Jul 31

Omission accomplished: why the Iran-war cycle spins on

From impasse in Iran to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to it. Our correspondent says that in the driverless-car future, it will often be Chinese AI behind the whe ... Show More

25m 39s

Jul 30

Working memory: the surprising decline of dementia

A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning. We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments system, and why it so bothers President Donald Trump. And we attend one of the concerts that reveals how th ... Show More

25m 8s

Jul 29

Brave New whirl: Turkey’s opposition overhaul

An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding ... Show More

20m 27s

Oct 2025

Space invaders: Russia’s NATO nose-thumbing

Russia’s dark-fleet maritime operations and brazen incursions into NATO airspace appear to be precision-engineered to test Western resolve. We ask how this new phase of aggression may end. Our correspondent reports from Madagascar, where young people are leading unprecedented ant ... Show More

24m 45s

Jun 2021

Bear necessities: learning to handle Russia

<p>As both <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/06/17/america-and-russia-return-to-traditional-great-power-diplomacy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">summitry</ ... Show More

21m 34s

Oct 2024

Ukraine reaction: Russia deploys North Koreans

<p>Russia is advancing in Ukraine, has more troops and more weapons. In Kyiv and beyond, <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/10/22/north-korea-is-sending-thousands-of-soldiers-to-help-vladimir-putin?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligen ... Show More

25m 14s

Mar 2022

Abject lesson: the siege of Mariupol

To the west, strikes near Poland have rattled NATO partners. But look to the south-east to see <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/03/13/the-dire-fate-of-mariupol-is-a-warning-to-other-ukrainian-cities?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelli ... Show More

23m 31s

Oct 2024

Spies isn’t everything: Putin’s global-chaos machine

<p>Aggression, election-meddling, “psychological destabilisation”: Russia’s leader is sowing chaos <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2024/10/13/vladimir-putins-spies-are-plotting-global-chaos?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence& ... Show More

24m 30s

Oct 2025

Bust a vessel: NATO v dark fleets

Ships of unknown origin or intent are flummoxing NATO forces on the high seas. Our correspondent visits the Latvian navy on the Virsaitis as it intercepts a mystery vessel. We examine China’s enormous gig economy and how 200m workers are turning precarious conditions to their adv ... Show More

23m 37s

Dec 2024

Between Estonia and a hard place: NATO meets

<p>At the icy border between Russia and Estonia, the anxieties of NATO member states are clear, our correspondent reports. Leaders there have been debating <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/12/12/europeans-are-hoping-they-can-buy-more-guns-but-keep-their-butter?utm_c ... Show More

23m 40s

Jan 2022

What’s it good for? Putin’s Ukraine calculus

More Russian troops <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/01/22/momentum-is-building-for-war-in-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel ... Show More

22m 36s

Space invaders: Russia’s NATO nose-thumb...