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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Falling fertility makes a global decline in population inevitable. That will change the shape and make up of societies. But it may not make us poorer. Are large language models really woke ? And reading is on the wane – and why that matters. 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 video explaining how to link your...
After Jair Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years in prison for trying to organise a coup in 2023, Donald Trump accused Brazil of staging a “witch hunt”. How will America respond? Niche sports like padel and tag are now attracting sponsorship and broadcast deals. And meet the real Lord Downton: Julian Fellowes . 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+, plea...
A high-stakes tussle about who will take over Fox and News Corp from Rupert Murdoch has concluded ; Lachlan, his eldest son, came out on top. Will the new boss be the same as the old boss? Our correspondent looks at kush , a synthetic opioid tearing through west Africa. And a look back on the life and style of Giorgio Armani . 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 watch our video...
America’s most prominent young conservative was assassinated while conducting one of his signature campus events. His death might only widen political divides. In Asia a broad trend of deflation points to lower prices but unhealthy economies . And what happens when spiritual leaders are given hallucinogens . 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 watch our video explaining how to ...
Qatar had positioned itself as a regional mediator, a safe space for negotiations. Israel’s previously unthinkable airstrikes have put an end to that reputation, and to near-term peace talks for Gaza. As demand for chocolate grows just as climate change affects supply, science is weighing in on alternatives. And a data deep-dive on whether America’s tourist numbers are slumping. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Pod...
There is a growing awareness of how high temperatures affect expectant mothers and their babies. We look at the evidence for a climate-change effect that is already manifest . Marks and Spencer, a beloved retail chain, is emerging from sales slumps and recovering handily from a cyber-attack. And the policy moves to address India’s notoriously gridlocked roads . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please vis...
An unpopular budget will probably spark the ousting of another prime minister , Francois Bayrou—and with him goes another government. Parliamentary impasse is now business as usual, and voters are fed up. Getting Chinese spenders spending is tricky, so policy wonks are at last considering reforming the stingy pension system. And why so many people listen to podcasts at warp speed . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist ...
When the incoming chief of Britain’s secret services takes the helm on October 1st, she must balance competing priorities and navigate a world in which technology has made spycraft both tougher and riskier. Could nuclear power finally start to fulfil its potential? And remembering refugee and entrepreneur Stephanie Shirley . 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...
Our correspondent meets Iraq’s prime minister Muhammad al-Sudani to discuss the country’s construction boom, its future aspirations and the obstacles that must still be overcome. Visit America’s YIMBY iest neighbourhood: the place where Americans actually want to increase the local population. And how superstition in Hong Kong can haunt the economy. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information abou...
World leaders flocked to China this week for an international summit followed by a giant military parade commemorating the end of the second world war. Xi Jinping is capitalising on the chaos of Donald Trump’s second term. AI is helping fraudsters and hackers become more productive. And why Britain’s crackdown on strip clubs may be misguided. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how t...
America’s health secretary, RFK Jr, is known for his opposition to vaccines, particularly mRNA jabs , that have the potential to treat a large swathe of diseases. Slashing funding will have long term implications beyond America. Our correspondent visits Britain’s biggest and newest supercomputer . And why Mexicans love Japanese and Korean culture. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about ...
This episode delves into the escalating unrest in Indonesia, where protests against political spending and economic inequality challenge President Prabowo's government, despite his past popularity. It then shifts to a looming climate crisis, explaining the critical Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) and the potentially devastating global impacts if it collapses. Finally, the discussion explores the unexpected rise of facekinis as a fashionable and booming industry in China, driven by sun protection and post-pandemic mask acceptance.
The episode first explores the complexities of the Israel-Gaza conflict, highlighting Prime Minister Netanyahu's political survival strategy, internal military dissent, and the dire humanitarian situation. It then shifts to the American college sports landscape, examining how a landmark settlement will now allow athletes to be paid, fundamentally altering the industry's economics and raising questions about fairness and gender equity. Finally, it remembers Sen Genshitsu, the 15th master of the Urasenke tea ceremony, recounting his unique life journey, including surviving as a kamikaze pilot, and his lifelong mission to spread peace and understanding through the ritual of tea worldwide.
Yesterday Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports to America, among the highest in the world. How will Narendra Modi respond? Why Palantir could be the most overvalued firm of all time. And film, vinyl and print media make a comeback. 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 video explaining how to link...
