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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    Is China's Communist Party Putting Itself on Trial?

    A former candidate to lead China went on trial today on corruption charges. We learn why the trial is a major event for China's new leadership and what consequences are likely.

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    By Warren Olney • Aug 22, 2013 • 52m Listen

    A former candidate to be leader of China went on trial today on corruption charges minor compared to things he's widely known to have done. But Bo Xilai is staging a spirited defense. We learn why the trial is a major event for China's new leadership and what domestic and foreign consequences are likely. Also, the world reacts to the latest attacks in Syria, and one of Turkey's most influential figures -- in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains.

    Banner image: Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai stands trial inside the court in Jinan, Shandong province August 22, 2013, in this photo released by Jinan Intermediate People's Court. Photo: Jinan Intermediate People's Court/Handout via Reuters

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      World Reacts to Attack in Syria

      Grisly videos of dead children and people gasping for breath are reportedly evidence that Syria's al-Assad regime attacked a neighborhood near Damascus yesterday using chemical weapons. The big question is whether UN weapons inspectors will be allowed to go to the scene. Colum Lynch is UN correspondent for the Washington Post .

      Read the story
      8 min
    2. 8:20

      Is China's Communist Party Putting Itself on Trial?

      China's trial of the century is not following the political script that was widely predicted. On Day One, former Communist Party honcho Bo Xilai vigorously defended himself, and claimed his bribery confessions had been coerced.

      Read the story
      36 min
    3. 44:11

      The Reclusive Preacher Who Holds Sway over Turkish Politics

      Fethullah Gülen is an Islamic spiritual leader said to influence millions of Turks, including members of the police and the judiciary. He has followers all over the world, and they've established 130 charter schools here in the US.

      Read the story
      8 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Kerry Cavanaugh

      editorial writer at the Los Angeles Times

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Gideon Brower

      Independent Producer

      NewsNationalPolitics

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:008 min

      World Reacts to Attack in Syria

    2. 8:2036 min

      Is China's Communist Party Putting Itself on Trial?

    3. 44:118 min

      The Reclusive Preacher Who Holds Sway over Turkish Politics

    Back to To the Point