Ft World Weekly

The death toll in Syria is now estimated at a horrifying 70,000, and the pressure on the United States to intervene is mounting, particularly with the suggestion that the Syrian government may have used chemical weapons. Geoff Dyer in Washington and Abigail Fielding-Smith in Beirut join Gideon Rachman to discuss where the debate over Western intervention in Syria stands.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The political chaos in Rome seems to be about to come to an end as the bickering parties prepare to form a broad coalition government led by Enrico Letta of the centre-left Democrats. Will the coalition be able to rise to the challenges facing Italy, including an economy now entering its eighth consecutive quarter of contraction. Ferdinando Giugliano, FT leader writer, and Guy Dinmore, Rome correspondent, join Ben Hall to discuss.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The past week in Britain has been a reminder of the bitterness of the politics of the 1980s as a vehement debate has broken out about the legacy of Margaret Thatcher since her death last week. For Conservatives, she remains a hero who rescued the British economy and helped to win the Cold War. But for the left, she was a villain who provoked social division and wrecked Britain's relations with the European Union. Chris Giles, economics editor, and Philip Stephens, chief political commentator, join Gideon Rachman to attempt to arrive at a more nuanced verdict on the Iron Lady's legacy -- for Britain and the world.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pedro Passos Coelho, Portugal’s prime minister, is one of Europe’s staunchest backers of austerity. But his government’s painful two-year programme of structural adjustment has yet to deliver the results promised. And late last week, the country’s constitutional court issued a ruling that could fatally undermine his efforts to get the economy back on track.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the last two weeks, tension on the Korean peninsula has risen dramatically, as North Korea has threatened to target US territories in the Pacific and blocked South Korean workers from entering a joint industrial complex in the North. In this week’s podcast, John Aglionby is joined by Geoff Dyer, diplomatic correspondent and Jamil Anderlini, Beijing bureau chief, to discuss whether Kim Jong-eun’s escalating rhetoric is purely sabre-rattling or if we should be worried about his threats  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Brics started life as a marketing gimmick dreamt up by Goldman Sachs to promote emerging markets, but the notion has taken on a life of its own and this group of nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - are now a formal organisation who have just met for their fifth summit. In this week's podcast, Gideon Rachman is joined by Stefan Wagstyl, editor of beyondbrics, and Andrew England, South Africa correspondent, reporting from Durban, where the group has agreed to set up a Brics-led development bank. But do the Brics matter, what unites and divides these nations, and are we likely to still be discussing this group in ten years' time?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After a failed bailout plan that involved taxing the deposits of small savers, Cyprus is now the epicentre of the eurozone crisis. Lawmakers are now seeking an alternative before Monday, when the European Central Bank will cut emergency liquidity to Cyprus's foundering banks. Kerin Hope, Greece and Cyprus correspondent; Peter Spiegel, Brussels bureau chief; and Patrick Jenkins, banking editor, join Ben Hall to discuss what's happened and what lies ahead.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

March 15 marks the second anniversary of the start of the uprising against the Assad regime in Syria and on March 20 it will have been a decade since the start of the Iraq war, a conflict that still reverberates around the region and the world. Abigail Fielding-Smith, FT correspondent in Damascus; David Gardner, senior international affairs commentator, and Roula Khalaf, Middle East editor, join Shawn Donnan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Does the death of Hugo Chavez spell the end of Latin American radicalism, or will Chavismo live on? John Paul Rathbone, Latin America editor, and Benedict Mander, FT correspondent in Caracas, join Gideon Rachman to discuss Venezuela after Chavez.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Japan is still the world's third-largest economy, but has also been stagnating and idling for twenty years. Now a new government led by Shinzo Abe has come to power pledging to take dramatic steps to turn the situation around. The potential rewards of this policy are high, but so are the risks - and not just for Japan but the whole world economy. Martin Wolf, the FT's chief economics commentator and Jonathan Soble, Tokyo correspondent, join Gideon Rachman to discuss the consequences of Abenomics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Italian national elections have ended in chaos and the voters' message is that they are tired of austerity and the political elite. The country faces a hung parliament after votes were split between a former comedian, an ex-prime minister who faces corruption charges, and the centre-left, who won narrowly in the lower house. Mario Monti, the technocratic prime minister who was appointed 15 months ago, came a distant fourth place. In this podcast, Guy Dinmore, Rome correspondent, Peter Spiegel, Brussels bureau chief, and Ferdinando Giugliano, leader writer, join world news editor Shawn Donnan to discuss the unfolding drama, which could take weeks to resolve.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in a Moscow jail in 2009 after making allegations of tax fraud against interior ministry officials, is to be tried on tax-evasion charges in a Russian court beginning on Monday. Charles Clover, Moscow bureau chief; Geoff Dyer, diplomatic correspondent; and Neil Buckley, east Europe editor, join Gideon Rachman to discuss what this strange posthumous trial says about Putin's Russia and how could it affect relations with Europe, and particularly the US.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Within hours of the North Korean nuclear test this week, the UN security council was meeting in emergency session. But how dangerous is this development, and what is likely to happen next? James Blitz, diplomatic and defense editor, Christian Oliver, former Seoul correspondent, and Simon Mundy, the current FT correspondent in Korea, join Gideon Rachman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some argue that the elections to be held in Italy are the most important for that country in three decades, since the fate of the euro could be at stake. Tony Barber, Europe editor, and Guy Dinmore, Rome bureau chief, join Gideon Rachman to discuss the election.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As US growth shrinks and fears of a catastrophic collapse in the eurozone recede, Gideon Rachman, FT editor Lionel Barber and economic editor Chris Giles discuss the strength of world economy in this week's podcast (also available on video)  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As President Obama begins his second term in office, Shawn Donnan, world news editor, is joined by Richard McGregor, Washington bureau chief, Geoff Dyer, US diplomatic correspondent and Roula Khalaf, Middle East editor to discuss what the administration's foreign policy priorities are likely to be and if we should expect any surprises.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why has France intervened militarily in Mali and what is at stake? William Wallis, Africa editor; Hugh Carnegy, Paris bureau chief, and Xan Rice, FT correspondent in west Africa, join Gideon Rachman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Could the demonstrations over censorship at Southern Weekend newspaper be a significant turning point in the battle for free speech in China? Kathrin HIlle reports from Guangzhou. In Washington, President Obama has nominated Chuck Hagel, to be the next US defense secretary. But the former Republican Senator is a controversial figure, with some pro-Israel groups going so far as to accuse him of antisemitism. So why select him, and why now? Washington-based diplomatic correspondent Geoff Dyer joins Gideon Rachman to discuss.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Politicians in Washington have managed to avoid plunging the United States off the "fiscal cliff", which would have imposed deep spending cuts and tax rises. Instead, President Obama and Congress agreed limited tax rises, while deferring discussion of spending cuts. But is this a solution, or just a respite? Richard Macgregor, Washington bureau chief, and Martin Sandbu, economics leader writer, join Gideon Rachman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The massacre of 27 people, including 20 children, at an elementary school in Newtown, has changed America’s discussion about gun control, but will it lead to legislative change? Ben Fenton, from the FT’s live news desk talks to US correspondent Ed Crooks and Richard McGregor, Washington bureau chief, about the steps President Obama can take to curb investment in the gun industry and why citizens so zealously guard the second amendment, which gives Americans the right to bear arms.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.