Today

Beirut watch: can Lebanon subdue Hizbullah?

Can peace hold in Lebanon while Hizbullah remains? Our correspondent weighs the balance of power between government forces and the Iran-backed militia. The resale value of Labubus is falling – who cares? And remembering Swedish death-clearer, Margareta Magnusson. Watch extended c ... Show More

23m 20s

Yesterday

Drill pickle: oil prices still misjudge shock

Oil prices are at their highest since 2022, as a swift end to the Iran conflict proves elusive. Yet, our commodities editor says, markets do not yet yet recognise how deep the supply shock is. Who will contest next year’s pivotal election in France? And great expectations in Braz ... Show More

19m 53s

Apr 29

Power ranges: AI faces supply crunch

Artificial Intelligence is becoming ubiquitous, but the industry that powers it is struggling to keep up with demand. The host of our award-winning podcast series “Scam Inc” says fraudsters in Asia are becoming more sophisticated. And after Allbirds stops selling shoes, what come ... Show More

22m 44s

May 2023

In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic redemption

<p>Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in Jeddah. Is this the dictator’s first step in a journey to restore ties with the rest of the world? America’s small banks are capturing rural communities in a way that the big one ... Show More

23m 49s

Aug 2023

In the big leagues now: Saudi Arabia’s push into sport

<p>Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman says a presence in <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/08/10/saudi-arabia-is-spending-a-fortune-on-sport?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_ ... Show More

24m 44s

Dec 2022

In sofa as I can recall: troubles for Cyril Ramaphosa

<p>South Africa’s leader says a pile of cash stashed in a sofa represents no wrongdoing. The outcome of an investigation <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/01/a-sofa-stuffed-with-cash-imperils-south-africas-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=aud ... Show More

27m 23s

Mar 2023

Hedge of allegiance: South Africa’s diplomatic shift

<p>A policy of ambiguity is swiftly shifting; the country is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/02/19/why-south-africa-is-drifting-into-the-sino-russian-orbit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discover ... Show More

26m 16s

Feb 2024

The Intelligence: At a crossroads (really)

In one of this year’s largest votes, Indonesia will elect a new president in one week’s time; this time the sanctity and future of its democracy are at stake. In Germany prominent people—even Jews—who question Israel’s war in Gaza are being cancelled (10:45). And how many books a ... Show More

22m 51s

Nov 2023

The Intelligence: as Zuck would have it

The singular focus on the metaverse of Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s boss, fretted investors. But in the past year he has pulled off a spectacularly timely turnaround. We look at what is driving an illegal-gold rush in Venezuela as a lens on a wider, regional concern (9:48). And why No ... Show More

22m 32s

Oct 2023

The Intelligence: Israel’s Gaza offensive

The long-anticipated invasion is not the expected blitzkrieg; we ask how a longer, more cautious war will be fought. Kemal Ataturk is still wildly popular a century after he founded modern Turkey—so instead of undoing his legacy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is simply claiming ... Show More

28m 40s

Oct 2023

The Intelligence: meeting Senegal’s president

As country after country in the Sahel has fallen prey to coups, President Macky Sall’s Senegal seemed an outpost of stability. Yet our correspondent finds him less than sanguine about democracy in the region. We sift through what little is known about “the Phantom”, the Hamas fig ... Show More

23m 50s

Jan 2024

The Intelligence: Indonesia’s election, more TikTok than tick-box

Campaigning for a coming election in the world’s fourth-most-populous country has been almost entirely policy-free: a good social-media presence is nearly all candidates need. As the Panama Canal dries out, neighbouring countries spy an opportunity—but how much of that trade can ... Show More

20m 59s

Apr 2024

The Intelligence: Rwanda’s genocide 30 years on

The 1994 slaughter of hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis completely reshaped the country. It also produced Africa’s most polarising leader, whose outsized power and regional influence is proving ever more divisive. How a shadow economy of gangs and clans is running Gaza (11 ... Show More

27m 13s

In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic red...