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 the winner of "Best Daily Show" at the 2026 British Podcast Awards, 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.
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Episodes
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…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Good, bad and ugly: the Taliban and Afghanistan
Their return to rule is unequivocally bad for the country’s women and girls. But wholesale collapse has not come and some aspects of government have improved…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Another season of the crown: the coronation of Charles III
He has been king since September; now it is time for the pomp. We examine the modern monarchy—and the ancient frippery of coronations. Despite prior reluctance…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Difference between right and Ron: DeSantis miscalculates
Florida’s governor has made a headline-grabbing rightward lurch as part of a presumed bid for the White House. But both Mr DeSantis’s critics and his donors…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down
Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind about the technology’s risks. We ask whether those steeped in…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Re-route of all evil: transnational crime and Ukraine’s war
Criminal networks have had to reorganise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with knock-on effects from Afghanistan to the Andes. We take a look at the scourge…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Long shots: the complex nature of civil wars
Climate change is stirring up internecine conflicts, criminality is making them longer, and cross-border contagion is complicating matters further. We explain…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Without reserves: Bolivia faces an economic crisis
AS A GAS // As a gas producer, the state was able to build up enormous reserves. But failing to pivot when global prices fell has created debt, a dollar…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Rising Starmer: An interview with Britain’s opposition leader
As the country prepares to go to the polls next year, The Economist sits down with the leader of the Labour Party. Could Sir Keir Starmer’s agenda revive the…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
One Good Term Deserves Another: Biden Declares
He made the same announcement on the same day four years ago and went on to win. But this time, the President is older and less popular. Could he be elected…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Brazilian balancing act: Lula’s foreign policy plans
ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN // Attempts to maintain a neutral stance on the invasion of Ukraine, while also buddying up with China, are sending confusing signals…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Khartoum is burning: fighting continues in Sudan
Ceasefires have failed, civilians are fleeing, and there is no end in sight to the fighting. We bring you an update on the escalating conflict. A Ukrainian…
- The Intelligence from The Economist
Tick, Tick, Boom: SpaceX launches Starship
In a historic first, the largest rocket ever assembled managed to get off the ground. But then it exploded midair. We ask if this launch can still be called a…