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 EconomistThis May hurt: British politics
Britain’s prime minister Theresa May has at last revealed the date she will step down. She had the unenviable task of trying to deliver Brexit, which she…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRepeat performance: India’s election
Narendra Modi’s BJP appears to have won a convincing re-election victory. What will that mean for India and the region? We look back on the life of Bob Hawke…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIbiza remix: Austria and the European fringe
As a scandal involving Austria’s hard-right Freedom party causes the government to unravel, we examine the fringe parties of Europe and their chances in this…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIn a heartbeat: abortion in America
The strict anti-abortion bills cropping up in multiple American states aren’t expected to become the law of the land—but proponents want them to chip away at…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBattle for legitimacy: Afghanistan v the Taliban
After 18 years and almost a trillion dollars to fight the Taliban, Afghanistan’s government still struggles for legitimacy; we ask why. A list of the world’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPrivate iniquity? The Abraaj case
Not long ago, Abraaj was one of the world’s highest-profile private-equity firms. We take a look at its spectacular downfall, and the fate of its charismatic…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMay, EU live in interesting times: Brexit
As party leaders grill Britain’s prime minister—and with a looming European election the country was due to avoid—we examine how the Brexit mess is dissolving…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDon’t spend it all at once: Pakistan and the IMF
The International Monetary Fund has struck another deal to bail out Pakistan—its 22nd. But how did the country’s economy end up in such a mess? Never mind…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSupply demands: Yemen peace talks
UN negotiators are trying to salvage a ceasefire agreement surrounding the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The Arab world’s poorest country is suffering…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSpare the Rodrigo: Philippine elections
Personalities, not policies, will determine votes in today’s poll in the Philippines to fill some 18,000 government jobs. Loyalists of the firebrand president…
The Intelligence from The EconomistUnbalance of trade: China-America talks
Negotiations to end the trade war have been ruffled as the Trump administration again ramped up tariffs. But even if a deal is struck, that won’t address…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGenerals’ election: Thai politics
The military junta that runs Thailand almost completely sewed up a momentous vote—almost. After further electoral meddling the generals will now lead a weak…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNuclear diffusion: Iran
Exactly a year after President Donald Trump pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal—and days after America moved warships into the Persian Gulf—Iran has…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMayor may not: Turkey’s election re-run
Turkey’s ruling AK party never conceded defeat in Istanbul’s mayoral election in March. Now the result has been annulled, worrying the opposition and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistEverything in moderation: YouTube
Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s chief executive, tells our correspondent that moderating the streaming giant’s content is her biggest challenge. No wonder: every…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBarr, none: the White House’s defiance
The no-show of America’s attorney-general in Congress is just the latest example of the White House’s broad stonewalling policy; we look at the constitutional…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBuy the bullet: global defence spending
Governments the world over are beefing up defence spending—chief among them America’s and China’s. But some aggressive countries’ budgets are actually…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPutsch comes to shove: Venezuela
Juan Guaidó, the opposition figure widely viewed as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, has made a dramatic attempt to seize power from President Nicolás…
The Intelligence from The EconomistInflationary pressure: Argentina’s strikes
Patience runs thin amid rampant inflation and a devaluing currency; Argentines are taking to the streets for two days of strikes and protests. Taiwan’s richest…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCrossing the “t”s: China-America trade talks
American negotiators will be in Beijing this week, for what appears to be the final stages of striking a trade deal. What’s left to be agreed, and what are the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe strain in Spain: an election looms
Ahead of this weekend’s general election, we examine Spain’s fractured political landscape. A much-needed bastion of stability in Europe looks set for a long…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFive Eyes and 5G: the Huawei debate
Leaked discussions reveal that Britain is going against the grain of its “Five Eyes” security partners by letting Huawei supply kit for coming 5G networks…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTroubling: a death in Northern Ireland
A young journalist will be buried today, after being accidentally shot by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland. The killing is a worrying reminder of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWorrying new threat: tragedy in Sri Lanka
After co-ordinated bomb attacks that killed hundreds, Sri Lanka is reeling. But if the government was so consumed by internal struggles as to miss warnings…
The Intelligence from The EconomistEarly to wed: child marriage in Africa
Marrying too young has lifelong effects: on a girl’s body as much as on her education and career. We explore what is behind a sharp decline in child marriage…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPlanes, trains and automobiles: the travails of travel
Easter weekend is a busy travel time for the many people who celebrate it. If you’re lucky, it means some time off work. But you might be unlucky, and travel…
The Intelligence from The Economist[Redacted]: the Mueller report
Today the report by Robert Mueller, the special counsel who investigated Russian links to the Trump administration, will be released—mostly. What lies behind…
The Intelligence from The EconomistRoads to success: Indonesia’s election
Joko Widodo, the incumbent president, is expected to win today’s vote, after a people-pleasing term tackling the country’s infrastructure. But there are…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAnd then, silence: a Paris icon burns
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, was already battling the flames of national protest when fire broke out at the Notre Dame cathedral. Will the tragedy, and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistModi’s operandi: India’s enormous election
The world’s largest democratic exercise is under way. Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks likely to win on a divisive platform about Hindu nationalism and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBashir and present danger: Sudan’s coup
