Shows / The Intelligence from The Economist
The Intelligence from The Economist
Join Jason Palmer and Rosie Blau for noise-cancelling news and analysis from The Economist's global network of correspondents. Every weekday this award-winning podcast picks three stories shaping your world—the big shifts in politics, business and culture, plus things you never knew you needed to know. On Saturdays, download The Weekend Intelligence to dive deep into a single story, vividly told. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part…
Episodes
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Trading criminality for autocracy: El Salvador
A country that was not long ago gripped by gang violence and crime is slowly emerging from fear, thanks to a brutal roundup of young men by a wildly popular…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
With a grain assault: a deal abandoned
Russia’s axeing of the Black Sea grain deal reveals a war machine running out of options. We explore how to get the deal back on track. A month-long mystery…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Forewarned before armed: how to predict war
Military types need not wait until mass movements of troops to know a conflict is coming. We examine a raft of subtle and not-so-subtle market moves that would…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Squash court: Israel’s controversial law reform
A seemingly small change to the Supreme Court’s powers to adjudicate “reasonableness” represents a significant risk to the country’s democratic functioning—and…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Small-Vox symptoms: Spain’s elections
After no party won a majority, forming a government may take weeks—or another election. But predictions that Vox, a far-right party, might enter government…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Palace intrigue: the Kremlin after the mutiny
It has been a month since the head of the Wagner group led a march on Moscow. Although it failed, Putin appears considerably weaker. What does this mean for…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Runaway soldier: American detained in North Korea
Little is known about why he fled across the border into the hermit kingdom, but securing his release will require some tactical diplomacy. Given the tense…
The Intelligence from The EconomistModel growth: Tesla’s ambitious plans
The carmaker, which reports results today, is still celebrating impressive growth and its boss has even bigger plans for it. But with the threat of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCharming the prince: Biden seeks a deal with Saudi Arabia
America is keen to mend the relationship between the Gulf state and Israel, but Muhammad bin Salman has hefty demands. Is the deal worth the price? Asia’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCruel summer: heatwaves rage across the world
Europe, America and Asia are all enduring scorching heatwaves, air temperatures are repeatedly breaking records and the health impacts are alarming. But is the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMass destruction: is the Ethiopian government covering up war crimes?
The burning of burial grounds in the northern region of the country suggests that authorities are destroying evidence. If these claims are proven true, will…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSecond thoughts: Donald Trump’s policy plans
When he was last elected, many were surprised, even in his own camp. This time around, his backers are taking no such chances. We take a closer look at his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAI-pocalypse: predicting the threat from artificial intelligence
Wiping out a tenth of the world? Possible. Wiping out all of humanity? Less likely, but not entirely impossible. We examine how two groups of experts have…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRutte, damn: the Dutch prime minister steps down
Mark Rutte is stepping down after leading the Netherlands for 13 years. Despite his renowned political survival skills, our correspondent explains why it was…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStates, disunited: the controversy around cluster bombs
Despite considerable opposition from allies in NATO, America has agreed to send them to Ukraine. The highly controversial munitions could speed up Ukraine’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistI spy: meeting Ukraine’s intelligence chief
We sit down with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s youngest-ever spymaster. He is intense, resolute—and oddly charismatic. A world of electrified transport is going to…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Clone wars: Meta’s Threads takes on Twitter
If there is one thing Facebook’s parent company does well, it is aping other social-media features and platforms—and it is a propitious time to steal Twitter’s…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Group dynamics: Wagner in Africa
Its leader is in exile and its future is uncertain. But the Wagner Group will be loth to abandon the influence and the cashflow that its murky African…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Break camp: Israel’s West Bank raids
The so-called refugee camp in the city of Jenin has been subject to raids for months—and a hotspot for militants for decades. We ask what set things off so…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Riot-geared: the tensions behind France’s unrest
The killing of a teenager in a Paris suburb has ignited national unrest. We ask what is driving the disquiet, and what it means for a president squeezed on…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Hot to trot: the up sides of climate migration
Mass movements of people expected as climate change progresses are often depicted as catastrophes-in-waiting. We visit Niger, where that shift has begun…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Antitrust, the process: America’s competition cops
This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a sea change under way in America’s trustbusting machinery; it…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Juan way, or another? Argentina’s election
For decades, leftist policies first espoused by Juan Perón have dominated the country’s politics. But as electioneering begins it is clear that rampant…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Belarusian roulette: a mutiny’s aftermath
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters are said to be welcome in safe-haven Belarus. We ask how Aleksandr Lukashenko, the country’s puppet president…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Putin’s chef spoils the broth: mutiny in Russia
Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s chef”, leads the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. He had lambasted Russia’s…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Pro-life post-Dobbs: America’s anti-abortion campaigns
In the months since America’s Supreme Court gave states the power to ban abortions, those in support of the ruling have become more splintered. And with the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
No guarantees: NATO members debate Ukraine’s future
Members of the alliance are conflicted over the prospect of Ukraine’s membership. In particular, America has changed its mind, and this could affect the future…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Balancing of Powers: India’s foreign policy
Narendra Modi is cosying up to America, but not at the expense of valuable relationships with Russia and China. Our correspondent speaks with the country’s…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Abodes well? The housing crash that wasn’t
