Yesterday

Crude awakening: Iran oil shock

As America and Israel continue to bombard Iran, much of Iran’s retaliation is directed against energy infrastructure. With tankers blocked and oil prices rising, our correspondent discusses the impact on the global economy. Why do student debts weigh heavily on Britain’s graduate ... Show More

21m 20s

Mar 3

Escalation: Middle East war widens

The war in Iran has entered its fourth day with further American and Israeli strikes, and Iranian retaliation across the region. Now Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon. Attacks on Tehran involved the use of Artificial Intelligenc ... Show More

24m 42s

Mar 2

War with Iran: Middle East in flames

This weekend, America and Israel launched long-anticipated attacks on Iran, killing Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader. Our correspondents analyse what his death means for the country and the strategy behind Iran’s retaliation. We report how Gulf States are dealing with u ... Show More

29m 18s

Jun 2024

The big gag: Hong Kong’s crackdown on freedom

There has been a slow strangling of freedom in the territory where pro-democracy activists have been convicted; an annual vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing in 1989 has been replaced by a food fair. A boom in startups suggests America is recovering ... Show More

23m 26s

Nov 2023

The Intelligence: how strong is the Chinese military?

Miscalculating the prowess of the People’s Liberation Army is dangerous. Overestimating it could cause unnecessary confrontation, but underestimating it is risky for Taiwan. We bring you some balance. Can descendants of slave traders be absolved of the sins of their ancestors (09 ... Show More

24m 28s

Jan 2024

The Intelligence: Milei’s laborious reforms

For decades, Argentina’s labour unions have seemed like they can’t be touched. But the country’s new radical, libertarian president is daring to try. Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, two new films explore the tragedy (09:19). And, how Beyoncé made chrome cool again (16:44). Sign ... Show More

24m 20s

Oct 2023

Blown speaker: Kevin McCarthy is out

Another shutdown standoff, funding worries for Ukraine, more leadership chaos: the booting of America’s speaker of the House of Representatives bodes ill for governance. “Jawan”, a new Indian film, is non-stop action with Bollywood flourishes—and reveals how divisions in the coun ... Show More

22m 51s

Nov 2023

The Intelligence: Asia’s transnational crime gangs

A high-profile money-laundering case in Singapore with links to Chinese gamblers has shed light on a broader web of organised crime across the region. As governments wake up to the problem, what are the odds of them getting it under control? Muhammad Dahlan, often tipped to be ne ... Show More

23m 22s

Nov 2023

The Intelligence: Land of the rising sums

Look past short-term stumbles: there are plenty of reasons to think Japan may spin out of its decades-long deflationary spiral. But how to avoid another false dawn? A visit to a mine in Zimbabwe reveals how valuable lithium is becoming to the continent—and China’s role in securin ... Show More

29m 9s

Mar 2024

The Intelligence: Russia pushes back on Kharkiv

The northeastern province has been subject to more and more shelling, and Western officials are worried about Ukraine’s capacity to respond. Could there be a breakthrough? Not everyone is happy with the 28-year-old building America’s first nickel-cobalt refinery (08:51). And, som ... Show More

23m 24s

Feb 2024

Drum Tower: The sounds of old Beijing

In some ways, Beijing now sounds like a lot of other mega cities. Yet, back in imperial times, sound was used in creative ways to display wealth, to conduct everyday business and, most importantly, to keep order. David Rennie, our Beijing bureau chief, takes us on a sonic jour ... Show More

26m 44s

Sep 2023

Missing in action: China’s defence minister has disappeared

It would not be the first time that a member of the government has gone <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/09/15/the-mystery-surrounding-chinas-missing-defence-minister?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.co ... Show More

23m 16s

Aug 2021

The struggle for the soul of Hong Kong

Each Monday this August, we're looking back at some of the stories from the past year that stuck with us.In June 2020, with the world's attention on the pandemic, Hong Kong’s freedoms were under threat as the Chinese government imposed a draconian new security law. Now, ... Show More

28m 21s

The big gag: Hong Kong’s crackdown on fr...