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 EconomistTruce believers: Rwanda and Congo’s fragile deal
After decades of conflict between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, last week Donald Trump brokered a truce in the Oval Office. Our correspondent…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGoing gang-buster: we meet Ecuador’s president
Yesterday’s arrest of a notorious gang leader is a win for Daniel Noboa. He assures our journalists he can beat back rampant transnational gangs without…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNot-deciding factor: Iran’s supreme leader
We examine the path of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once a bookish cleric underrated by everyone—including himself. He has hung on to power perhaps in part by not…
The Intelligence from The EconomistStayed in China: a domestic-brand boom
Western brands used to define cool and luxurious in China. No longer. Now consumers are turning to homegrown brands, some of which are becoming global…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTruce and consequences: a fragile ceasefire in Iran
Iran’s strikes both before and apparently after a ceasefire began seem to threaten peace. If it holds, what will that mean for Iran’s ambitions, and for the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo good options: how Iran will respond
After America’s strikes intended to destroy Iran’s nuclear programme, one question is whether they succeeded. Another is how Iran will respond; all of its…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHurry up and wait: Trump’s choice on Iran
The most consequential decision of Donald Trump’s presidency is now on pause for two weeks. We examine how the choice pits two sides of Mr Trump against one…
The Intelligence from The EconomistI’d like not to thank the academy: graduates’ fortunes slip
The workplace wisdom that a university degree is a sure-fire key to success is very much in question—and the trend started long before AI began eating jobs…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA house divided against itself: America simmers
Political assassinations. Troops on city streets. National protests. We examine the edgy mood inside America through the lens of past periods of intense…
The Intelligence from The EconomistConfused unity: the mood in Iran
A sudden war made Iran’s leaders look unprepared. And many Iranians loathe the regime. But there are no signs yet that internal dissent will shape the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBunkers unbusted: Israel and Iran
So far, Israel’s strikes have not accomplished the stated mission of crippling Iran’s nuclear programme. A war of endurance will be decided by which side runs…
The Intelligence from The EconomistLone raider: Israel bombs Iran
After Israel launches an all-out assault on Iran without clear US backing, our correspondent explains how the conflict could escalate. The Trump administration…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSame news story: why Murdoch endures
The all-famous Murdoch clan is engaged in a fierce battle over control of the family’s media companies. Our correspondent explains why turmoil at the top has…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGolden girls: do parents prefer them?
For centuries, male children were prized as heirs and breadwinners. Now the desire to have boys is diminishing and some parents would rather have a girl. What…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCore blimey: what’s up at Apple?
It brought us the iPhone–and changed the world. Now Apple is struggling to keep up with rapid advances in AI. Our correspondent assesses its future. China used…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCalifornia screaming: National Guard in LA
Our correspondent reports from LA, where Donald Trump’s decision to send in troops risks inciting further antagonism. The argument is now about far more than…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBillion dollar babies: Trump-Musk spat
What happens when the world’s most powerful man falls out with its richest? Our correspondent analyses where the Trump-Musk brawl leaves the relationship…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCount their losses: Russia casualties hit 1m
As the number of Russian dead and injured in Ukraine reaches a grim milestone, what do these losses signify about Vladimir Putin’s strategy? Though…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHe’s got Seoul: South Korea’s new leader
The election of South Korea’s new president represents a resounding rejection of the political turmoil that preceded the campaign. Our correspondent explains…
The Intelligence from The EconomistApocalypse soon? Britain ups its defence
Britain, alongside other European countries, faces rising threats to its security. But a bold new strategy to bolster its defence forces risks being…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPoles apart: hard right wins by a sliver
Poland’s presidential election was a fight between two distinct visions of the country’s future. Our correspondent explains how the nationalist victor, a…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNo major food groups: aid chaos in Gaza
A newly formed, private foundation took charge of aid distribution in the territory; a melee ensued. What is the group’s origin, and what is its plan? A…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDuties bound: a Trump-tariff smackdown
The US Court of International Trade ruled that Donald Trump’s so-called fentanyl and Liberation Day tariffs constituted executive overreach. Now what?…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIvy beleaguer: Harvard hung out to dry
The Trump administration’s determination to bend higher-education institutions to its will seems to know no bounds—and nowhere is getting it worse than Harvard…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSoldiers’ fortune: Ukraine’s prisoner swap
No one knows which soldiers will be on the buses; many families simply come in hope. As the wider war grinds on, our correspondent witnesses a mix of joy…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPerverting the course of justices: Mexico’s judiciary
Voters will be electing each and every one of the country’s judges—removing the last meaningful check on Morena, the ruling party. Nigeria has more people…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGet rich, quick: Vietnam’s next revolution
The country’s leader is in a mad rush to transform his country into an upper-middle-income powerhouse before geopolitical forces stall its rise. America’s army…
The Intelligence from The EconomistSuspicious mines: Putin-proofing the Baltics
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia know their borders may be the next front for Russian aggression. They do not want to deploy mines and razor wire—but they must…
The Intelligence from The EconomistWorse even than it seems: Gaza’s death toll
A careful study of a range of data sources suggests that Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in far more deaths than published tallies indicate…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIslands in the scheme: a Britain-EU deal
A “reset” with the bloc is merely a first step in maintaining relations. We ask what is in this week’s deal. Millennials and Gen Z get all the media…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMay-poll dance: Poland’s presidential race
Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor expected to win the first round cleanly only squeaked by. We ask what’s at stake in the NATO-front-line country now the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBoss Class: Innovation: Coming up with new ideas
Forget the hammocks and ping-pong tables. Creativity takes work. Managers at Google, Lego and a pair of AI startups share advice on breaking through. To listen…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBucharest pressed: Ukraine’s election effect
Negotiations in Turkey to bring peace to Ukraine could be a flop. But the repercussions of shifting alliances with Russia will play out in this weekend’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDrug war: Trump takes on big pharma
Drugs in America often cost more than three times as much as those elsewhere. But Donald Trump’s plan to cut prescription costs and impose tariffs may have…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAll talk, no sanctions: Trump lifts Syria embargo
As Donald Trump removes bans on trade with Syria and meets its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, our correspondent analyses the implications. Two feuding political…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHunger strikes: Agony in Gaza as Israel blocks aid
A ceasefire becomes ever more urgent in Gaza as Israel expands military operations and obstructs aid. As Donald Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia, the regional…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDuty falls: US and China reach a deal
Tariffs against China were the centrepiece of Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” trade plans. Our correspondent explains the significance of a new 90-day hiatus…
The Intelligence from The EconomistHoly smoke! An American pope
The choice of Robert Prevost reflects a desire for unity and compromise. But insofar as Pope Leo XIV represents a middle path, how will he lead on the church’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistIdentity parades: our VE-Day special
Eighty years since the surrender of Nazi forces, we consider the differing ways that nations frame that distant history for today; none does so more gravely…
The Intelligence from The EconomistNeighbour-rattling: India strikes Pakistan
Two weeks after a terrorist attack in Kashmir, Indian missiles streaked into Pakistan. Will the retaliation end this latest flare-up or intensify it? Our…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFirst not past the post: Germany’s chancellor shocker
In a post-war first, Germany’s round of parliamentary voting for a chancellor did not produce one. We ask why members of Friedrich Merz’s coalition turned on…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrailer: Boss Class Season 2
Good bosses are rare. They don’t have to be. The skills of management can be learned. The Economist’s management columnist, Andrew Palmer, is here to help. The…
The Intelligence from The EconomistPeople vilify plastic. they should use it better instead
Many people view plastic as an environmental disaster that blights landscapes and chokes marine life. Our correspondent argues that instead we need to better…
The Intelligence from The EconomistAussie rules: give Trumpism the boot
Australia’s Conservative party was on the ascent until Donald Trump took office in January. At the polls this weekend, the dominant concern is who will stand…
The Intelligence from The EconomistMine craft: US-Ukraine resource deal
America and Ukraine have signed a deal to share the profits of extracting natural resources. Our correspondent explains its significance. How the trade war…
The Intelligence from The EconomistExecutive disorder: Trump’s first 100 days
Since Donald Trump took office, there has been a deluge of news. Our correspondent considers what might happen next. Fifty years on from the fall of Saigon, we…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe Carney army: Canada unites against Trump
Canada’s election campaign was dominated by Donald Trump’s threats against the nation. Now the Liberal party has won, it faces a tougher fight: confronting the…
The Intelligence from The EconomistModi behaviour: will India retaliate against Pakistan?
Tensions between India and Pakistan have flared after the terrorist attack in Kashmir last week. Our correspondent explains what Narendra Modi may do next. Why…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCarney score: last days of Canada’s campaign
Canada’s sovereignty has loomed large in the federal election campaign, but beyond the show of national unity the country’s media and political landscape is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistFed man walking? Trump v Powell
First, Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, was for the chop; then he was safe. As elsewhere President Donald Trump’s flip-flopping chips away at…
The Intelligence from The EconomistDivision multiplication: the UAE’s foreign meddling
The United Arab Emirates projects an image of level-headed calm in the Gulf. Its actions abroad, however, betray a far more divisive and ideological agenda…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCardinals in: choosing the next pope
As the cardinals of the coming conclave prepare, our correspondent considers what will guide them. Which of the church’s challenges will the next pope be…
The Intelligence from The EconomistA man of the people: Pope Francis has died
He shunned fancy vestments and paid surprise visits to prisons and hospitals: our obituaries editor reflects on the life of a reform-minded pontiff who…
The Intelligence from The EconomistGene genies: CRISPR’s critical moment
It is a Nobel-winning idea with untold promise in health care, agriculture and more. We examine what must change in order to capture those benefits. Asia’s…
The Intelligence from The EconomistTrump’s fickle, Xi’s pickle: the dynamic driving US-China tensions
President Xi Jinping’s style of negotiating is staid, distanced, a quiet projection of power. President Donald Trump’s is not. That dynamic is complicating…
The Intelligence from The EconomistCash and checks: Argentina’s next IMF loan
For the 23rd time the International Monetary Fund will cough up, this time to the tune of $20bn. But the reforms stipulated by the loan, alongside promising…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe buck stops here? The threats to dollar primacy
Falling trust in the greenback is most apparent in bond-market moves. How close is the dollar to losing its status as the world’s go-to currency, and what…
The Intelligence from The EconomistBloody Sunday: Russia’s strikes on Sumy
President Donald Trump called the weekend strike on Sumy a “mistake”; other leaders called it a war crime. We examine the prospects for peace when Russia is…
The Intelligence from The EconomistThe great brawl: China v America
Donald Trump is now aiming his trade war squarely at China. As the tit-for-tat tariff battle keeps escalating, investors are fleeing to safe assets. What will…
The Intelligence from The EconomistArt of the real: Trump bows to markets
Just 12 hours after Donald Trump launched his searing regime of tariffs, he paused many of them for 90 days. What's next for global trade? An outlandish…