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 EconomistSpring, then fall: a weakened Muslim Brotherhood
The Muslim Brotherhood won power and influence in the Arab Spring of 2011. Now autocrats are resurgent and its leaders are in jail or exile. Elon Musk says…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnder strAIn: breaking the British state
Britons are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections to state institutions, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints and demands…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOutsider chance: ending Sudan’s proxy war
We look at the peace that has settled over Khartoum, the ruined capital. War rages on elsewhere, and a slim chance at a settlement rests largely with the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSocialist mobility: a telling Michigan vote
We examine one of America’s primary races, in which a sharply lefty candidate beat the establishment figure. What does that reveal about changes in the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTaking the shine off: albedo and global temperatures
Fewer clouds, shrinking ice caps, changing pollutants: all result in less of the sun’s energy being reflected back into space. Which is more bad news for a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn arms’ way: Gaza-deal sticking points
President Donald Trump’s claim that Hamas had agreed to disarm in Gaza was, at best, premature. We examine the sticking points of a lasting deal. New-business…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTaken littorally: Spain’s sudden crisis in Ceuta
The deadly rush of migrants into the Spanish exclave has deep roots in a wider North African conflict—and implications for a far wider European fight about…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOmission 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…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWorking 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…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBrave 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…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBurning questions: a more fire-prone world
Wildfires in France and Spain are only growing worse by the day. We examine what can be done as a future of more fires, and worse ones, becomes more assured. A…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCockroaches 1, Modi 0: India’s remarkable protests
The resignation of India’s education minister was a stunning capitulation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Cockroach Janta Party, a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Elon game: Musk’s vision of the future
After Elon Musk’s first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, The Economist editor-in-chief reflects on what he told her: that AIs will be in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAn interview with Elon Musk
Elon Musk may be the most powerful man in the world. For his first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, he sits down with Zanny Minton Beddoes…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFor bucks’ sake: the rise of self-made billionaires
Many people, including politicians, love to hate the super-rich, and assume they have gamed the system. Yet our correspondent reports that a growing share of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistKyiv brawl: Ukraine’s top general fired
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. That follows days of protests at his sacking of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHard cedar: Lebanon seeks Trump’s help
Today, Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun visits the White House to ask for Donald Trump’s help rebuilding the country. Our correspondent reports from his recent…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA firm Andy: what are new British PM’s plans?
Andy Burnham faces tough challenges as Britain’s new prime minister, both within his party and the country at large. Our correspondent analyses his prospects…
The Intelligence from The EconomistYou’ve come a long way, Bibi: Israel’s crucial election
Binyamin Netanyahu’s government will, unusually, serve out its full term. What comes after October’s election will decide what kind of Israel will emerge. Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn it to bin it: Nigel Farage v Count Binface
We take a peek into a quirk of British politics as the country’s populist-right polling leader goes up against a man who wears a bin on his head. It is more…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStrait and narrowing: the Iran deal crumbles
The sketch of a deal to end the war is all but dead; oil is up as strikes rain down. We look at the options available to America—all of them bad. India’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe case of the missing totem: Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s jailed leader has not been seen since 2022. We ask if she is in fact alive, and what might happen if the military junta acceded to demands for her…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA hawk who flew on political winds: Lindsey Graham
The longtime South Carolina senator died suddenly at the weekend. His political arc mirrored that of his Republican party in the Trump era. We ask what his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPutin’s options: an oligarch speaks out
This week Andrey Melnichenko, Russia’s biggest industrialist, warns in The Economist that disaster is looming for his country as the war in Ukraine continues…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPeace fire: further US-Iran strikes
As America hit 90 targets in a second day of attacks on Iran, the fragile truce is in jeopardy. Our correspondent explains how power shifts within Iran may…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMarine warfare: Le Pen runs for president
Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty…
The Intelligence from The EconomistContinental rift: NATO’s tense summit
As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe mourning show: the politics of Khamenei’s funeral
The Iranian regime hopes the massive crowds gathered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will demonstrate its strength. Our correspondent says they could also…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe 250-year experiment: America’s birthday
Big birthdays are often a time for reflection. Our editors and correspondents chat through the state of American democracy as seen from inside and outside the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRoaring trades: oil majors’ secret success story
Big oil firms keep one part of their business hush-hush: trading. Amid an almighty oil shock, the majors’ trading arms are raking it in. But competition is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFault lines: Venezuela’s paltry earthquake response
Government help was thin on the ground just after the country’s worst quakes in a century. The America-backed regime is thus on literal and figurative shaky…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGulf-co-operation counsel: what next for the region
With Iran emboldened and America an ever more capricious security partner, Gulf countries face several post-war challenges. They should put their divides aside…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLatin lessons: the Donroe-doctrine boost
For all the Trumpian chaos in Latin America, no other developing-world regional economy has done so well in the past year. We examine the Donroe dividend. The…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFar Crimea: war comes to Russia’s door
Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks in a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFear-jerker: America’s AI backlash
Americans are becoming more anxious about how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, society and even human existence. Republican and Democrat voters are…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMissing peace: will Israel imperil Iran deal?
