Behind the pageantry, Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will have much to chew over , from a unified response in Ukraine to tricky trade negotiations. Our modelling suggests that Russia’s weaponisation of energy might ultimately kill more people than its efforts on the battlefield will. And a Ghanaian brewer’s struggles reveal the difficulty of business-building in sub-Saharan Africa. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/...
Nov 29, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Protests have become as bold as they are widespread —mostly against the country’s unsustainable zero-covid policies, but increasingly against the ruling regime itself. California’s wildfires have been growing more intense, and a new analysis shows just how much those blazes undo the good work of the state’s green policies. And a look at the evolution of the Great British Lad. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffe...
Nov 28, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Players’ refusal to sing their national anthem at the World Cup has brought their country’s protests onto the global stage. We ask whether the discontent back home threatens the regime. A sober look at global economic data reveals a probable global recession—one that may not even tame raging inflation. And remembering Hebe de Bonafini , Argentina’s icon of resistance. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 25, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Grief about the deaths of more than 150 people in a crush has turned to anger, and the investigation into what actions were taken—or not taken— has turned political . Our correspondent looks into the vast effort to remake the car industry as automobiles turn into software platforms on wheels. And how Britain’s twee National Trust has waded into the culture wars. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 24, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast The power station in Zaporizhia has served as an impromptu military base for Russian forces—but danger is mounting and there are signs that troops may soon give it up. The sportswear-industry boom that has much of the world wearing high-performance kit may soon come to an end . And why teenage angst is such a good fit for horror films. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 23, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Executives have squeezed out Bob Chapek and re-anointed Bob Iger as boss. But the firm’s woes are less about leadership and more about the new economics of Hollywood . We ask why Zimbabwe’s teen mothers find it so hard to stay in school , and what can be done about it. And pigs prove their intelligence, again, by making up after confrontations. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Runtime: 22 min...
Nov 22, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast An issue ignored for three decades came to dominate the summit’s agenda: reparations to poor countries for climate-driven “loss and damage”. Alas, halting those coming losses did not feature much. Our correspondent speaks with a Ukrainian fighter pilot about defending the country’s airspace using mostly Soviet-era kit. And why some words sound the same across many languages. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 21, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The “Autumn statement” was filled with belt-tightening , from stealthy tax rises to public-service cuts. But perhaps the bitterest part of the pill has been left for the next government to swallow. As the World Cup begins in Qatar, controversies over preparedness and human rights threaten to overshadow what happens on the pitch. And New York City declares war on rats . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 18, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Elon Musk gave Twitter’s remaining staff an ultimatum: commit to “working long hours at high intensity” for “hardcore” Twitter, or leave. We evaluate his reign so far. Under President Daniel Ortega, Nicaragua has become a one-party state. And remembering the long life of Anne Frank’s best friend. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 17, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast How did apparently Russian-made munitions kill two people on NATO soil? An accident in the fog of war seems likely, but listen closely: the immediate international response has been telling. Donald Trump has announced he will run for the American presidency again; we ask about his chances and his motivations. And we take you inside India’s tangled hair industry . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 16, 2022•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The G20 Summit gets under way in Bali today at a time of tensions over Ukraine and Taiwan, and worries about high food and energy prices. We look at what progress, if any, is likely to result from the high-level meeting. An unusually warm autumn has kept gas prices low in Europe. And what a Nobel-prize winner’s work suggests about Neanderthal family life. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 15, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast America’s upper legislative chamber remains in Democrats’ hands; they may even expand their majority. We explain what that means for the Biden administration, and why Democrats outperformed expectations. President Biden’s biggest foreign-policy headaches involve China; we ask what to expect from his first in-person meeting with President Xi Jinping. And we introduce our new China-focused podcast, “Drum Tower.” For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here...
Nov 14, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the start of this week, FTX was the world’s third-largest crypto exchange. After rumours of illiquidity swirled, customers pulled $6bn in assets. It now reportedly faces an $8bn shortfall, and the contagion is spreading. The Sama-Bajau have fished the same waters for centuries, but are citizens of nowhere, which makes their hard lives harder. And what Rishi Sunak can learn from his fictional predecessors. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here w...
Nov 11, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia says it will withdraw from the only captured Ukrainian provincial capital. We ask how the drawdown might go and what it means for the wider war. Britain is set for the largest wave of industrial action in decades; the strikes could throw the country into chaos . And the long life of Shyam Saran Negi, India’s first-ever voter. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 10, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast America’s midterm elections have finished. While the full results may not be known for some time, Democrats appear to have outperformed expectations: Republicans will probably narrowly win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call. Argentina’s slum policy is a rare bright spot in the country’s politics. And why the war in Ukraine may put paid to ground-attack aircraft. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenc...
