Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio. I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

From London to Melbourne to Mexico City, protests are calling attention to violence against women.

But it's in the poor world where the problem is most widespread, least addressed, and most costly to societies.

And a frightened lizard might drop its tail to distract a predator, no matter it can grow a new one.

Now, scientists have happened across a creature that can drop its entire body and head off.

But first... Ten years ago today, in cities across Syria,

thousands of people took to the streets

to demonstrate against the government of Bashar al-Assad.

As with other movements in the Arab Spring, the government of Bashar al-Assad.

As with other movements in the Arab Spring,

protesters called for democratic and economic reforms after decades of stagnating living standards.

But unlike their counterparts in Egypt or Tunisia,

whose governments were overthrown,

the Syrian people came up against a regime

that was willing to use everything in its power to stop them.

Within days, security forces were opening fire on protesters.

A month later, government tanks were rolling into cities.

And by July of 2012, Syria was in full-blown civil war.

It's estimated that more than 400,000 people have since died in the conflict.

Schools and hospitals have been attacked.

Chemical weapons have been used at least 40 times. And half of Syria's pre-war population, nearly 12 million people remain displaced from their homes. Later today, the United Nations Special Envoy for Syria, Giar Paterson, is scheduled to brief the Security Council on the desperate need for constructive international diplomacy.

...