Our correspondent joins an embed in Lebanon, where Israel claims that Hizbullah’s continued strength justifies its campaign. If Israel’s goals diverge from…
The Intelligence from The EconomistKeep qualms and carry on: a decade after Brexit
On June 23rd 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, triggering years of argument, lost economic opportunities and political malaise. Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStarmergeddon: British PM resigns
After winning a resounding victory for Britain’s Labour party two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer has announced his departure. As the country gets ready for its…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrailer: Tocqueville Road Trip
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
The Intelligence from The EconomistComing in Andy: Britain's prime minister-in-waiting
Andy Burnham won a by-election he needed in order to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister. We look at the path ahead for him. The Iran deal…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFirst rate: Kevin Warsh’s Fed debut
As expected, the new Federal Reserve chairman kept rates steady. More interesting were what he did and did not say. How will he handle inevitable pressure from…
The Intelligence from The EconomistView from the summit: what did the G7 achieve?
Geopolitics has dominated this year’s G7 political meeting in Evian, France. Donald Trump offered scant detail on the Iran peace deal but leaders promised to…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLocal, an aesthetic: the deglobalisation of fun
The World Cup may seem to be proof that the digital commons centralises a global audience. We find that entertainment is in fact fragmenting, with big…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOn the home strait? A path to peace in Iran
Despite exchanges of missiles and drones between Israel and Lebanon, the start of a deal was struck overnight. What exactly has been agreed, and will it hold?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTocqueville Road Trip: 2. Against all obstacles
Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTocqueville Road Trip: 1. Game of chance
John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. His companion is a long-dead…
The Intelligence from The EconomistQuid game: challenges for South Korea’s president
An interview with Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s president, a year into his role. Though he has stabilised a turbulent polity and overseen a stock market rally…
The Intelligence from The EconomistKicking and screaming: protests at World Cup
Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNumber crunch: why Britons ignore immigrant drop
The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThere Xi goes: visiting North Korea
Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCeasefire alarm: Iran and Israel trade strikes
The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPregnant pause: India’s slumping fertility
After decades of overpopulation worries, the country now has the opposite concern. We examine India’s unusual demographic turn, and why it is a wider warning…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA murder exploited: Britain’s George Floyd moment that wasn’t
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist-right Reform UK party, wants Britons to be enraged by a killing in the street. We ask why his tone has changed from…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFocused group: Ukraine is now Europe’s war
Now that America has stepped back, Europe is at last stepping up. We examine the bloc’s tactics (if not yet a strategy) and how steady its support is likely to…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHead out of the cloud: Nvidia’s personal-computer shift
The AI world’s go-to chipmaker is blazing a trail toward your personal computer. We ask what moving out of the cloud indicates about the future of computing…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMistrusting the process: containing Congo’s Ebola outbreak
Aid is ramping up to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and vaccine work is progressing. But what the Ebola response most lacks is trust of the community…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNew world of warcraft: how conflict has forever changed
Our outgoing defence editor reflects on how war has changed during the eight years of his tenure. Wars have become easier to start and harder to finish, and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDeal or ordeal: Trump’s bad options in Cuba
The American administration’s next round of sabre-rattling has been directed at Cuba. But more military adventures there would probably prove disastrous. We…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhat price victory? Ukraine on the front foot
Economic support, drone capability, defence under new management: the tide may have turned for Ukraine. But domestic politics and perceptions will define what…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo big deal: murky Iran-war negotiations
More mixed messages from President Donald Trump and air strikes that seem to violate the ceasefire: all that is remotely in prospect is a deal to keep on…