p&p

france was caught off guard by trump’s return. they’ve been preparing for this for decades.

in this episode, we look at how charles de gaulle’s distrust of alliances shaped france’s long-term strategy for military independence and how macron is continuing that legacy today.

from rejecting u.s. fighter jets to offering europe a nuclear backup plan, france has been playing the long game.

A former cop walks into a daycare in rural Thailand and kills 36 people, most of them children. The country is shaken and the quiet meth reform that had been helping addicts avoid prison?

Scrapped overnight.

In this episode, I break down how one mass shooting triggered the collapse of Thailand’s de facto decriminalization of meth, the role of illegal guns, and how the civil war next door in Myanmar is making things worse.

pakistan is battling more than just insurgents, it’s battling itself.

in this episode, i break down the complex layers of crisis gripping the country: from the rise of separatist violence in balochistan and the growing threat of the ttp, to the military's grip on power, imran khan’s ousting, and the illusion of an economic recovery.

we also dive into the brain drain hollowing out pakistan’s talent and ask: who really controls the country and where is it heading?

azmi bishara was once a rising political force in israel, a fierce advocate for arab rights, and a vocal critic of the government.

but in 2007, he was accused of spying for hezbollah, aiding an enemy in wartime, and money laundering, and so he fled the country.

now, he lives in exile, still shaping the conversation from afar. i

n this episode, we break down how a knesset member became one of israel’s most controversial fugitives.

paraguay’s underworld was once ruled by powerful local kingpins, but everything changed in 2016 when a ruthless brazilian gang set its sights on the country’s lucrative drug trade.

in this episode, i break down how the assassination of jorge rafaat toumani and the surrender of crime boss fahd jamil georges paved the way for the primeiro comando da capital (pcc) to seize control.

from paraguay’s history of smuggling to the gang wars shaping its future, we uncover the brutal reality of how one of brazil’s most feared criminal organizations expanded beyond prison walls to dominate the region’s black market.

singapore sits right in the middle of southeast asia, surrounded by malay-majority countries, so why is it overwhelmingly chinese?

in this episode, i’m breaking it all down.

this is a story about colonization, migration, and political drama. the british turned singapore into a booming trade hub and brought in workers from all over, but it was the mass influx of chinese immigrants, escaping war, famine, and chaos in southern china, that really shaped the island’s future.

then came the whole unification with malaysia, where singapore joined… and then got kicked out just two years later. that moment pretty much locked in singapore’s chinese-majority status forever.

but this isn’t just about singapore, chinese communities are all over southeast asia, from malaysia to indonesia to thailand. so what makes singapore different? and why did history play out this way?

let’s get into it.

brazil is a country of extremes.

luxury high-rises next to sprawling favelas, billionaires rubbing shoulders with people who barely make it through the day.

in this episode, we break down the contradictions that define brazil, from police brutality and gang control to the illusion of social mobility.

can a country built on inequality ever truly change?

on this episode of pieces & periods, i dive into lebanon’s divided political landscape as the country elects its new president, joseph aoun, after two years of gridlock.

join me as i unravel lebanon’s confessionalist political system, a power-sharing arrangement designed to keep peace but often blamed for deepening divisions.

from its french colonial roots and the creation of greater lebanon to the devastating 15-year civil war and the tangled web of alliances that define its politics today, we chart the nation’s turbulent history.

what does aoun’s presidency mean for lebanon?

can he bring unity to a fragmented society and tackle the corruption, poverty, and external interference that plague the country?

or is this just another chapter in lebanon’s long struggle for stability?

note: while the recent israel-hezbollah conflict looms large in lebanon’s current affairs, i’ve chosen not to delve into it here, as it will be the focus of an upcoming episode exploring the rise and history of hezbollah.

what if a british royal became a god?

on this episode of pieces & periods, we journey to the lush jungles of tanna island, where the prince philip movement turned a pale-skinned duke into a divine figure.

discover how a remote village in vanuatu blended ancient prophecy, colonial history, and the human need for connection into an extraordinary story of faith.

from ceremonial gifts to sacred photographs, and mourning rituals for a departed god, this is a tale that bridges cultures and challenges our understanding of belief.

tune in to explore the quirks of human spirituality and the unexpected ways we find meaning in the world.

thomas sankara was more than a leader, he was a force.

on this episode of pieces & periods, i get into the story of burkina faso’s revolutionary president who challenged colonial legacies, pushed for radical self-reliance, and tried to build something real with almost no resources.

from land reform and women’s rights to rejecting foreign aid and calling out global injustice, sankara’s vision was bold, sharp, and decades ahead of its time.

but his story is also one of betrayal and assassination. and still, the ideas he fought for, dignity, independence, solidarity, haven’t gone away.

this is about the man, the movement, and the legacy that refuses to die.