A protest movement that began in December at last brought Sudan’s military brass on board. The country’s cycle of dictatorship and democracy may be repeating…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBrussels’ doubts: another Brexit delay
Britain now has a new Brexit deadline: the end of October. But those negotiations magnified divisions within the European Union that Brexit is revealing—and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBibi got back: Israel’s election
Binyamin Netanyahu looks set to win a fifth term as prime minister. How will his policies affect negotiations about some of the most contested land on Earth?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe new mediocre: the world economy
The International Monetary Fund releases its global-growth forecast today. Expect news of a downgrade, but not recession: low growth has become the status quo…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTripoli threat: a warlord’s bid to take Libya
As rebel forces advance on Tripoli and American troops withdraw, we look at the Libyan general leading the march, and at the country’s fractured politics…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTheresa looks left: Brexit negotiations
Having seemingly exhausted options within her own party, Prime Minister Theresa May is now trying to strike an EU divorce deal with Jeremy Corbyn, the head of…
The Intelligence from The EconomistResigned to it: Algeria’s president
After two decades as president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned. But the cabal that’s been running the country doesn’t want to give up power and the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFund while it lasted: the 1MDB scandal
Today Malaysia’s former prime minister faces his first of several trials, for alleged involvement in the disappearance of billions of dollars from 1MDB, a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistVote with pride: LGBT politicians
Chicago votes for a new mayor today. Either way it will become the largest American city run by an African-American woman, but it may also get another openly…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAK, not quite OK: Turkey’s elections
Turkey’s ruling AK party made historic losses in local elections. Voters, it seems, are fed up with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic mismanagement—but…
The Intelligence from The EconomistComic’s relief? Ukraine’s presidential race
A television show’s everyman character winds up as president: and now the actor who plays him leads the polls ahead of Ukraine’s election. Many museums house…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAnother dance ‘round the May poll: Brexit
Britain’s prime minister has promised to step down if Parliament passes her deal with the European Union. That has sparked a leadership contest that seems…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSeeing the Lighthizer: China trade talks
Another week, another round of negotiations between China and America. But as domestic and economic pressures on both sides have lifted, the path to resolution…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLoan behold: a global-economy danger
The world has only just recovered from the last global financial shock. But a new trend has economists worried: the rising debt on companies’ balance-sheets…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCollusion elusion: the Mueller report
Robert Mueller, the special counsel, has at last delivered his report on President Donald Trump’s campaign. Will it have disappointed or empowered the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe never-ending saga: Brexit delayed
European leaders nixed Theresa May’s request to postpone Brexit for three months, but have given her a short-term reprieve - delaying it by a few weeks and…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNot now, Theresa: Postponing Britain’s EU goodbye
With just eight days to go before Brexit, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May wants to extend the leaving date. As an EU summit gathers, Donald Tusk…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAlpha Beto: O’Rourke’s appeal
Beto O’Rourke launched his bid for America’s presidency. Despite his relative lack of experience, he’s already been raking in donations. We look at the source…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWar and pestilence: Ebola makes a comeback
Five years ago Ebola spread across West Africa, killing more than 10,000 people. In August a fresh outbreak hit the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo. We…
The Intelligence from The EconomistReplacement anxiety: White supremacist terrorism
The terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, has left 50 people dead and a lot of unanswered questions. How big a threat are violent white supremacists?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCan't deal with it: Brexit
It’s been another brutal week for Britain’s prime minister as her deal to leave Europe was swatted down comprehensively—again. As a delay to Brexit looks…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLights out: Venezuela’s blackout
Power cuts in Caracas have endangered lives and deepened the misery of Venezuelans. It’s another sign of the corruption that pervades the Maduro regime. Also…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLosing the plot: Brexit
The second defeat of British Prime Minister’s plan for withdrawal from the EU has weakened her. But what does it mean for the risk of a no-deal outcome? The…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFlying stop: Boeing
Following a second fatal crash of Boeing’s 737-MAX, China was quick to ground its fleet of the newish airliner. What does this mean for the world’s largest…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe sensitive month: Tibet
China’s party leaders get nervous in March—a month full of anniversaries that Tibetans hold dear. As the 60th anniversary of Tibet’s uprising approaches…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFifth time unlucky: Algeria’s protests
Widespread protests will continue today against the re-election run of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who hasn’t been heard from since a stroke in 2013…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGuilt and association: Paul Manafort
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager can expect to have the book thrown at him at his sentencing today—the first for crimes revealed by Robert…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrudeau in trouble: a sunny leader in stormy times
Canada’s fresh-faced leader has been a icon for embattled liberals. But now he faces damaging accusations of meddling in a judicial process. Will Justin…
The Intelligence from The EconomistXi’ll meet again: China’s People’s Congress opens
The National People's Congress of China gathers today for ten days of deliberations. Tensions with the West over the trade war and disagreement about the role…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA thirsty world: the future of water
Fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce, as climate change and population growth puts greater pressure on resources. But the problem is one of…