Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Alternative for Germany won an even larger share of the vote than expected in yesterday’s state election. What does the far-right nationalist party’s success mean for Germany and Europe? The…
Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, has shifted strategy to boost demand for its chips. Our correspondent assesses the opportunities and risks. Knife crime in Britain moves to rural pastures.…
Donald Trump’s stance on immigration helped him win the presidency. Our correspondent asks if a backlash against the campaign could damage Republican midterm prospects. Reddit is struggling in an age…
On Sunday, Alternative for Germany could become the first far-right nationalist party to win a state election since the end of the second world war. Is Britain right to worry…
After the devastating flash flood last week, our correspondent explains why the country is so ill-equipped to deal with the crisis. Does AI stop children from learning? And why Japanese…
Behind the scenes, Artificial Intelligence is playing a growing role in every aspect of film-making, from script-writing and production-planning to shot-generation and editing. As the number of people covered by…
Our correspondent goes inside a Chinese robot facility to see thousands of droids being taught to complete useful tasks. Is it worth the time and money? How Meta’s $17bn settlement…
Personalised vaccines could offer a breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Our correspondent analyses the latest trial. Canada’s oil market is flourishing, despite the trade war. And, why we will…
Amid record-tickling yields, the bond markets are now trying to make sense of what Scott Bessent, America’s Treasury secretary, has announced—a move that might put him on a collision course…
After much hullabaloo America announced its “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new tranche of sanctions. It is thin gruel, and might in fact invite military reprisals from Iran. Call centres form…
Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime Minister Mark Carney.…
The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it? We dive into the data that reveal a surge…
Yuval Noah Harari is a big-ideas guy. Known for penning tomes that tackle broad sweeps of history, the historian-cum-philosopher has now turned his attention to AI. He joins Zanny Minton…
From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now coped with a patchy,…
Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask…
Israeli settlers have been clashing more and more with Palestinians in the West Bank, often with government backing. We examine the forces at play in what could soon be yet…
To critics, the Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype.…
Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A…
After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition…
The Iran war triggered the largest supply shock in the history of petroleum, yet prices never rose as high as feared. Our correspondent explains how action taken by China steadied…
The Muslim Brotherhood won power and influence in the Arab Spring of 2011. Now autocrats are resurgent and its leaders are in jail or exile. Elon Musk says Europe is…
Britons are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections to state institutions, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints and demands may overwhelm bureaucracies. Should Catholic priests have…
We look at the peace that has settled over Khartoum, the ruined capital. War rages on elsewhere, and a slim chance at a settlement rests largely with the belligerents’ foreign…
We examine one of America’s primary races, in which a sharply lefty candidate beat the establishment figure. What does that reveal about changes in the Democratic Party? For decades China’s…
Fewer clouds, shrinking ice caps, changing pollutants: all result in less of the sun’s energy being reflected back into space. Which is more bad news for a changing climate. Our…
President Donald Trump’s claim that Hamas had agreed to disarm in Gaza was, at best, premature. We examine the sticking points of a lasting deal. New-business applications are on a…
The deadly rush of migrants into the Spanish exclave has deep roots in a wider North African conflict—and implications for a far wider European fight about immigration. Our India columnist…
From impasse in Iran to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to…
A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning. We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments system, and…
An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A surrogacy scandal…
Wildfires in France and Spain are only growing worse by the day. We examine what can be done as a future of more fires, and worse ones, becomes more assured.…
The resignation of India’s education minister was a stunning capitulation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Cockroach Janta Party, a fast-growing youth movement, has the upper hand for now.…
After Elon Musk’s first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, The Economist editor-in-chief reflects on what he told her: that AIs will be in charge in ten years, his dark…
Elon Musk may be the most powerful man in the world. For his first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, he sits down with Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief,…
Many people, including politicians, love to hate the super-rich, and assume they have gamed the system. Yet our correspondent reports that a growing share of today’s wealthiest earned their money…
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. That follows days of protests at his sacking of the defence minister. Our correspondent analyses the…
Today, Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun visits the White House to ask for Donald Trump’s help rebuilding the country. Our correspondent reports from his recent trip to Lebanon on the challenges…
Andy Burnham faces tough challenges as Britain’s new prime minister, both within his party and the country at large. Our correspondent analyses his prospects. After years of strife, how can…
Binyamin Netanyahu’s government will, unusually, serve out its full term. What comes after October’s election will decide what kind of Israel will emerge. Our correspondent asks whether the World Cup…
We take a peek into a quirk of British politics as the country’s populist-right polling leader goes up against a man who wears a bin on his head. It is…
Myanmar’s jailed leader has not been seen since 2022. We ask if she is in fact alive, and what might happen if the military junta acceded to demands for her…
The longtime South Carolina senator died suddenly at the weekend. His political arc mirrored that of his Republican party in the Trump era. We ask what his death leaves behind.…
This week Andrey Melnichenko, Russia’s biggest industrialist, warns in The Economist that disaster is looming for his country as the war in Ukraine continues. What does it mean when members…
As America hit 90 targets in a second day of attacks on Iran, the fragile truce is in jeopardy. Our correspondent explains how power shifts within Iran may affect the…
Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how this decision will…
As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a…
The Iranian regime hopes the massive crowds gathered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will demonstrate its strength. Our correspondent says they could also reveal its weakness. Why Japan wants to…
