Yesterday

Clutching at shahs: Iran’s would-be revolutionary

Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed in the 1979 revolution, tells us he sees himself as the people’s choice to lead. We ask how that might work. Our correspondent reckons that, in a full accounting of buying versus renting a home, the smart choice has become clear. And our obit ... Show More

26m 36s

Jan 15

Maria-view mirror: asking Venezuelans what they want now

As Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, meets with President Donald Trump, we talk through our exclusive polling on what the country wants for its future. Childhood in the age of AI promises to be bespoke and personalised—and perhaps also lonely and atomised. And ... Show More

20m 44s

Jan 14

Independence Jay? Inflation and attacks on the Fed

More inflation numbers, more jabs by President Donald Trump at Jay Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman. We ask what the Fed is doing, should be doing and is being pressured to do. Six years after the official Brexit divorce, we count the costs and ask what making-up is now possi ... Show More

23m 54s

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activists have been convicted; an annual vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing in 1989 has been replaced by a food fair.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...