Episode description

Syria's economy under the previous government was tightly managed by former President Bashar al-Assad, his family and close associates. But now, Syria's new government is looking to introduce economic reform to further liberalize Syria's economy, which remains heavily sanctioned by the US and Europe. Also, in most cities, transit systems are government-run. But in Japan, that’s not the case. The network of trains, subways and buses considered among the best on earth is run by private companies. We take a peek at how it works. And, around the globe, thousands of refugees are stranded since President Donald Trump paused the US resettlement program in a series of executive orders; a look at how that pipeline works, and how it's been disrupted.

Listen to today’s Music Heard on Air.