Just one generation after they gained independence, people in the Baltic States are watching the threat from the Kremlin creep closer and closer. In Lithuania, the government is preparing the population to resist an invasion.

On “The Weekend Intelligence” Katie Bryant travels to Vilnius to ask how facing up to threat is changing the nation.

Topics covered:

Lithuania

Civil defence

Disinformation

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Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

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For all the promise of transformation that artificial intelligence offers, a close look at macroeconomic data shows little change. Sit tight. A brutal attack in Nigeria reveals how the security crisis is spreading ominously. And a tribute to Virginia Oliver, who cut an unusual figure on the lobster boat she skippered for decades.

Guests and host:

• Alex Domash, economics correspondent
• Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Artificial intelligence, macroeconomics
• Nigeria, security, jihadism
• Virginia Oliver, Maine, lobsters

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As a military build-up continues in the Middle East, President Donald Trump’s messaging remains ambiguous. What could, at this stage, head off conflict? Our series on America’s 250th birthday continues with a dive into our archive on the era leading up to civil war. And a couple of recommendations for the silver and the small screen.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
• Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Iran, nuclear deal, military build-up
• American history
• entertainment, “Dreams”, “Bridgerton”

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The targeting of “El Mencho”, the leader of one of the country’s two biggest gangs, has resulted in a predictable spate of violence—more of which is virtually assured. We take a rare look inside Russia to see how four years of war has changed the country. And some surprising advice on how to get your best marathon time.

Guests and host:

• Sarah Birke, Mexico City bureau chief
• Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor
• Tim Cross, senior science writer
• Ainslie Johnstone, data journalist
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Mexico, cartels, gang violence
• Russia, economy, Ukraine war
• Running, training, marathons

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On the fourth anniversary of a war that many predicted would last mere days, much has changed—even beyond the unthinkable misery in Ukraine itself. Alliances have weakened, Europe is rearming like never before and the very nature of modern war has been redefined. Our correspondents take stock and consider what kind of peace is even possible.

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, deputy editor
• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Shashank Joshi, defence editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• war in Ukraine, Russia, defence, diplomacy

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The smackdown by America’s Supreme Court was resounding: the bulk of Donald Trump’s tariffs were instituted illegally. He will try to rebuild his tariff wall, brick by brick—creating a new crop of winners and losers. Australia’s surging One Nation party threatens a conservative coalition that was already looking slightly shaky. And why Agatha Christie’s prolific output is so enduringly popular.

Guests and host:

• Rachana Shanbhogue, business-affairs editor
• Aaron Connelly, Asia diplomatic editor
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• America’s Supreme Court, Donald Trump, tariffs
• Australian politics, Pauline Hanson
• Agatha Christie

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The detainment of King Charles’s brother is almost without precedent in Britain’s long royal history. He denies wrongdoing, but damage to “The Firm” is already assured. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have fallen into a very public spat that may have grave implications far beyond the region. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of Jesse Jackson.

Guests and host:

• Sonny Loughran, Britain writer
• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Ann Wroe, Obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain’s royal family, Jeffrey Epstein
• Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, diplomacy
• Jesse Jackson

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Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s ex-president, has been handed a life sentence for insurrection. That is by no means the end of the story of division in the country. Nervous AI-watchers fret about which workers might be replaced; our analysis suggests white-collar workers can breathe easy. And the memoir of Gisèle Pelicot, a rape survivor turned global symbol of strength.

Guests and hosts:

• Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
• Alex Domash, economics correspondent
• Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol
• AI, white-collar jobs
• Gisèle Pelicot, memoir

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