Today

Afghanistan, five years on: our correspondent visits

Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A giant earthquake reveals two very different Colombias. And celebrating the life of Gurkha ... Show More

26m 20s

Yesterday

Caracas under pressure: democracy in Venezuela

After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition ended with small, positive steps. Why US consumers’ love of fast food may be slowing. And h ... Show More

21m 25s

Aug 12

Pump and circumstance: is China the new OPEC?

The Iran war triggered the largest supply shock in the history of petroleum, yet prices never rose as high as feared. Our correspondent explains how action taken by China steadied global oil flows. Why Brazil has such strict laws on racist language. And the legendary lager of Lao ... Show More

20m 22s

Oct 2023

Pole position: elections in Poland

After two terms in power, Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s nationalist party looks to have lost its majority. For Donald Tusk’s pro-Europe centrists, it’s bargaining time. Thousands of Americans are waiting for transplants, so why are so many organs going to waste instead (12:01)? And why wr ... Show More

25m 27s

Jun 2025

Poles apart: hard right wins by a sliver

Poland’s presidential election was a fight between two distinct visions of the country’s future. Our correspondent explains how the nationalist victor, a political newcomer, will shape Europe. Why drunken bar brawls are declining in Britain (7:31). And remembering the “Wonga Coup ... Show More

19m 27s

Sep 2019

Things fall apart: Britain’s fading centre-right

Parliament is suspended for weeks. The Conservative party has been hollowed out. The prime minister’s hopes for an election have been dashed, twice. What does all this portend for the Tory party? And a special election in a solidly Republican district in North Carolina may shed l ... Show More

20m 31s

Jan 2022

Call To Action On Voting Rights Falls Flat

With the losses piling up, is it time for Joe Biden to hit reset on his Presidency? Plus, the administration announces a new testing plan, but is it too late to stop the surge? And, Donald Trump versus the GOP establishment. On today’s panel: Toluse Olorunnipa of the Washington ... Show More

41m 15s

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 2021

“Using People As Pawns”

Tensions escalate as Poland accuses Belarus of a mass entry of migrants across their shared borders … As Europe once again becomes the epicenter of the pandemic, Dr. Paul Offit on the trajectory of the virus … A desperate search for answers in the wake of the Astroworld Festival ... Show More

57 m

Feb 2025

Left, right and centre: Germany’s election

Instead of needing three parties to cobble together a majority, the country’s two traditional main ones have the numbers. What to expect once the talks are done? Donald Trump claims America has supported Ukraine far more than Europe has; we comb through the data that prove him wr ... Show More

23m 53s

Mar 2024

A Tuesday to remember

First: Americans in more than a dozen states across the country are casting their ballots. Their decisions could effectively end the primaries and all but hand the Republican nomination to Donald Trump for the third straight election. Plus: Is this Nikki Haley's last stand? She' ... Show More

40m 42s

Jun 2022

Stuck in the middle with few: Macron’s parliamentary pasting

<p>resident Emmanuel Macron has <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/06/19/emmanuel-macron-loses-his-parliamentary-majority?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_te ... Show More

23m 25s