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 EconomistThe battlefield broadens: Ukraine resists
On the ground, Ukrainian resistance is holding—so far—and Vladimir Putin’s nuclear posturing reveals a crumbling of his plans. Meanwhile the international…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCapital offence: the battle for Ukraine
As promised, Ukraine’s forces are fighting back tenaciously against a Russian invasion on multiple fronts—but Kyiv, the capital, is now squarely in the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIt begins: Russia invades Ukraine
Ukrainians woke to the sound of sirens. Volleys of cruise missiles, artillery, widespread reports of explosions: a large-scale invasion appears to be under…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGiven choice: Colombia’s abortion-law change
In little more than a year, three of Latin America’s four most populous countries have expanded access to abortion. We ask what is driving that change in the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPutting his first boot forward: Russian troops move
President Vladimir Putin has declared the independence of the two Ukrainian provinces of Donbas—and sent in "peacekeepers". We ask what is next. The African…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrial run: genocide claims against Myanmar
The Gambia’s first-of-its-kind case at the International Court of Justice might bring a rebuke and shine light on Myanmar’s brutal tactics. It might not, alas…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOn the brinkmanship: a special episode on Ukraine and Russia
We unpick the week’s torrent of headlines; an invasion may yet come but either way President Vladimir Putin has already harmed Russia. The country’s digital…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSharpest tools, in a box: miniature vaccine factories
BioNTech, the German firm behind the first licensed coronavirus jab, reveals its attempts to stuff its technology into shipping containers—to be used where…
The Intelligence from The EconomistJudge, jury and executive: another power-grab in Tunisia
Last summer President Kais Saied nobbled the legislature; now he has abolished the judiciary. We ask where the country is headed, and why there is so little…
The Intelligence from The EconomistYen here before: Japan’s “new capitalism”
Today’s figures showing the first annual economic growth in three years may seem promising. But the grand plans of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio resemble past…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNot trucking around: Canada’s protests spread
It has become much more than a fight against proof-of-vaccination strictures. The anti-government mood has spread in Canada and abroad. What happens next?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWithdrawal symptoms: Afghanistan goes hungry
Since American forces left, pessimism has skyrocketed—and with good reason. Starvation is driving Afghans to sell their organs and even their children in order…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhich way UP: India’s bellwether election
The state-legislature poll in Uttar Pradesh is in effect a vote on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s increasingly stringent Hindu-national agenda—and will hint at…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe quiet man of Europe: Olaf Scholz
So far Germany’s new chancellor has been all but invisible at home and on the international stage. We examine the motives behind his reticence—and his…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFAANGer danger: big tech takes a beating
For years, the big tech firms Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google were seen as a collective good bet; investors will soon judge them each on their…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFission creep: Iran nuclear talks resume
After protracted negotiations, at last a conclusion appears nigh—but depending on whom you ask, a breakthrough is as likely as a breakdown. The regime in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSkin in the Games: Beijing’s nervy Olympics
Our correspondent describes the fraught effort to attend the opening ceremony. It is a pageant highlighting a divided world, with party leaders aiming for zero…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA model result: our French-election series begins
In the first instalment of the series, we unveil our forecast model and visit one of the quiet suburbs where the vote’s outcome will probably be decided. Debt…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAction pact: NATO’s Ukraine role
Our correspondent speaks with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, who says the alliance’s involvement in de-escalating Russia tensions is a sign of its…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDo as I say, except at my dos: Boris Johnson’s parties
A long-awaited report confirms rumours that have consumed Boris Johnson’s premiership. He may be weakened, but early signs suggest he will not fall. One year…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSunshine statement: Ron DeSantis’s Florida
Talk of a presidential run for the governor is growing. We examine the state’s rightward lurch as a bellwether of his intent and his political strength. Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistInsecurities in securities: why markets are sliding
Huge swings and downward trends: markets are forward-looking, and it is clear they do not see much to look forward to in 2022. Warnings about infectious bugs…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOn the edge of his seat: Stephen Breyer
The departure of one of America’s Supreme Court justices is an opportunity for President Joe Biden to choose a replacement, but the clock is ticking. We ask…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTwist of faith: religious hatred in India
As the country celebrates its secular constitution, we examine the rising bigotry of Hindu nationalists—at best tolerated and at worst encouraged by the ruling…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWhat’s it good for? Putin’s Ukraine calculus
More Russian troops piling in. Embassy staff pulling out. American forces on alert and sober diplomacy still on the docket. We examine Vladimir Putin's ways…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPrime mover? Mario Draghi and the Italian presidency
This week’s secretive votes will determine the next president and the current prime minister looks to be a favourite. But that move would be bad for Italy…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnsustainable envelopment goals: China’s zero-covid fight
The Omicron variant is destined to test the limits of a policy that has already proved costly: consumption, growth and confidence are all flagging. The effects…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHeavyweight-price fight: how to beat global inflation
Shoppers across the developed world face sharply rising prices, and leaders are reaching for all manner of remedies—but that’s what central banks are for…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDrilling into the numbers: ExxonMobil
America’s biggest oil firm has long been recalcitrant on climate matters, so its new net-zero targets may seem surprising. We examine the substance of its…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThrough deny of a needle: vaccine mandates
Austria is set to enact a bold policy of levying fines on the unvaccinated. We look at what is driving governments to such measures, and whether they will…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBut who’s counting? Voting rights in America
