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

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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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”

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.