A seemingly small change to the Supreme Court’s powers to adjudicate “reasonableness” represents a significant risk to the country’s democratic functioning—and 30 weeks of popular protest about it will continue. Our correspondent looks into why Vietnam’s schools produce such excellent students (09:54). And examining the debate on whether cryptocurrency trading conflicts with Islamic strictures (15:15). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digi...
Jul 25, 2023•21 min
After no party won a majority, forming a government may take weeks —or another election. But predictions that Vox, a far-right party, might enter government failed to materialise. Russia’s navy is repainting its vessels in a bid to frustrate munitions powered by artificial intelligence (10:03). And why the push to invent outlandish ice-cream flavours such as ketchup is deeply misguided (17:59). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subs...
Jul 24, 2023•24 min
It has been a month since the head of the Wagner group led a march on Moscow. Although it failed, Putin appears considerably weaker. What does this mean for outcomes on the battlefield? India is facing record-breaking rainfall as monsoon seasons continue to worsen. The government’s response has fallen short (12:29). And, the highly-anticipated Barbie and Oppenheimer films hit cinemas (18:04). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscr...
Jul 21, 2023•25 min
Little is known about why he fled across the border into the hermit kingdom, but securing his release will require some tactical diplomacy. Given the tense relationship between both countries, is Kim Jong Un prepared to come to the table? A look at research which suggests gold might not always be an effective hedge against inflation (08:52). And, why mountains stop growing (15:42). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by g...
Jul 20, 2023•22 min
The carmaker, which reports results today, is still celebrating impressive growth and its boss has even bigger plans for it. But with the threat of fast-scaling competitors in the EV market, is the company losing its disruptive edge? Our data correspondent’s novel approach to counting Russian casualties in Ukraine (09:39). And, a nail-biting, ever riskier Tour de France nears its end (15:26). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscr...
Jul 19, 2023•22 min
America is keen to mend the relationship between the Gulf state and Israel, but Muhammad bin Salman has hefty demands . Is the deal worth the price? Asia’s longest serving leader is carefully planning his succession , and crushing anyone who objects (10:41). And, Sweden’s plan for a new city is built on old materials. But it is posed to be an innovative model for sustainability (18:28). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription...
Jul 18, 2023•25 min
Europe, America and Asia are all enduring scorching heatwaves, air temperatures are repeatedly breaking records and the health impacts are alarming. But is the worst yet to come? Why risky assets are proving more resilient than investors expected despite war, inflation and the threat of recession (10:10). And Europe says farewell to its symbolic small cars (16:50). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.econo...
Jul 17, 2023•25 min
The burning of burial grounds in the northern region of the country suggests that authorities are destroying evidence. If these claims are proven true, will the government be held accountable? In news that might please your boss, emerging research suggests that working from home is stifling productivity (10:36). And honouring the life of a Ukrainian civil-rights campaigner (19:22). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by g...
Jul 14, 2023•28 min
When he was last elected, many were surprised, even in his own camp. This time around, his backers are taking no such chances. We take a closer look at his policy plans . China currently supplies nearly all the world’s processed critical minerals. Could Australia change that (10:52)? And, a reality TV show with a greenfingered twist (19:03). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoff...
Jul 13, 2023•26 min
Wiping out a tenth of the world? Possible. Wiping out all of humanity? Less likely, but not entirely impossible. We examine how two groups of experts have arrived at these worrying predictions about AI. Education is giving hope to inmates in a maximum security prison in New York (11:17). And, on Britain’s working men’s clubs which have nurtured rock bands for decades (18:00). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going t...
Jul 12, 2023•23 min
Mark Rutte is stepping down after leading the Netherlands for 13 years. Despite his renowned political survival skills, our correspondent explains why it was migration policy that brought about his downfall. As the NATO summit kicks off, what are the alliance’s plans for defending Europe (9:30)? And a look at the changing face of Britain’s lighthouses (19:00). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jul 11, 2023•27 min
Despite considerable opposition from allies in NATO, America has agreed to send them to Ukraine. The highly controversial munitions could speed up Ukraine’s counteroffensive, but at what cost? As excitement around AI continues to generate, our new index examines how American firms are deploying the tech (11:16). And, what to read to learn more about the juiciest corporate scandals (19:11). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscript...
Jul 10, 2023•27 min
We sit down with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s youngest-ever spymaster . He is intense, resolute—and oddly charismatic. A world of electrified transport is going to need lots of nickel for batteries. We argue that, environmentally speaking, gathering it from the seafloor clearly beats mining it on land (11:12). And remembering Donald Triplett , the first person ever to be diagnosed with autism (19:25). Additional audio courtesy of “In A Different Key”, inadifferentkeythemovie.com For full access to ...
Jul 07, 2023•27 min
If there is one thing Facebook’s parent company does well, it is aping other social-media features and platforms—and it is a propitious time to steal Twitter’s thunder. Deeply indebted Arab countries desperately need loans from the IMF, but have good reasons to balk at the fund’s terms (10:00). And New Yorkers love their invasive parakeets ; the birds’ enormous nests, less so (18:41). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription b...
Jul 06, 2023•24 min
Its leader is in exile and its future is uncertain. But the Wagner Group will be loth to abandon the influence and the cashflow that its murky African operations bring. The striking down of affirmative-action university-admissions policies in America may counterintuitively spur more-progressive and more-efficient alternatives (9:56). And the reinvention (again) of a beloved Chinese sweet treat (17:08). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digi...
