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.
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The world’s biggest strategy consultant has smaller rivals nipping at its heels . As it nears 100 years old, we ask how it will navigate a tricky AI-inflected future. It is already hard enough to fiddle with travel plans to get the cheapest flight. A new thing to consider? Whether you’re flying solo . And in America, women’s-sports bars are proliferating. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our...
Donald Trump’s mission to bend higher education to his will maintains its sharpest focus on Harvard. Will the venerable university settle—and should it? Our correspondents meet with France’s top general , who believes Russia will threaten Europe sooner than many people think. And a look at how satire changes when politics is beyond parody and its practitioners cannot be shamed. Impressions courtesy of George Simpson Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more informa...
This episode explores the diplomatic implications of Canada, the UK, and France's announcements to recognize a Palestinian state, debating the timing and effectiveness of such leverage on Israel. It then shifts to an economic discussion, examining Silicon Valley's optimistic projections of explosive growth driven by superintelligent AI and contrasting it with historical economic trends. Finally, it pays tribute to the late Tom Lehrer, celebrating his unique blend of mathematical precision and biting satirical song, which fearlessly skewered politics and society.
This episode explores the current struggles of LVMH, the luxury empire, despite its massive scale and Bernard Arnault's market-creating legacy, questioning its future amid declining sales and internal missteps. It also delves into the dangerous allure of South Korean K-dramas for North Koreans, who risk severe punishment or death to watch them, as they expose the realities of the outside world. Finally, it uses the Big Mac Index to analyze how Donald Trump's tariffs have paradoxically weakened the dollar while raising consumer prices, failing to boost US exports.
President Donald Trump’s animus towards his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is best seen as solidarity with Jair Bolsonaro, another ousted president who clung to power. India has surpassed China as Asia’s biggest private-jet buyer , but not only because of rising numbers of super-rich. And Hong Kong’s quirky fusion cafes bloom abroad as they thin out at home. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcast...
Localised “tactical pauses” in Gaza relieve international pressure on Israel more than they relieve the pressure of starvation on Gazans. We ask how the aid effort looks on the ground. Japan’s law on couples sharing surnames is coming under fire; repealing it might actually help with the birthrate. And how Bad Bunny brought Spanish to the top of the charts . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ...
The episode delves into the details of the latest US-EU trade accord, analyzing its tariffs, zero-tariff provisions, and EU commitments, and assessing its impact on both economies. It then shifts to discuss the overlooked English Midlands, exploring its cultural richness, political importance, and why it struggles for recognition. Finally, The Economist's obituaries editor remembers Fauja Singh, an extraordinary man who began his marathon running career at age 88, despite childhood leg weakness, and whose records were never officially recognized.
The smartphone giant is now making strong inroads in the electric-vehicle market. But can its boss’s belovedness at home translate to success abroad? Britain and Argentina are putting past differences behind them as the South Atlantic becomes a strategic hotspot. And how women’s sports, already sharply on the rise , can get bigger still. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watc...
A new bill threatening the independence of anti-corruption agencies has brought Ukrainians onto the streets and rattled international observers. London’s electric bikes are making it ever more a cycling city —and plugging longstanding transport gaps. And a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne , who did perhaps more than anyone to found the genre of heavy metal. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs ...
Overall, more people are dying from cancer. But a closer look at the numbers reveals just how much success modern medicine has had at making the disease less deadly. The spiraling fortunes of Kraft Heinz since its formation from a merger is a sign of a wider malaise in the food industry. And Germany’s football-playing parliamentarians cannot keep politics off the pitch . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, ...
Even as Western countries band together to condemn Israel’s actions, aid remains at a trickle and the war is expanding into a central-Gazan city. We ask how the horrors might end. As with many technologies before it, many worry artificial intelligence will ultimately dumb down its human users; will it ? And why so many American men are injecting testosterone . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visi...
The Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated the country’s politics for seven decades, just got a pasting at the polls—again. We ask why staid politics are getting swiftly messy . Iceland is a NATO member in a volatile region; at last it must consider raising its own army . And the tricky balance of company culture, job satisfaction and working from home. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visi...
Once again, commercial vessels sailing in the Red Sea are being attacked. Our correspondent explains why Houthi rebels , an Iranian-backed militia in Yemen, have regrouped. The islands of Tuvalu are sinking. Now Australia is offering residents the world’s first “climate visas”. And remembering Dutch agronomist Simon Groot . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist ...
UK universities are internationally renowned, but their finances are in a mess. Our correspondent offers a lesson in how to fix them. Why an amateur football league is thriving in China. And what Superman tells us about American foreign policy. Listeners of “The Intelligence” get 15% off our business writing and storytelling course. Visit economist.com/writingcourse and use code INTELLIGENCE Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Ec...
