It’s been called the world’s stinkiest fruit. But it’s deeply beloved by many. Durian is a pungent, prickly fruit from Southeast Asia that has fascinated foreigners for centuries, and China is no exception. China buys most of the world’s durian exports, a surge spurred over the past decade by social media and growing trade ties with durian-producing countries. Both locals and Chinese are seeking to expand the booming durian industry across Southeast Asia. But the prospect of high profits has also ignited tensions, resulting in land disputes and environmental concerns.

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Congolese govt and M23 rebel group sign deal in Doha. DRC peace agreement reached in Qatar

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As the world slides deeper into imperial rot — from Trump’s transformation of the U.S. into a Department of War state, to Europe’s political collapse, to global leaders shamelessly bowing to Washington — a socialist shockwave has erupted in New York City: Zohran Mamdani has just won the mayoral race while proudly defending Palestine.

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Human rights lawyer Craig Mokhiber joins the show to discuss the UN Security Council’s newly adopted resolution that effectively hands the U.S. control over Gaza. He breaks down what this colonial plan means for Palestine and the horrific absurdity of granting authority over Gaza to a co-perpetrator of the ongoing genocide. Kurt Hackbarth, host of Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast, joins the show to discuss the so-called Gen Z protests in Mexico, where an alleged right-wing, foreign-funded destabilization campaign is raising serious questions about who’s really driving the unrest. Hackbarth will discuss what these demonstrations say about Mexico’s political moment — and the forces trying to shape it.

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Michael Cohen and Ben Meiselas discuss bad news before for Donald Trump as he crashes out on Friday as the backlash against him grows following Thanksgiving. All that and more on a new episode of Political Beatdown.

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A year ago, the US was offering a $10 million reward for the arrest of the commander of a Syrian armed group, previously linked to al-Qaeda. Yet on Monday, President Donald Trump hosted him at the White House. As Syria's leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa has positioned his country as a regional player - formally joining the global coalition against ISIL. Trump has also suggested he wants Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords. However, the Israeli military is carrying out air strikes on Syria. So, how might the new US-Syria relationship reshape power dynamics in the Middle East?

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After nearly four years of war between Kyiv and Moscow, fighting is heating up on the frontlines of eastern Ukraine. But with drones spotted at sensitive sites across the European Union, its leaders have declared Russia is fighting a hybrid war beyond Ukraine's borders. They say the bloc will protect "every centimetre" of its territory, as member states scale up military spending to heights not seen for decades. And although only Ukraine and Russia are officially at war, the continent has now entered an arms race that's reshaping its economies, rattling governments and reframing relationships within the union itself. All this comes as Ukraine is losing territory to Russia, one kilometre at a time. So, is war really edging closer to Europe's borders and is the continent prepared?

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showing Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner has shaken Israel’s military and judiciary, leading to the arrest of the prosecutor who leaked it. But as the fallout centers on the leak, and not the events in the video, what does it mean for the victim of the so-called Sde Teiman affair? 








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The Israeli government is facing what it calls a “public relations disaster” after a video surfaced showing soldiers torturing and sexually assaulting a Palestinian prisoner - a clear war crime under any legal system. Public outrage in Israel has focused less on the abuse itself and more on the leak. And the military’s chief prosecutor, who admitted leaking the footage, has been arrested and branded a traitor. The saga is yet another example of Israeli society’s unwillingness to confront what it has become.

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A long siege by al-Qaeda-linked fighters has left Bamako low on fuel, food and power. Life has stalled and fear is growing across Mali. The crisis now tests a military government that has promised safety yet cannot break the blockade. What does this mean for Mali and the wider region?

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