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 EconomistAfter the party, the hangover: Boris survives, barely
Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, narrowly survived a no-confidence vote last night. As he limps on, the informal contest to succeed him will intensify…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA farewell to arms control? Ukraine and nuclear weapons
For almost 80 years, the world has refrained from using or, for the most part, even seriously pondering the use of nuclear weapons. Russia’s invasion of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHide, park: Russian money in London
Britain’s capital is packed with foreign capital, in particular the Russian kind. We ask what it is about London that attracts—and protects—the oligarchs. We…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPress clipping: Ethiopia’s media crackdown
The government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has expelled our correspondent. Abiy’s proxies at home and abroad are helping a propaganda push that is silencing…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe diet is cast: a coming food catastrophe
War and blockades in Ukraine are the largest but far from the only problems squeezing the global food system—and with prices already way up, a catastrophe of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBear traps: Russia’s push in eastern Ukraine
Russian forces are having some successes in eastern Ukraine; our defence editor discusses the situation on the ground and what may tip the balance in the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBase motives? China in the Pacific
The country has just one foreign military base, but there are fears it wants to dot the Pacific region with more—and that is, so far, proving tricky. With ties…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTake the first left? Colombia’s election
POLLS SUGGEST // Polls suggest the country might get its first-ever leftist leader. Whatever the outcome, a fresh outbreak of violent protest may await…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLet’s get the parties charted: the Partygate report
A long-awaited inquiry into lockdown gatherings on Boris Johnson’s watch reveals lurid details of brash bashes. Yet the prime minister will be able, once…
The Intelligence from The EconomistActive shooters, inactive politics: America’s latest school massacre
After 19 children and two adults were gunned down in Texas, we ask why gun laws are actually loosening in many states and why even moderate gun controls do not…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe city that never slips: Beijing and covid
China’s Communist Party leaders have painted themselves into a corner: they cannot be seen to put the capital into lockdown, but permitting covid to spread…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLabor’s day: Australia’s election
Anthony Albanese, the first Labor prime minister in a decade, has pledged to do far more on climate change. His party’s slim win shows how Australian politics…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStraight out of Orwell: Russia’s propaganda machine
The Kremlin’s propaganda machine ensures that Russians have a much different view of the war in Ukraine than the rest of the world. Our correspondent spent a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPestilent peninsula: covid in North Korea
North Korea’s zero-covid strategy appears to have failed. The country has officially acknowledged 162 cases; the true number is probably orders of magnitude…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIt’s his party: American primaries
Five American states held primary elections yesterday. The most important were in Pennsylvania, where a Trump-backed candidate won the Republican gubernatorial…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLuna landing: Crypto chaos
Stablecoins are essential to the financial plumbing of the cryptocurrency world. They’re pegged to a real-world asset, usually the dollar. But when that peg…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNot stuck in neutral: Sweden, Finland and NATO
Neither Finland nor Sweden ever joined NATO, the Western military alliance formed in 1949: Finland for pragmatic reasons and Sweden for ideological ones. But…
The Intelligence from The EconomistArm Scandi: Britain’s mutual-defence pact
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s collective-defence deal with Swedish and Finnish leaders represents a shift in the European order—and Britain’s post-Brexit…
The Intelligence from The EconomistEntrenched: stalemate in Ukraine’s east
Russia’s bid to conquer the eastern region of Donbas is proceeding at a snail’s pace. All over Ukraine resistance continues and a grinding, prolonged conflict…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIt’s a family affair: Sri Lanka’s protests turn deadly
Demonstrations that eventually ousted the prime minister have cost lives, but the protest mood is not fading: many want every member of the storied Rajapaksa…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOut like a Lam: Hong Kong’s new leader
John Lee, the successor to Chief Executive Carrie Lam, won by a predictable landslide: he is just the sort of law-and-order type party leaders in Beijing…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnder-armed sweat: America’s “arsenal of democracy”
America accounts for the lion’s share of weaponry sent to Ukraine. But that may leave it short of arms in onward conflicts; boosting production is not as easy…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe son shines: elections in the Philippines
Voters in the Philippines choose a new president on Monday. The likely winner is a scion of one of the country’s most controversial families. Exxon struck oil…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPowell’s points presentation: the Fed raises rates
Prices in America are rising faster than at any time in the past 40 years. In response, the Federal Reserve has made its steepest interest-rate hike in 20…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStormont weather: elections in Northern Ireland
Voters in the UK head to the polls for local elections tomorrow. In Northern Ireland, a party that does not want the country to exist appears poised to win the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRoe-ing away: Abortion rights in America
A leaked draft opinion shows America’s Supreme Court is ready to let states outlaw abortion. We explore the implications for American politics, and the rights…
The Intelligence from The EconomistROC and a hard place: Taiwan’s lessons from Ukraine
Much like Ukraine, Taiwan has a well-armed neighbour that does not think it exists as a state: China. We ask what both sides are learning from Russia’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGeneral disarray: Russia’s military failures
Before the invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s armed forces were believed to be lean, modern and fighting fit. We ask why they have performed so poorly. A life…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPipe down: Russia cuts gas to Poland and Bulgaria
By shutting off gas to Poland and Bulgaria, Russia has made an aggressive move that may draw yet more European sanctions. How might the escalation end? The…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStrong suits: climate litigation
Activists are tired of waiting for governments and companies to act on climate change. So increasingly they’re taking the matter to court—with success. Egypt’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA bird in the hand: Elon Musk buys Twitter
