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Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Global Dispatches

300 episodes

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.

More about the show

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 page 1 of 6

  1. Inside the "Shadow Fleet" That Russia and Iran Use to Evade Sanctions

    · 29 min

    Over the last several years, a vast network of aging oil tankers operating under opaque ownership structures has emerged as a critical lifeline for countries facing Western sanctions—particularly Russia and Iran. This…

  2. What Happens if Trump Fully Abandons Ukraine for Putin?

    · 24 min

    Trump appears to have swung decisively in favor of Russia. Trump has waived sanctions on Russia, from which the United States is now purchasing diesel. Ukraine's defense has been undermined by restrictions on Elon…

  3. Are We Close to an International Agreement on AI -Powered Weapons?

    · 30 min

    Over the last several months, the use of fully autonomous, artificial intelligence-powered weapons has been escalating. These weapons are capable of selecting and killing targets without a human in the loop. But as…

  4. What a Massive International Poll Tells Us About the State of Global Public Opinion

    · 22 min

    The Rockefeller Foundation recently released the results of a massive international survey examining how people view the state of the world and the role of international cooperation in addressing global challenges.…

  5. Navi Pillay Wins the Nobel! And Trump Goes Nuclear on the ICC | To Save Us From Hell

    · 26 min

    Get full episode: https://www.globaldispatches.org/50PercentOffAnnual The former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and chair of the UN body that concluded Israel committed genocide in Gaza has won the…

  6. Can the World Build a Better, Fairer System for the Next Pandemic?

    · 27 min

    It did not receive much attention at the time, but one of the more consequential gatherings at the United Nations during UNGA was a high-level meeting on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response. The meeting was…

  7. Ethiopia is on the Brink of Civil War

    · 37 min

    Over the last several weeks, fighting has intensified in the country's north. A coalition of seven armed groups recently formed a new alliance, vowing to topple the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The…

  8. Small States and Middle Powers are suddenly Banding Together at the United Nations

    · 21 min

    Christian Wenaweser is a legend around the United Nations. He has served as Liechtenstein's Ambassador to the United Nations since 2002 and, despite representing one of the world's smallest states, has an impressive…

  9. Why the Red Cross Wants a New Treaty for People Caught in Disasters.

    · 21 min

    My guest today is Jagan Chapagain, Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the IFRC, which is calling on countries to adopt a new treaty that would set standards and…

  10. Trump at the UN — And the Biggest Moments From UNGA

    · 39 min

    President Trump delivered his annual address to the United Nations General Assembly, kicking off a week of speeches from presidents and prime ministers from over 100 countries. In this special edition of Global…

  11. Here's What Will Drive the Agenda at the UN This Week | With Elizabeth Cousens

    · 21 min

    UN week is here. Hundreds of presidents and prime ministers are headed to New York this week for the annual opening of the United Nations General Assembly. The presence of so many world leaders all in the same place at…

  12. My UNGA Plans (And Your General Assembly Cheat Sheet)

    · 10 min

    Mark here! I just wanted to talk directly to you about my comings and going this UNGA and preview for you my plans for covering the UN. Some relevent links: 50 % discounted subsciption to support the show! Support…

  13. Haiti Is Getting More Dangerous. The U.S. Is Sending People Back Anyway.

    · 29 min

    Haiti's security crisis is deepening as armed gangs expand their control over territory and daily life, while a new UN-backed Gang Suppression Force begins to deploy amid major questions about whether it can actually…

  14. Why Yemen is Becoming the Iran War's Next Front

    · 25 min

    The Iran war is spilling over into Yemen. And now, the country is on the verge of a full-blown civil war that could drag in Saudi Arabia, Iran — and potentially the United States. Over the last several weeks, the…

  15. Zambia's Fraught Election and the Global Race for Copper

    · 25 min

    Zambia's election is raising fresh questions about the country's democratic trajectory — even as its vast copper reserves make it increasingly important to the global economy and to strategic competition between the…

  16. Why Oman Could Be Crucial to Ending the Iran War

    · 27 min

    Oman has long played one of the Middle East's most unusual diplomatic roles: maintaining close ties with rivals and quietly creating space for enemies to talk. Secret U.S.-Iran negotiations in Muscat helped pave the…

  17. Did Russia Just Cross a New Line in AI Warfare?

    · 38 min

    Last month, a Russian drone flew toward a gas station in the Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia. It crashed into a wall and exploded, killing three civilians. What made this strike different — and potentially a major…

  18. A Shakeup in the Race for UN Secretary-General | To Save Us From Hell

    · 30 min

    The United Nations is in the midst of selecting its next Secretary-General — and the race to succeed António Guterres just got more interesting. Last week, the Security Council held a straw poll to test the viability…

