Existential Moment for the United Nations? | To Save Us From Hell
The Security Council convened an emergency meeting on Monday in response to American military operations in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife— forcing dozens of countries to publicly respond to one of the most audacious U.S. actions in recent memory. Anjali and Mark break down what unfolded in the chamber: which countries issued the strongest condemnations, which were more restra
The U.S. Just Toppled Nicolás Maduro. Here Are the Major Risks
In a stunning U.S. military operation carried out in the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd, American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. As of Saturday afternoon Eastern Time, the two were en route to New York, where they are expected to face criminal charges tied to a U.S. indictment issued roughly five years ago. The operation follows months of escalating confron
How to Revive a Global Plastics Pollution Treaty | When Treaties Work
In 2022, countries agreed to negotiate an international treaty to end plastics pollution. They gave themselves a two-year deadline to finalize the treaty text — and needless to say, that deadline has not been met. The conventional wisdom is that these treaty negotiations are hopelessly gridlocked, with some countries pushing for a wide-ranging agreement while others insist on something far more na
How to Prevent Ecological Collapse | Global Catastrophic Risks
Today's episode is produced in partnership with the Global Challenges Foundation. The Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them. Global Challenges Foundation's 2026 Global Catastrophic Risks report outlines five of the biggest risks facing humanity today, including ecological collapse, the topic of this episode. Yo
To Save Us From Hell | Anjali Addresses the Security Council! Plus: Rafael Grossi Gets "The New Yorker" Profile Treatment
Your very own To Save Us From Hell co-host Anjali Dayal briefed the United Nations Security Council on Monday! She was paired with former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for a special meeting of the Council dedicated to examining the role of the Secretary-General and the process for selecting Antonio Guterres's successor. Anjali gives co-host Mark Leon Goldberg a behind-the-scenes account of what
When Treaties Work | The Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court
In 1998, 120 countries came together to adopt the Rome Statute, creating what would become the International Criminal Court. Four years later, that treaty entered into force, and the ICC officially opened its doors as a permanent court tasked with prosecuting individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Now, looking around the world today, it's clear the ICC has not put an end to
2025 Was a Year of Global Protests
2025 was a year of global protests. More than 70 countries across every region of the world experienced anti-government demonstrations. Some of these movements — such as those in Nepal and Madagascar — led to the toppling of governments; others emerged in countries with little history of protest, like Tanzania. Many were youth-led, with Gen Z protesters drawing inspiration from one another across
Inside the Search for Syria's Missing Persons
Over the course of Syria's fourteen-year civil war, around one million people went missing, presumably killed. Among them was the father of my guest today, Maryam Kamalmaz. Maryam's father was an American psychotherapist who traveled to Syria on a humanitarian mission when he was detained and disappeared by the Assad regime. She campaigned for his release, but eventually learned that he had died i
The Security Council Goes To Syria | To Save Us From Hell
On December 4, the entire United Nations Security Council made an unprecedented trip to Syria. It is hard to overstate what a significant turning point this represents — both for the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole. For thirteen long years, the civil war in Syria was the largest and most brutal conflict in the world, and one that stymied the United Nations by exposing massive ge
What Happens When America Withdraws? | Live From The Halifax International Security Forum With Justin Ling
The Halifax International Security Forum always includes a sizable and bi-partisan group of United States Senators who were suddenly put on the spot: Did they think Ukraine should accept this ultimatum? By Saturday afternoon, several senators issued a joint statement condemning this plan. Then something extraordinary happened. A couple hours after this joint statement was released, an even larger
The Last of Syria's Political Prisoners are Still Languishing in Lebanese Jails
When Damascus was liberated in December of last year and Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, thousands of the regime's political prisoners were released from jail. Around the region, Syrians who had fled the country began returning home. It was a joyous occasion for so many who had lived as refugees in neighboring countries — including in Lebanon, which had hosted more Syrian refugees than any other c
Live From Kabul — The World's First Capital Facing Total Water Collapse
Kabul is running out of water. If present trends continue, the capital of Afghanistan could run completely dry by 2030. There are several reasons for this. The first is climate change: there is less snowmelt to feed the city's aquifers. The second is aging infrastructure: pipelines are decrepit or, in some cases, non-existent. The third is management: in a city reeling from water shortages, people