Much to the chagrin of hopeful first-time buyers, property prices remain stubbornly high across the West. Our correspondent explains why housing is defying the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
More Blinken meetings: a diplomatic visit to China
In a first since 2018, America’s secretary of state is visiting China amid escalating tensions between both countries. Can diplomats successfully stabilise the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
I, of the tiger: India’s influential diaspora
They lead startups, giant corporations, even countries: people of Indian origin are finding great success outside their home country—and wielding much…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Guilty party: Boris Johnson’s lies catch up with him
The investigation into covid-lockdown-era parties during Boris Johnson’s premiership—and his denials of their impropriety—comes to damning conclusions. Is it…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Call of duties: the global costs of war
Conflict in Ukraine has cut short the “peace dividend” the world was reaping. We count the economic costs of a widespread return to a war footing. President…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Death of a salesman: Silvio Berlusconi
Italy’s longest-serving prime minister has died aged 86. He inspired as much derision as devotion, and for all his gaffes and scandals he helped to shape the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Gain, wait: Ukraine’s tentative push
Hints of the long campaign ahead are emerging, but all the operations so far are just drawing the eventual, full-scale battle lines. Cheap vaccinations could…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Charged up: Trump’s latest indictment
He is expected to be charged for failing to return classified documents and obstructing justice. The former president denies wrongdoing, and any possible…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
No Khan do: Pakistan’s meddling army
The country’s military is renowned for political overreach. Now, its leaders are taking on former prime minister Imran Khan. Is violent unrest on the horizon?…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Not born yesterday: the world’s ageing population
Fertility rates are falling to worrying levels, and an older, smaller, global population is bad news for economic growth. Apple’s new headset could…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Dam and blast: Ukraine launches counter-offensive
After months of waiting, probing attacks have begun. A destroyed dam in Kherson suggests that Russia is upping the ante in response. But what else is in store?…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Trouble in Shangri-La: Sino-American tensions escalate
At a meeting of defence ministers from the Asia-Pacific region, heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington were all too apparent. A naval spat in the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
League of her own: Sheikh Hasina’s grip on Bangladesh
Over two decades in office, the prime minister and her Awami League party have overseen impressive growth and reforms in a notoriously corrupt country—but that…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
On pain of death: Uganda’s anti-LGBT law
The country’s homophobes claim that homosexuality is a malign foreign import; in reality it was anti-LGBT groups from abroad who helped lay the ground for…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Debtors’ prism: mounting crises of Africa’s loans
Many of the continent’s economies are hamstrung by debt—much of it held internationally. We look at the growing need for closer co-operation between China…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Cash out: the digital-payments revolution
The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashlessness push in different economies and potential effects on…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Poor more years! Erdogan triumphs in Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again retained the presidency. We ask how the best chance in a generation to unseat him came unstuck—and what to expect from an…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRussian lessons: new and improved war tactics
From infantry to air defences and even electronic warfare, improved strategies and engineering could threaten Ukraine’s counter-offensive plans. How can these…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
A Ron turn: DeSantis’s disastrous announcement
After a glitchy announcement on Twitter, the Florida governor’s campaign is off to a shaky start. And despite strong donor backing, he will struggle to secure…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Still the one that I want: Greece’s prime minister wins again
Although Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party fell short of a majority in parliament, meaning there will be a second vote, the incumbent prime minister did much better…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Narcos and avocados: Mexico’s diversifying drug cartels
In attempts to amass more wealth, these organisations are dabbling in newer narcotics and even taking on the mining sector. The result is taking a toll on the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Raise the roof? America’s debt-ceiling debacle
Today, the president will meet with the Republican leader in the house of representatives to try and prevent the country from defaulting. But what if they…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Economist: Kissinger on avoiding world war
Henry Kissinger was one of the most influential and controversial diplomats of the 20th century. He was National Security Advisor and Secretary of State to two…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Shining armour: China’s new fleet
Over the last couple of decades, the state has been making significant investments into its armed forces in an attempt to challenge America’s dominance. We ask…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic redemption
Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in Jeddah. Is this the dictator’s first step in a journey to…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Better call Kissinger: an interview with the renowned diplomat
In a conversation that lasted eight hours over two days, the statesman discussed paths to peace in Ukraine, his evolving view on their NATO membership, and…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
New school Thais: a military establishment voted out
Largely thanks to young, liberal citizens, a reformist third party won the most seats in Thailand’s general election. But a powerful army and influential…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Changing the Guard? Turkey’s inconclusive election
Despite the opposition’s lead in the pre-election polls, the incumbent president seems to have performed better than expected. What does a run-off mean for the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base
The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a curious slump for…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Autocrat v bureaucrat: Turkey’s crucial vote
It is probably this year’s most important election—and for the first time in a long time, the country’s strongman leader has a plausible adversary. Our…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
A scratch in the Teflon: Trump’s sexual-battery loss
A jury unanimously found Donald Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. We examine his first major legal loss. Thailand’s opposition looks set to…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Ukraine 2.0: a revealing visit to Kyiv
Our Russia and defence editors travelled to the capital, finding a city largely back to normal. They ask both civilians and the country’s top brass about…