Nov 09, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the final episode of our midterms series, we examine how the Republican party’s anti-democratic turn is putting pressure on election administrators. When he briefly reneged on a deal to allow Ukrainian grain exports, Vladimir Putin held the world’s grain supply hostage – a tactic beloved of strongmen the world over. And HBO turns 50 this year: we assess its legacy. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 08, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the UN’s annual climate jamboree begins, our correspondent calls for a strong dose of realism: limiting warming to 1.5C is just no longer feasible . On average the rule of law is losing ground globally, yet one place it appears to be strengthening is on Russia’s doorstep . And a look at the sports teams everyone loves to hate . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 07, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast America’s midterm elections, which will determine control of both chambers of Congress, end on Tuesday. For the past three months our correspondents have been travelling across the country, reporting on the trends and concerns shaping the race. This compilation episode highlights the best of their work. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 05, 2022•2 hr 30 min•Transcript available on Metacast A surprise peace agreement should permit desperately needed humanitarian relief for millions in the region of Tigray—but there are reasons to doubt the grinding conflict is at an end. Britain has a problem that other rich countries do not: its over-50s are flooding out of the labour market. And our correspondent attends an unexpectedly tame “ crypto rave ”. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 04, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Our election model suggests that at least one legislative chamber will revert to Republican control; we ask what sort of government would result. The breach of the Nord Stream pipelines is a reminder of how much infrastructure is at risk of subsea sabotage . And what the trendy term “ikigai” actually means in Japan, its ostensible country of origin. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 03, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast After a 16-month absence from leadership, Binyamin Netanyahu is back at the centre of the country’s messy politics. We ask how his divisive ways will play out this time. Apple is slowly weaning itself off China as a place both to make and to sell its gizmos. And how the “palaeo” diet bears little resemblance to the real thing. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 02, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast As President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine continues to falter, Russian elites are now daring to consider the once unthinkable: a life after his leadership . Haiti is in grave disarray, but calling in foreign help to sort things out is proving tricky. And the diamond in Britain’s crown jewels that India wants back . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Nov 01, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist former president, has won again . Even if President Jair Bolsonaro gracefully concedes, his followers and fellow party members will make Lula’s hard job harder. We ask why California’s green-tinged Democratic governor is against a progressive ballot initiative on electric vehicles. And our say on the bread of the day of the dead. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 31, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast After months of wrangling, Elon Musk completed his deal to buy Twitter , and immediately sacked several top executives. We ask what’s next for the platform and its users. Organised crime is damaging South Africa’s economy. And our obituaries editor looks back at one of the 20th century’s most daring heists . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 28, 2022•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missiles and drones. Ukraine’s air defences are struggling to keep up, and many households are without power as winter approaches. Bill Gates has a plan to boost African crop yields. And as the BBC turns 100 , we reflect on its legacy, and look at challenges ahead. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 27, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast When America’s Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the conventional wisdom was that it would help Democrats by galvanising them for the midterm elections. Two weeks away from Election Day, the picture isn’t quite so clear. We meet Russia’s ruthless new battlefield commander . And what scientists can learn from training nerve cells to play Pong . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 26, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Rishi Sunak becomes Britain’s prime minister today, making him the third in the past seven weeks. Our correspondent explains who he is, and analyses his road ahead. In Mexico there are growing concerns over the army’s increasing wealth and power. And why “The Stepford Wives,” a novel published 50 years ago, remains relevant and influential today.
Oct 25, 2022•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast Xi Jinping won a third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Our correspondent explains how the recent party congress solidified Xi’s grip on power. With record numbers of people showing up, America’s southern border is a political and actual problem for the Biden administration. And why FIFA and EA Sports have parted ways after 30 years.
Oct 24, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Economist ’s comparison of Liz Truss’s staying power to that of a lettuce captured global imaginations. Will the next prime minister have a longer shelf-life? We ask why it has proven so tricky to get the Middle East’s considerable natural-gas resources to market. And the murder of Yurii Kerpatenko , a conductor from Kherson who refused to bow to Russian orders. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 21, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Regional leaders recognise the abject failure of the war on drugs. We speak with Colombia’s president about some bold new ideas to tackle the problem. Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is a big gamble on the metaverse—but the real risk is that the company still known as Facebook is waning. And a zippy ride through England’s electric-scooter trial . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer...
Oct 20, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
