The Lede

Writing a Revolution: Ukraine’s Maidan Uprising — with Kalani Pickhart and Lydia Wilson

Eight years before the recent Russian invasion, a popular uprising in Kyiv overthrew the old Moscow-backed government in favor of moving toward the European Union — an act for which Russia has been punishing Ukraine ever since. It is those events that inspired Kalani Pickhart’s recent novel, “I Will Die in a Foreign Land.” Hailed as one of the best books of 2021, it has found renewed relevance in the aftermath of the invasion. In this podcast, she joins New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson to discuss what first drew her to the story, the relationship between fiction and journalism, and how the long history of Russian aggression against Ukraine led to the current crisis. (Produced by Joshua Martin)

The Ukraine Invasion in an Age of ’New Wars’ — with Mary Kaldor and Lydia Wilson

In the new age of counter-insurgency, civil conflict and proxy wars, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stands out as a rare modern example of so-called ‘“conventional’” warfare fought between the armed forces of two nation-states. In this podcast, New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson talks to Mary Kaldor, author of the pioneering 1999 book ‘“New and Old Wars,”’, to discuss what Russia’s goals are, why the invasion is a departure from their usual strategy — and whether Putin has miscalculated. Produced by Joshua Martin

Six Months After the Fall of Kabul — with Fazelminallah Qazizai, Pashtana Durrani and Emran Feroz

The war in Afghanistan may be over, but a humanitarian crisis threatens to be even deadlier than the 20 years of fighting. In a follow-up to our podcast episode from September, New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai talks to Fazelminallah Qazizai, Pashtana Durrani and Emran Feroz to explore how the country’s situation has changed over six months of Taliban rule. They discuss how U.S. sanctions have left Afghans without money or food, how the Taliban govern and what will happen to their regime if the crisis continues into the spring. (Produced by Joshua Martin)

Food Fights and Hummus Wars — with Suna Çağaptay, Riada Asimovic Akyol and Kareem Shaheen

Few topics evoke as much passion as food; recipes have become political battlegrounds. In this podcast, New Lines Magazine's editor and hummus-opinion-haver Kareem Shaheen is joined by Dr. Suna Çağaptay of Bahçeşehir University and contributing editor Riada Asimovic Akyol to talk about what food means to them. They discuss what we mean when we call food “authentic,” the problem with pesto hummus and why you should never ask for a Turkish coffee in Greece. (Produced by Joshua Martin)

The Strange Amnesia of Lebanon’s Wars — with Elia Ayoub, Lydia Wilson and Faisal Al Yafai

For this special crossover episode with the podcast “The Fire These Times,” its host, Elia Ayoub, joins New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai and Lydia Wilson to talk about Lebanon’s civil war, which ended in the 1990s but was never truly resolved. They discuss how the absence of public memorialization has intensified sectarian divides, why there can be no peace without accountability and what Syria can learn from Lebanon’s warning. Find more episodes of "The Fire These Times" at https://thefirethisti.me. Produced by Joshua Martin

Can Ethiopia End Its ‘Very Dirty War’? — with Zecharias Zelalem, Julia Steers and Faisal Al Yafai

More than a year into Ethiopia’s brutal civil war, the country stands on the brink. The conflict has seen widespread violence against civilians and left millions at urgent risk of starvation. But a recent lull in the fighting has been hailed as an “opportunity for peace.” In this episode, New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai asks what comes next. He talks to journalist Zecharias Zelalem, VICE News’ Julia Steers and Biniam, a civilian from the Tigray region who lost several of his best friends to one of the war’s most notorious massacres. They discuss how the war started, why reporters have struggled to get it right and what it will take to end the bloodshed. (Produced by Joshua Martin)

Urban Futures in the Middle East — with Yasser Elsheshtawy, Mona Fawaz and Lydia Wilson

Not only is the Middle East one of the world’s most urbanized regions, but it’s also where the story of the city began. In this podcast, New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson is joined by Yasser Elsheshtawy, adjunct professor of architecture at Columbia University, and Mona Fawaz, professor of urban studies and planning at the American University of Beirut, to talk about cities in the modern Middle East — and explore what opportunities and challenges the next chapter in this 10,000-year story might hold for the millions of Middle Easterners who call cities their home. [Produced by Joshua Martin]

Reporting the Vanishing - with Janine di Giovanni and Lydia Wilson

In her latest book, The Vanishing, celebrated war reporter Janine di Giovanni reports from some of the Middle East’s most ancient Christian communities — communities she argues may be at risk of disappearing. In this podcast, she joins New Lines Magazine's Lydia Wilson to talk about a career reporting conflict, what drew her to the subject of the book, the complex reasons why Christians are leaving the Middle East, and how the experiences of minorities in Iraq, Syria and Palestine differ. Produced by Joshua Martin

Chasing the Shadow State - with Luke Harding and Faisal Al Yafai

Veteran foreign correspondent Luke Harding has reported from all over the world, but there’s one subject he keeps returning to: Russia. His latest book, “Shadow State,” offers a glimpse into the country’s ruthless intelligence services. In this podcast, he speaks to New Lines Magazine's Faisal Al Yafai about how he uncovered their activities, from social media trolling campaigns to mercenary black ops in Syria and Sudan. They discuss the challenges of reporting on such a secretive world — and the heroism of the Russian citizens working to expose it. Produced by Joshua Martin.

The Islamists You’ve Never Heard Of - with Kamran Bohkari and Rasha Elass

Kamran Bokhari is a foreign policy specialist and director of analytical development at the New Lines Institute. In this episode, he joins host Rasha Elass to talk about his essay in New Lines Magazine on Deobandism, a major fundamentalist Islamic movement with influence across South Asia and beyond. They discuss how it emerged from one of the Sunni tradition’s most liberal schools of jurisprudence - and why so few in the West have heard of it.