What does Donald Trump’s attempt to sack Lisa Cook , a Federal Reserve governor, mean for the institution’s independence? Uruguay may soon legalise assisted dying . And why shooting clubs – and other community associations – are thriving in Germany. 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 video explaining how to l...
Car and phone theft were once the preserve of petty crooks in London. Now they underpin a vast and spreading international criminal network . Why you should consider consulting a new oracle for making big life decisions: an economist . And the cult of the private chef . 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 vide...
As temperatures climb, mosquitoes will migrate to places where natural resistance to malaria is lower. More and more severe natural disasters will make for more breeding grounds. How to stop a deadly disease getting deadlier ? In China’s cut-throat food-delivery war, absolutely no one wins . And Florida gamifies its efforts to cull pythons . 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 ...
Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent ? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees : why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of on-screen villain, Terence Stamp . 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+,...
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural England. 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 pag...
With China as its new rival, America is reviving old wartime facilities across the Pacific. Our correspondent visits an abandoned airfield that has been given new life. The outlook for climate technology is surprisingly bright. And why the universe of Hello Kitty keeps expanding. 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 watc...
As the world’s biggest gaming fair gets underway, our correspondent looks at the surprising success of Britain, the world’s third-largest exporter of video games . Europeans are giving up their vices, so the public takings from sin taxes are falling. And the rise of “ Bangla Teslas ”: battery-powered rickshaws in Bangladesh. 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...
After an inconclusive summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the stakes are high for Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with the US president in Washington today. Enter the “solopreneur” : why AI is allowing entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses on their own. And a 400-year-old Chinese cough syrup is enjoying new-found popularity. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more informa...
Opinions of Hamas are shifting—among its international backers, in Gaza, even within its affiliates’ ranks. If it opts to disarm, what would happen next ? A new analysis suggests using a sense of risk to explain markets’ movements might be focusing on the wrong emotion . And our final “ Archive 1945 ” instalment relives VJ day through The Economist ’s coverage at the time. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+...
In Norway’s north, a geopolitical quirk may yet transform into a geopolitical conflict. We visit Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that contains a Russian company town complete with a bust of Lenin . Ahead of the high-stakes, high-north summit in Alaska , our correspondents lay out why—perhaps even more than the Baltic states—the Arctic might be the flashpoint for Russia’s next bout of expansionism. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to a...
First he came for the gangs; then, for his critics. Now Nayib Bukele has come for El Salvador’s constitution, and there is little to stop him staying in office indefinitely . America’s paltry fertility numbers show a counterintuitive pattern : births are falling fastest where they were once highest. And France’s Provence region becomes a brand unto itself . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit o...
A look at progress in generative AI shows that OpenAI’s latest, greatest model sits on a neat curve of growing utility over time. But what other firms are on that curve, and where is it taking humanity? After a long, wary time, Japanese savers are getting into investing— with gusto . And what goofy, small-time wrestling leagues reveal about today’s America. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit o...
What is on the table for the meeting in Alaska ? What are the red lines? What chance Ukraine would accept what is agreed, especially if its president is not even in the room? Many world cities would like to become the Detroit of electric vehicles; our correspondent visits China’s contenders . And treatments improve for even the worst cases of allergies . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our ...
We take an expansive look at how much the Israeli justice system is holding its war machine to account. The results are so far unpromising . The idea, popular on social media, of “job-hopping” to ratchet up pay is looking ever less wise . And a look back on the life of Father Patrick Ryan , unrepentant improver of the IRA’s bombs. 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 watch our v...
Donald Trump's latest tariffs are taking effect, but the economic burden is largely borne by American consumers and businesses, not the exporting countries. Meanwhile, the US Space Command is bolstering its defenses and offensive capabilities for a new age of competition and potential conflict in Earth's orbit, driven by rising threats from nations like China and Russia. Separately, the episode explores the curious Gen Z trend of personalized, oversized water bottles, which have evolved into a fashion statement and a marketing phenomenon.
The episode delves into Somalia's recent setbacks in state-building, highlighting how constitutional changes have exacerbated internal conflicts and reduced foreign aid, while also exploring regional successes and the potential for a new international approach. It examines the evolving landscape of crime in Britain, noting a decrease in overall offenses but a significant drop in solved cases due to the rise of more complex, digitally-enabled crimes. Finally, it commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, reflecting on its devastating immediate impact and the broader geopolitical questions it raised about war, peace, and technological advancement.
