Yesterday

Strait and narrowing: the Houthis’ striking advance

After years of stalemate, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are taking territory, including on a Red Sea strait. We ask what has changed, and how the shift fits into the wider regional conflict. As America’s midterm elections approach, we examine the fragmentation of the coalition that ... Show More

22m 46s

Sep 12

The Weekend Intelligence: Shire folk

For 15 years, the British media dismissed Tommy Robinson as a far-right extremist. We kept him off our televisions, and out of our newspapers. Today his rallies attract tens of thousands of followers and he has the ear of the world’s richest man.Shire Folk is the story of how som ... Show More

49m 13s

Sep 11

Out-numbered: AI’s contentious maths milestone

OpenAI’s claim to have solved one of the great problems in mathematics has itself created problems. We ask why the breakthrough has shaken the field. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 we examine the vast counterterrorism machinery that followed in America, and nascent efforts to pa ... Show More

22m 49s

Jan 2025

Against the clock: Gaza peace talks

Israel continued to pound Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations began in Qatar. The familiar dynamic will soon be interrupted by a new American administration. Our analysis shows that Nordic firms have markedly better fundamentals than the European average; we examine what’s behin ... Show More

25m 16s

Nov 2023

How Long Will The Ceasefire In Gaza Hold?

Ben and Tommy discuss the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and how the US and Qatar helped broker it, Qatar’s unique role in international diplomacy, the debate over conditioning US aid to Israel, what we know about the Palestinians being released from Israeli prisons, and ... Show More

1h 27m

Feb 2025

Phase transition? Gaza’s shaky peace

The first phase of Gaza’s ceasefire is near its end, but planning for the even more fraught second phase has hardly begun. What chance for near-term peace? We examine the harmful outcomes from the Trump administration’s slashing funding for America’s science institutions (9:45). ... Show More

25m 48s

Jan 2025

Peace by piece: a ceasefire in Gaza is close

After 15 months of fighting, a ceasefire in Gaza may soon be agreed. What does the deal entail – and could it last? Our correspondent has uncovered new information about Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and her relationship with Syria’s ... Show More

25m 32s

Sep 2025

Your peace or mine? Prospects for Gaza deal

After pressure from US President Donald Trump, Israel’s Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu has been strong-armed into agreeing a deal for Gaza. Will Hamas sign up too? Our correspondent analyses the path to peace. Lululemon needs a legging-up. And why leopards, crows and monkeys popul ... Show More

25m 6s

Jan 2024

Hostilities rage on in Gaza with peace talks in sight

Qatar is preparing a plan to halt fighting in Gaza and release hostages, as Israel continues its deadly assault on the Palestinian enclave. Iran and Pakistan's top diplomats meet in a bid to mend ties after tit-for-tat missile strikes. China and the United States are discussing w ... Show More

13m 28s

Mar 2024

The Intelligence: Pressures for peace

The international push for a ceasefire in Gaza continues, but the tragedies keep coming; in many ways a resolution still seems as distant as it was early in the war. We consider the temptation to go all in on stocks, given just how flaming-hot the markets are (10:55). And a data- ... Show More

22m 15s

Nov 2023

"Saying 'pauses' implies there's more harm to come"

<p>In this episode, we discuss the international backdrop to the Gaza ceasefire/truce/pause (and what the distinctions are among all those terms). We also cover Israeli and US aims for Gaza in view of resistance on the ground and their failure to achieve their objectives in the ... Show More

1h 7m

Jun 2024

A real work of peace? An Israel-Hamas deal

America’s upbeat assessment of a ceasefire deal masks deep divides that may not, in fact, be bridgeable. There are nevertheless reasons for optimism. Our data team digs into the accusation that the New York Times’s bestseller list is biased against conservatives (10:58). And why ... Show More

25m 29s