As multilateralism gives way to a more authoritarian world order, Mary Robinson says the fight for human rights needs to focus on the grassroots. The former Irish president and United Nations human rights commissioner joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss what her time as a lawyer and politician fighting for women's rights in Ireland taught her, the importance of holding on to visions for a better world, and why smaller countries need to band together to take politics out of human rights.

• Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The Globe and Mail's Stephanie Levitz and Joël-Denis Bellavance from La Presse about the politics of Canada's new trade deal with China

• Iranian-Canadian historian Arash Azizi and The Economist's Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom unpack the anti-government protests in Iran, and the deadly ensuing crackdown

• Former Irish President and United Nations human rights commissioner Mary Robinson shares her vision for preserving human rights in a fractured world

• Crossword constructor Natan Last explores the puzzle's history, and how culture and creators are pushing it forward

In our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!, Piya Chattopadhyay competes against one familiar voice and one clever listener in a battle of brain games devised by puzzle master Peter Brown. Playing this week are Andi Petrillo, host of CBC's daytime coverage of the Milan-Cortina Olympics, and Annapolis Royal, N.S. listener Jennifer Goddard.