The business model of the internet is built on people visiting sites to find out information. As Artificial Intelligence changes how we navigate the web, our correspondent weighs the long-term consequences. Meet Austria’s “accidental chancellor” Christian Stocker. And fancy a beach holiday in North Korea ? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please ...
For months, Donald Trump has appeared to back Vladimir Putin. Now, frustrated at the lack of a ceasefire and fed up with Russia, the US president is offering to send weapons to Kyiv. Trust-busters are investigating a whiff of price-fixing in the perfume industry. And why bilingual people may have healthier brains. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+,...
After Thailand’s constitutional court suspended the country’s prime minister, our correspondent explains the need for fresh elections to avoid economic stagnation – and the possibility of the army stepping in. More celebrities are setting up businesses. And what the sea slug can teach us about evolution. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please vi...
On December 8th, 2024, rebels swept into Damascus and ousted Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad. One of the first things they did was open up the prisons. Syrians who disappeared years earlier began to emerge from their grim detention cells. Would missing American journalist Austin Tice be among them? In a new three-part series on The Weekend Intelligence , Middle East correspondent, Gareth Browne investigates what happened to Austin and explores what his story reveals about Assad's Republic of F...
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice , a missing American journalist. And our obituaries editor remembers Jimmy Swaggart , a famed and fallible televangelist. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to acces...
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling . And what a gimmicky free show in London reveals about the city and the nature of modern fame. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ou...
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. And England’s historic obsession with trim, green lawns is fading (except at Wimbledon). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please...
Anglo-French relations have not been so good since before the Brexit vote. Beneath the state-visit pageantry, though, there is much co-operation for President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss. Gangs have infiltrated many of Latin America’s mining operations—with violent results . And an ode to Britain’s Shipping Forecast, an inscrutable radio feature that is turning 100 . Additional audio courtesy of Alexander Seale @alexseale. Get a world of insights by subscribing to ...
This episode delves into complex global affairs, starting with the tricky negotiations for a Gaza ceasefire, exploring Donald Trump's unique diplomatic approach and the political hurdles involved. It then shifts focus to China's changing relationship with alcohol, driven by government crackdowns, economic shifts, and younger generations' preferences. Finally, it remembers John Robbins, heir to the Baskin-Robbins fortune who became a health advocate, spurning the family business for a life promoting veganism and animal rights.
This episode examines the difficult first year of Britain's Labour government, highlighting policy challenges and declining popularity. It also explores the complex transition and ongoing political instability in Bangladesh nearly a year after Sheikh Hasina fled. Finally, the episode delves into how Ferrari maintains its unique market success and the challenges it faces transitioning to electric vehicles.
OnlyFans transformed the online porn industry by making users subscribe for adult content. Now it is rumoured to be up for sale: who might buy it? As the Dalai Lama turns 90, he has announced that he will reincarnate after his death. That will change China-Tibet relations. And how luxury fruit became the latest fashion craze. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economis...
As Donald Trump’s landmark legislation narrowly passes the Senate, our correspondent analyses the long-term political and economic consequences. Why foreign fighters are heading to the front line in Ukraine. And how congestion charging transformed the streets of New York. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our vi...
This episode examines the complex legacy of Aung San Suu Kyi as she turns 80 in jail, detailing the events leading to her imprisonment and the ongoing crisis in Myanmar. It also investigates the rapid growth of LifeWise, a Christian group leveraging a legal loophole for religious instruction during public school hours, and explores the controversy surrounding its methods and influence. Finally, the discussion turns to the sudden popularity and likely fleeting nature of butter yellow as a fashion color.
This episode explores the fragile peace deal brokered by Donald Trump between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, examining the historical context and significant challenges to lasting reconciliation. It also delves into Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive $14bn AI hiring spree at Meta, analyzing the company's strategy and position in the competitive AI landscape. Finally, the discussion turns to the 'manosphere', debating whether this online network is truly dangerous or largely a moral panic, drawing insights from a new book.
This episode explores Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa's tough strategy against transnational criminal gangs, discussing his background, the severity of the violence, and challenges like international cooperation. It also delves into why global financial markets remain unfazed by major geopolitical events, examining historical data and structural reasons. Finally, it revisits The Economist's 1945 reporting on the founding of the United Nations, comparing it to the failed League of Nations and assessing its design based on Hobbesian realism.
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 making decisions at crucial points. Our finance correspondent looks at the shifting wisdom on how best to manage an inheritance . And why India’s addresses are so long, complex and ultimately costly. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ou...