Jul 05, 2023•23 min
The so-called refugee camp in the city of Jenin has been subject to raids for months—and a hotspot for militants for decades. We ask what set things off so violently this week. Now that Jair Bolsonaro is barred from Brazilian office for eight years , what happens to his brand of politics (11:17)? And how America got a new king of beers (19:17). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligence...
Jul 04, 2023•26 min
The killing of a teenager in a Paris suburb has ignited national unrest . We ask what is driving the disquiet, and what it means for a president squeezed on both political sides. In high-inflation times, rising wages worry economists—“wage-price spirals” are a textbook bogeyman. But perhaps the risk is overblown (10:34). And the researchers making burgers from extinct animals (18:22). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription b...
Jul 03, 2023•24 min
Mass movements of people expected as climate change progresses are often depicted as catastrophes-in-waiting. We visit Niger, where that shift has begun, finding there is good news amid the bad. We examine the spate of video games depicting Ukraine’s live theatre of war (11:32). And the end of Indiana Jones’s run prompts a reflection on what made his adventures so compelling (17:12). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by...
Jun 30, 2023•25 min
This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a sea change under way in America’s trustbusting machinery; it may not go as far as the top competition cop might like. A boom in China’s post-pandemic economy now seems to be sputtering (11:29). And a paean to the Tayto crisp —cheese-and-onion flavour, naturally (18:29). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.eco...
Jun 29, 2023•24 min
For decades, leftist policies first espoused by Juan Perón have dominated the country’s politics. But as electioneering begins it is clear that rampant inflation is driving voters away from Peronism and toward the populist right . We examine why big American retailers see opportunity in providing primary health care (9:33). And our annual list of the world’s most liveable cities (15:38). For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscriptio...
Jun 28, 2023•21 min
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters are said to be welcome in safe-haven Belarus. We ask how Aleksandr Lukashenko, the country’s puppet president, ended up in the role of peace broker . Our correspondent investigates why so many American states are having to bail out public-transport companies. And the diplomatic benefits of wearing red on visits to China. Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey For full access to print, digital and audio...
Jun 27, 2023•24 min
Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s chef”, leads the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. He had lambasted Russia’s military leaders for months, but the mutiny he began over the weekend lasted less than a day . Nevertheless it is a sharp blow to President Vladimir Putin’s leadership—and may prove to be a boon for Ukraine’s counter-offensive. Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey For full access to print, digit...
Jun 26, 2023•27 min
In the months since America’s Supreme Court gave states the power to ban abortions, those in support of the ruling have become more splintered . And with the help of leftist language, they are finding new recruits. A new discovery about the intelligence of a human-like species is changing how we understand evolution. And, a tribute to the man who leaked the Pentagon Papers . Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey For full access to print, digital an...
Jun 23, 2023•28 min
Members of the alliance are conflicted over the prospect of Ukraine’s membership . In particular, America has changed its mind, and this could affect the future of the war. Because of rapidly rising sea levels, China’s coastal cities are on sinking sand. Will another great wall slow the tide? And, say hello to our new Style Guide. Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a fre...
Jun 22, 2023•25 min
Narendra Modi is cosying up to America, but not at the expense of valuable relationships with Russia and China. Our correspondent speaks with the country’s foreign minister who details its unique worldview. After losing its charismatic leader, what does the future hold for the Scottish National Party ? And a change the supply of body parts in Britain. Please take a moment to fill out our new listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey For full access to print, digital and audio editions of ...
Jun 21, 2023•28 min
Much to the chagrin of hopeful first-time buyers, property prices remain stubbornly high across the West. Our correspondent explains why housing is defying the laws of financial gravity. A new diamond deal in Botswana risks jeopardizing the country’s sparkling record. And why a failed crop of peaches will not cripple America’s Peach State. Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey: www.economist.com/podcastsurvey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 20, 2023•24 min
In a first since 2018, America’s secretary of state is visiting China amid escalating tensions between both countries. Can diplomats successfully stabilise the strained relationship? Latin American countries are in a developmental limbo. We explore why this is disproportionately affecting single mothers . And, come with us to a British seaweed farm bubbling with economic potential. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 19, 2023•26 min
They lead startups, giant corporations, even countries: people of Indian origin are finding great success outside their home country—and wielding much influence inside it. On its 30th anniversary we revisit Derek Jarman’s film “Blue”, finding it to be a sound-design masterpiece as much as a daring cinematographic experiment. And examining whether breeding racehorses has hit a genetic limit of speed. Additional audio taken from Blue Now featuring: Joelle Taylor, Russell Tovey, Jay Bernard, Neil B...
Jun 16, 2023•25 min
The investigation into covid-lockdown-era parties during Boris Johnson’s premiership—and his denials of their impropriety—comes to damning conclusions. Is it the end for the former prime minister ? Japan’s onsen hot baths exploit the country’s plentiful hot springs and are now in conflict with the push to develop geothermal energy. And building a better hypodermic needle, inspired by nature . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscr...
Jun 15, 2023•24 min
Conflict in Ukraine has cut short the “peace dividend” the world was reaping. We count the economic costs of a widespread return to a war footing. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s appointment of two economic realists should, at last, overturn Turkey’s upside-down monetary policy—if they are free to act. And why so many whales are washing up dead on America’s East Coast. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www....
Jun 14, 2023•26 min