A Brilliant New Biography Tells the Story of the Cold War Era UN Secretary General U-Thant
U Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations. He assumed the role following the death of Dag Hammarskjöld in a plane crash in the Congo in 1961, and soon became one of the most consequential players in international affairs for over a decade. Thant's contributions to some of the key global challenges of the era were widely celebrated at the time but have sin
How the UN General Assembly Can Get Its Peace and Security Groove Back
My interview guest today, Axel Marschik, is a veteran Austrian diplomat who has thought extensively about how the General Assembly can play a more robust role in peace and security when the Security Council fails to do so. In a paper that was widely discussed around the UN, Ambassador Marschik proposed that the General Assembly craft pre-authorized sanctions that would be automatically triggered i
How Tanzania's Fraudulent Elections Sparked an Unusual Protest Movement
On October 29, Tanzania held national presidential elections — and lo and behold, incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan "won" with a staggering 98% of the vote. Everyone knew what was going on. The election was a sham from the start: her main rival is sitting in prison awaiting a treason trial, and the election commission that certified her landslide is stacked with loyalists. Election hijinks a
When Treaties Work: The Biological Weapons Convention
2025 marks 50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention. Back in 1975, the treaty entered into force, and by banning biological weapons worldwide, it became the first global treaty to prohibit a particular weapon of war. The Biological Weapons Convention is widely adopted — 189 States Parties have pledged to never develop, produce, stockpile, or use biological weapons. And thankfully, these weapo
A Genocidal Massacre is Underway in Sudan
About a year and a half ago, I published an episode of Global Dispatches titled "A Genocidal Massacre Is Looming in Darfur." At the time, the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces had conquered nearly all of Darfur, in western Sudan, except for its largest city, El Fasher. The RSF was laying siege to the city in preparation for an assault, and everything we knew about how this group operates suggested
Live From Cameroon: What's Driving The Political Unrest
Cameroonians went to the polls earlier this month in national elections, and on October 27th, a constitutional commission packed with loyalists confirmed that 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya had won an eighth consecutive term in office. If he serves out his term, Biya will be 99 years old. After 43 years in office, Cameroonians are used to the electoral shenanigans that have kept Biya in power. B
North Korea is Getting Even More Repressive
North Korea has been extremely repressive for a very long time. But over the last several years, the crackdowns have gotten worse. New reporting from The Economist shows how the regime is clamping down on South Korean cultural influences, strengthening its border to prevent escape, and sharply curtailing what were already limited free markets. My guest today, Patrick Foulis, calls this the "North
Can the UN Charter Be Reformed? | To Save Us From Hell
The Security Council is deep into negotiations around authorizing an international stabilization force for Gaza. But even if the Council approves such a mission, will it actually deploy? In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Mark and Anjali share their doubts. Also up: the Trump administration blew up a global deal to put a price on carbon in international shipping — a move that would have pu
Is the US About to Attempt Regime Change in Venezuela? The View From Caracas
Rhetoric and actions from the Trump administration suggest that the United States is seeking to forcibly oust Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela Is the U.S. really going to attempt regime change in Venezuela, and what would that even look like? Joining me from Caracas is Phil Gunson, Senior Analyst for the Andes Region at the International Crisis Group. We kick off discussing the mood in Carac
What Comes Next For Israel and Gaza | With Matt Duss
A ceasefire is holding in Gaza. Aid is beginning to flow. The remaining Israeli hostages have been released, as have nearly 2,000 Palestinians from Israeli detention. This has been a truly remarkable day in the Middle East. But can this positive momentum be sustained? I recorded this conversation with Matt Duss of the Center for International Policy just moments after Donald Trump met with an impr
Did The Gaza Ceasefire Emanate From UNGA? Plus: A New "Gang Suppression Force" for Haiti and our Nobel Predictions | To Save Us From Hell
UNGA is over. But its legacy lives on. We recorded this episode as news broke of a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and so we look back at UNGA80 to trace the ways in which the world's largest diplomatic gathering may have provided some key momentum for a breakthrough on Gaza. Mark and Anjali also go deep on a new Gang Suppression Force that the Security Council just authorized for Ha
When Treaties Work: The High Seas Treaty
On September 16th, Morocco became the 60th country to ratify the High Seas Treaty, triggering a countdown to January, when the treaty will officially enter into force. The High Seas Treaty establishes a kind of "rules of the road" for international waters that lie beyond the jurisdiction of any single country—particularly around conservation and the preservation of ocean biodiversity. At the core
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