The world’s richest man now has the keys to one of the most influential social-media platforms. Can it be the free-speech wonderland he is aiming for? Should…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLe Pen pusher: Macron wins again
Emmanuel Macron’s re-election is historic and, for many, a relief. But, as we discuss in the final instalment of our French-election series, the campaign…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRwanda-on-Thames: Britain’s asylum proposal
BRITAIN’S GOVERNMENT has proposed sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda. The plan has been widely criticised as expensive and ineffective—but the greater danger is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistKnocking on hell’s Dvornikov: the battle for Donbas
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has entered a new phase, and its forces in Ukraine have a new commander—one with a history of targeting civilians. The next few…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSana’a sunrise: A ceasefire in Yemen
In Yemen, fighting between Houthi rebels and a Saudi-led coalition has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths. Recently, a ceasefire has taken hold — but…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn neither camp: Neutrality and war
ONE-THIRD of the world’s population lives in countries backing neither Russia nor Ukraine. The Biden administration has tried to persuade them off the fence…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRunning for cover: our Ukraine-refugees special
The war in Ukraine has created the greatest flux of refugees in Europe since the second world war. We visit Poland, where the response has been remarkably…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGirls interrupted: Afghanistan
When the Taliban resumed power, there were hopes that women might not be as excluded, repressed and abused as they were previously. Those hopes have faded. As…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFood haul: aid trickles into Tigray
A ceasefire agreed weeks ago should have mitigated the suffering of starving Ethiopians caught up in war; we ask why so little aid has got through. Rebuilding…
The Intelligence from The EconomistJust fine: Boris Johnson and “partygate”
Police have served Britain’s prime minister, among others, with a fine for breaching the lockdown rules he instituted. He may yet again emerge unscathed, but…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA stretch and a run: Brazil’s ex-president returns
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva left office with a sky-high approval rating, having raised millions from poverty—but was then convicted of corruption. Now he wants…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLe Pen is mightier than before: France’s election
President Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen of the nationalist-populist National Rally party will advance to a run-off; in the continuation of our series, we…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLaïcité, extrémité, fragilité: our French-election series in full
The first round of the presidential election is on Sunday and our first-ever series has been following the race closely. This compendium of the first six…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGota the trouble: Sri Lanka’s crises
Through ineptitude and bad timing, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa—known as Gota—has driven his country toward ruin. Its people want him out. Russian forces have…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNasty, brutish and long? The war’s next stage
Russian troops have withdrawn from suburban Kyiv to focus on the eastern Donbas region. With Western weapons for Ukraine flowing in, a grinding war of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistZero's intolerance: Shanghai’s messy lockdown
China’s zero-covid policy is being stretched to breaking point as the virus makes its way through the city. Supplies are low, residents are angry and there is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBodies in the streets: Russian atrocities
Our correspondent reports from towns around Kyiv, where Russian forces appear to have committed war crimes, including summary executions and random murders…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo-confidence interval: Pakistan’s embattled PM
Prime Minister Imran Khan seems to be trying everything to avoid an ouster. The powerful military brass may simply want a new leader who is less hostile to the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAll opposed, say nothing: Hungary’s election
Viktor Orban’s eight-year assault on the country’s institutions will help his bid for re-election. But the poll is far bigger than Hungary: it is a verdict on…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOil and vodka: Russia’s resilient economy
After Russia invaded Ukraine, Western businesses pulled out and governments imposed punishing sanctions. But Russia’s economy is proving surprisingly…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCapital outflow: Russia changes tack
It appears that Russian forces are withdrawing from Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, to focus on the eastern region of Donbas. We examine what the shifting tactics…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTalk in Turkey: Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations
Negotiators are again meeting face-to-face, this time in Istanbul. There is little hope of reaching an agreement at this stage—and even less that it would be…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn the war room: our exclusive visit to Zelensky’s “fortress”
Our editors traverse layers of security to reach the situation room where Ukraine’s president is so often seen addressing the world. They ask about his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnder fire: Life in Kharkiv
For the past month, one of our editors has spoken daily with a young man in Kharkiv. Today he discusses his family's decision to leave their hometown for…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhat little remains: The destruction of Mariupol
For weeks, Russian forces have besieged the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. Up to 90% of its structures have been destroyed, and while thousands have fled…
The Intelligence from The EconomistVlad the in-jailer: Alexei Navalny sentenced
Alexei Navalny returned to Russia after being poisoned in an assassination attempt that many believe came from the Kremlin. He was immediately arrested, and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRussian to judgment: Putin accused of war crimes
Joe Biden, among others, has called Vladimir Putin “a war criminal.” International tribunals have tried and convicted war criminals from Rwanda and Serbia…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBlood will out: Russian mercenaries
Russian forces advancing on Kyiv have stalled. Ukraine has refused the demand to surrender Mariupol. But it’s not just Russian regular troops fighting: we look…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMention the war: Germany awakes
For decades, Germany was doctrinally pacifist: a legacy left over from the second world war. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed that, seemingly…
The Intelligence from The EconomistShock and war: global prices rise
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has pushed global prices, which were already climbing, even higher. As America’s central bank raises its target interest rate for…