Democrats will spend the week battling for a tightening of laws on casting votes; that will overshadow Republicans’ worrying push into how those votes are…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHis royal minus: Prince Andrew
The queen’s second son has been stripped of his titles—an apparent bid to insulate the crown from his legal troubles. But dangers to the prince and to the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn vino, veritas: Boris Johnson under fire
While Britons followed covid strictures, the prime minister’s residence hosted boozy gatherings; widespread fury hints that his prevarications this time may be…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNot in the same class: America and schools
The country’s children have missed more in-person learning than those in most of the rich world—to their cost. We ask why battles about schooling rage on…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTalking out his asks: Putin’s NATO demands
This week’s flurry of diplomacy aims to address what Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, says he wants. He cannot get it. Does an invasion of Ukraine hang in…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHope for the crest: an Omicron wave hits India
The country has the world’s worst estimated covid-death total—but as another variant takes hold there are reasons for optimism. Mexico’s president has some…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFuel to the flames: uprising in Kazakhstan
What started as a fuel-price skirmish has engulfed the entire country; now Russian-led troops have been summoned to help. How did things escalate so quickly?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCapitol crimes: one year after America’s insurrection
The insurrection’s horrors might have marked a turning point for Donald Trump’s supporters and enablers. Not so; the people and the politics remain as divided…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStop the presses! Hong Kong’s media crackdown
The closure of two independent, Chinese-language media outlets all but completes the push to silence pro-democracy press; we ask what is next for the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHolmes stretch: Theranos’s founder convicted
Elizabeth Holmes has been found guilty of fraud. We ask what lessons her downfall holds for Theranos’s high-profile backers—and for a startup culture of hype…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSeparate weighs: Brexit, one year on
Trade is down, red tape is up, details of regulatory harmony are still being hammered out. Britain may be less divided about it, but the benefits of the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAll she wrote: our obituaries editor reflects on 2021
From Prince Philip to Desmond Tutu, from an anti-racism campaigner and member of the Auschwitz Girls’ Orchestra to a war surgeon focused on civilians to an…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA few bright spots: our country of the year
Each year The Economist selects its country of the year: a place that has improved the most. Improvement, though, was damnably rare in 2021. We run through our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistYou bet your dollar-bottomed: Erdogan’s next gambit
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s idea for saving the lira by backing deposits with dollars means the Turkish taxpayer will end up bailing out the Turkish…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBeginning of the endemic? Omicron’s spread
The lightning-fast spread of a seemingly milder coronavirus variant may represent a shift from pandemic to endemic; we ask how that would change global…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo safety in numbers: security in Haiti
The security situation is hopeless, following violent unrest and a presidential assassination—as one family’s epic and ultimately failed attempt to leave…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRelocation, relocation, relocation: America’s internal migration
The flood of people out of cities is unlike anything since the suburbanisation of the 1950s; we examine the inevitable economic and political consequences…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAll about that base: Japan’s security policy
In recent years the country has found itself in a sharply different geopolitical environment, responding by building bases and security-partner ties as never…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBack to the USSR: Russia and Ukraine
As border tensions continue to build, our Russia editor looks back to the fall of the Soviet Union to explain why Russia has never accepted Ukraine’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCentre of no attention: Chile’s presidential election
As the vote’s second round has neared, the candidates have shifted, a bit, from their positions at opposite ends of the political spectrum. Which radical…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMoney printer slow brrr: the Fed turns down the taps
America’s central bank plans to pinch off its massive bond-buying programme much faster in a bid to stall inflation; our correspondent says it is perhaps a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn full swing: Ethiopia’s shifting civil war
More than a year after a rebellion Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed promised to put down in weeks, the balance of power keeps swinging—and neighbouring states may…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTwister of fate? Tornadoes and climate change
Many have been quick to link the tornado catastrophe in America’s Upland South to climate change; we ask why that is a tricky connection to draw. Citizenship…
The Intelligence from The EconomistProtein shake-up: getting to know Omicron
The latest “variant of concern” has spread far—and fast. We examine what has been learned about it at equally striking speed, and ask what to look out for…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnsafe as houses? Evergrande and China’s big plans
The wildly indebted property firm has defaulted at last. That poses big risks as China’s leadership works to refashion financial markets and draw in foreign…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAin’t no party: scandals hobble Britain’s government
At two years into Boris Johnson’s premiership, yet more scandal ensures attention will still stray from the sweeping agenda of change he promised. An…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCDU later: Angela Merkel’s successor
For the first time in 16 years Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union is out of Germany’s government. We ask what to expect from Olaf Scholz, the new…
The Intelligence from The EconomistOff the warpath: America 80 years after Pearl Harbour
The Japanese attack set America on a course toward military hegemony; recent administrations have walked it back. We ask what the country would fight for now…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe first sentence of the story: Aung San Suu Kyi
Myanmar’s ousted leader has been sentenced to four years in prison; more guilty verdicts are expected soon. That will only fuel unrest that has not ceased…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTaiwan thing after another: the Solomon Islands
The archipelago’s diplomatic pivot to China has added an international dimension to the latest flare-up of domestic tensions. We ask how this tiny state…