How Syria's former first lady aided the bloody regime
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How Syria's former first lady aided the bloody regime

B2Upper-intermediateAugust 11, 202636 min

When Bashar al-Assad fled Syria in December 2024, it brought a sudden end to a family dynasty that had ruled the country for more than fifty years. The collapse of his government also prompted a new wave of reporting into the lives of the Assads — and particularly Bashar’s wife, Asma al-Assad. Before she became Syria’s first lady, Asma was Emma Akhras, a British-born investment banker from West London. Once profiled by Vogue as a modernizing force and “a rose in the desert,” she became one of the most controversial figures of Assad's brutal dictatorsh...

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If you're listening to this, I already know you have great taste in podcasts. But maybe, if you're like me, you still wonder if you're missing out on the best stuff. That's where the Sounds Good newsletter can help you out. Every other Thursday, the audio files at CBC Podcasts highlight one must-hear show

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This is a CBC Podcast. Hey, I'm Jason Markosoff in for Jamie. In December 2024, a Shahra-Lassad and his family fled Syria. Their escape brought an abrupt end to one of the Middle East's longest-running political dynasties.

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