Syria: what made Assad's stalemate possible

This week, all eyes are on Syria where the brutal civil war has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Our foreign correspondent, David Blair, explains how the monstrous Bashar al-Assad has managed to cling onto power for so long – and Con Coughlin, the Telegraph's defence editor, unpicks Iran's conspiracy to dominate the region.

Also, we bid farewell to one of history's greatest conductors. Harry de Quetteville previews a new Obits podcast with a discussion about the life of Claudio Abbado – an enigmatic musician obsessed with death who offers an insight into the strange, lonely world of the conductor.