  19. Why Policies to Stop Migration Often Ends Up "Aiding Autocrats"

    · 24 min

    Kelsey Norman is a Fellow for the Middle East and Director of the Women's Rights, Human Rights, and Refugees Program at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. Her new book, Aiding Autocrats: Migration…

  20. UN Secretary General Candidate Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett

    · 25 min

    Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett is a Guyanese diplomat and candidate for Secretary-General of the United Nations. If selected, she would become both the first woman and the first person of Indigenous descent to lead the…

  21. How Vali Nasr's Life Shaped His Understanding of Iran | From April 2017

    · 44 min

    Vali Nasr is everywhere in the news these days. The Iranian American scholar has written scores of books and articles about Iran and the Middle East, and even before the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, he was someone…

  22. What Cuba's Doctors Reveal About U.S. Policy Toward Havana

    · 23 min

    For decades, Cuba has deployed doctors on medical missions around the world, often to places where skilled health workers are badly needed. These missions have a genuine humanitarian component—but they also generate…

  23. Helen Clark on Whether the World Is Ready for the Next Pandemic

    · 26 min

    The world promised to be better prepared for the next pandemic. But has it followed through? Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who co-chairs the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response,…

  24. Russia's War Economy Is Starting to Crack

    · 29 min

    Russia's economy once seemed remarkably resilient in the face of international sanctions. But in recent months, a growing number of indicators suggest that Russia's war economy is coming under strains not seen since…

  25. What are the "Causes of Peace" Today? | Live from the Aspen Security Forum with the International Crisis Group

    · 32 min

    What can bring about peace in an era of geopolitical rivalry and persistent conflict? In an ambitious new report, the International Crisis Group takes a hard-nosed approach to this question, offering a realistic…

  26. World Food Program Chief Carl Skau on the Perfect Storm Driving Up Global Food Prices

    · 29 min

    With humanitarian needs surging and resources increasingly scarce, how does the World Food Programme decide where to cut assistance? Our guest today is Carl Skau, acting executive director of the World Food Programme.…

  27. What Is the Future of US-China Relations? | Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Live from the Aspen Security Forum

    · 19 min

    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…

  28. UN Secretary-General Candidate María Fernanda Espinosa: The Interview

    · 28 min

    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…

  29. How Ukraine Turned the Tide of the War | Live from the Aspen Security Forum

    · 21 min

    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…

  30. How the Civil War in Myanmar Became the Deadliest Conflict in Asia

    · 35 min

    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…

  31. Josh Rogin on Iran, NATO, and the Latest in Trump Foreign Policy

    · 40 min

    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…

  32. The UN Just Held Its First-Ever AI Governance Meeting. Here's Why It Matters

    · 30 min

    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…

  33. Why The Status Quo in Gaza Can't Last Much Longer

    · 27 min

    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…

  34. Sudan Is on the Brink of Another Mass Atrocity

    · 29 min

    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…

  35. Thousands of Africans Are Being Lured to Fight in Russia's War on Ukraine

    · 22 min

    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…

  36. Colombia Takes a Hard-Right Turn: Who Is Abelardo de la Espriella?

    · 27 min

    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…

  37. How the UN Views the Iran-U.S. Ceasefire | To Save Us From Hell, Free Preview

    · 20 min

    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…

  38. The U.S.-Iran Ceasefire: What Happens Now? | With Gregory Brew

    · 31 min

    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…

  39. Why This Could Be the Worst Ebola Outbreak Ever — And How to Stop It

    · 31 min

    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…

  40. China's Foreign Policy Twist -- and Beijing's True Intentions at the UN | With Kaiser Kuo

    · 36 min

    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…

  41. Introducing: "World's Toughest Job" -- A new podcast about the Next UN Secretary General

    · 40 min

    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.…

  42. Why Germany Got Snubbed for the Security Council and What We Learned from the UN Secretary General "Hustings" | To Save Us From Hell

    · 31 min

    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…

  43. Scientific Breakthroughs and Political Retreat Set the Stage for a Crucial Global Moment in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

    · 30 min

    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.…

  44. What is the Future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty?

    · 35 min

    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…

  45. How to Prevent Global Catastrophic Risks | Stefan Löfven and Jens Orback

    · 27 min

    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…

  46. Stopping Ebola Requires Multilateralism. America's Retreat Is Making That Harder | To Save Us From Hell

    · 38 min

    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…

  47. A Surprise Attack in Mali Puts the Government -- and Russia -- on the Defensive

    · 32 min

    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…

  48. How to Prevent an Asteroid Impact | Global Catastrophic Risks

    · 31 min

    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…

  49. How the Iran War Is Making Sudan's Civil War Even Worse

    · 26 min

    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…

  50. Inside the (Flawed) Push at the Security Council to Reopen Hormuz | To Save Us From Hell

    · 19 min

    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…

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