The 2 Best The Lede Podcast Episodes
1) The End of Assad and a New Era for Syria — with Kareem Shaheen, Rasha Elass and Faisal Al Yafai
In a momentous week in the history of Syria, New Lines’ Middle East Editor Kareem Shaheen and Editorial Director Rasha Elass join Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede to discuss how the Assad regime’s collapse...Show More
2) Populism and Power in Mexico’s Historic Election — With Alma Guillermoprieto
Veteran Mexican correspondent Alma Guillermoprieto joins New Lines’ Danny Postel on The Lede for a discussion about how the upcoming election in Mexico is actually not about the two leading candidates...Show More
3) Trump Comes to Africa
On this month’s episode of Global Insights on The Lede, political scientist Zachariah Mampilly and Nigeria expert Ebenezer Obadare join Kwangu Liwewe Agyei to examine Donald Trump's surprisingly hands...Show More
4) The Invisible Lines That Divided South Asia
On this week’s episode of the podcast, the historian Sam Dalrymple joins Faisal Al Yafai to discuss the partition of the Raj from Myanmar to Yemen; how borders continue to shape our lives today and th...Show More
5) How Defiance Began at Home in Assad’s Syria
Loubna Mrie joins Faisal Al Yafai to discuss how the Syrian state’s authoritarianism seeped into her early home life, her role in the uprising against Bashar al-Assad and the painful memories brought ...Show More
6) What’s Behind Iran’s Protests
Journalist Nilo Tabrizy joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss the dynamics of Iran’s uprisings that get lost in Western coverage, reporting on her country of birth from a position of exile, ...Show More
7) 1,000 Days of War in Sudan
For this month’s edition of Global Insights on The Lede, journalist Isma’il Kushkush and international law expert Mutasim Ali join Kwangu Liwewe to discuss the lack of international attention on the w...Show More
8) Inside the System That Built the Modern World
Sven Beckert joins Faisal Al Yafai on The Lede to unpack how capitalism came to shape our modern world, as set out in his new book, “Capitalism: A Global History,” taking in Aden, Cairo, and Guangzhou...Show More
9) Inside the Rise of France’s Far Right
The Financial Times journalist and writer Victor Mallet joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss the rise of the far right in France, the prospects of victory for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally...Show More
10) Queens, Cities and States in the Making of Africa
In this first episode of 2026, award-winning broadcaster Zeinab Badawi joins Faisal Al Yafai on the podcast to discuss why traditional histories of Africa miss the mark, remarkable African figures fro...Show More