Big birthdays are often a time for reflection. Our editors and correspondents chat through the state of American democracy as seen from inside and outside the country, the country’s perennial…
Big oil firms keep one part of their business hush-hush: trading. Amid an almighty oil shock, the majors’ trading arms are raking it in. But competition is mounting. We look…
Government help was thin on the ground just after the country’s worst quakes in a century. The America-backed regime is thus on literal and figurative shaky ground. A food-delivery robot…
With Iran emboldened and America an ever more capricious security partner, Gulf countries face several post-war challenges. They should put their divides aside to tackle them. We dig one last…
For all the Trumpian chaos in Latin America, no other developing-world regional economy has done so well in the past year. We examine the Donroe dividend. The cost to make…
Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks in a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting reports from the ground on shifting…
Americans are becoming more anxious about how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, society and even human existence. Republican and Democrat voters are unusually united in their concerns. Divorce rates are…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
Our correspondent joins an embed in Lebanon, where Israel claims that Hizbullah’s continued strength justifies its campaign. If Israel’s goals diverge from America’s, how does this affect peace talks over…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
On June 23rd 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, triggering years of argument, lost economic opportunities and political malaise. Our correspondents look back on the seismic moment and…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
After winning a resounding victory for Britain’s Labour party two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer has announced his departure. As the country gets ready for its 7th prime minister in…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
Andy Burnham won a by-election he needed in order to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister. We look at the path ahead for him. The Iran deal seemingly promises…
As expected, the new Federal Reserve chairman kept rates steady. More interesting were what he did and did not say. How will he handle inevitable pressure from President Donald Trump?…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
Geopolitics has dominated this year’s G7 political meeting in Evian, France. Donald Trump offered scant detail on the Iran peace deal but leaders promised to boost support for Ukraine. Though…
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His…
The World Cup may seem to be proof that the digital commons centralises a global audience. We find that entertainment is in fact fragmenting, with big implications for soft power.…
Despite exchanges of missiles and drones between Israel and Lebanon, the start of a deal was struck overnight. What exactly has been agreed, and will it hold? We examine the…
Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a…
John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat called Alexis…
An interview with Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s president, a year into his role. Though he has stabilised a turbulent polity and overseen a stock market rally, the path ahead…
Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a…
John Prideaux, The Economist’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat called Alexis…
Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international spectacle to draw attention to…
Nearly two centuries ago, a French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville went on a trip around America and wrote up his findings in a book called Democracy in America. Many…
The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent embeds on a US nuclear submarine to…
Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the trip?…
The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China’s BYD cars are losing…
After decades of overpopulation worries, the country now has the opposite concern. We examine India’s unusual demographic turn, and why it is a wider warning to the world. Vegan substitutes…
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist-right Reform UK party, wants Britons to be enraged by a killing in the street. We ask why his tone has changed from “colour-blind” to…
Now that America has stepped back, Europe is at last stepping up. We examine the bloc’s tactics (if not yet a strategy) and how steady its support is likely to…
The AI world’s go-to chipmaker is blazing a trail toward your personal computer. We ask what moving out of the cloud indicates about the future of computing. The three candidates…
Aid is ramping up to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and vaccine work is progressing. But what the Ebola response most lacks is trust of the community. European governments and…
Our outgoing defence editor reflects on how war has changed during the eight years of his tenure. Wars have become easier to start and harder to finish, and the little…
The American administration’s next round of sabre-rattling has been directed at Cuba. But more military adventures there would probably prove disastrous. We profile the three starkly different contenders in Colombia’s…
Economic support, drone capability, defence under new management: the tide may have turned for Ukraine. But domestic politics and perceptions will define what kind of win the country might hope…
More mixed messages from President Donald Trump and air strikes that seem to violate the ceasefire: all that is remotely in prospect is a deal to keep on dealmaking. China’s…
What do we mean by a “good book”? Some people choose a holiday read that demands time and attention. Others pick rip-roaring novels that require little thought. Our bookworms discuss…
Elon Musk has launched the largest stockmarket listing in history. The accompanying space mission remains grounded. Our correspondent weighs SpaceX’s extraordinary ambitions. The Republican party trades on its masculine image,…
Within the space of a week Chinese president Xi Jinping has welcomed both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to Beijing. Our correspondent explains the significance of these consecutive meetings. How…
Is Binyamin Netanyahu’s time up as Israel’s prime minister? As a vote in parliament triggers the election campaign, our correspondent – and Netanyahu’s biographer – analyses what comes next. We…
The latest Ebola emergency is different from previous ones: there is no vaccine, and the kind of community-level work that stops the spread has been thinned by aid cuts. Britain…
Atef Najib, a former security chief, is the highest-profile member of the Assad regime to go on trial. We ask why the speed, uneven spread and murky legal basis of…
Tommy Robinson is an influencer who has shaped views on Britain, particularly among his American supporters and funders. A rally this weekend will show how his worldview is reaching the…
Perhaps the AI “boomers” are right about a sweeping labour-market revolution. But a careful look at history shows just how unprecedented their bullish scenarios would be. Africa’s bounty of minerals…
The meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will set the tone for three more this year. We examine what and what not to expect. Pepsi…
Artificial intelligence could help terrorists develop new dangerous pathogens. Our correspondent asks how humanity can protect itself from machine-assisted biological weapons. Stock markets are soaring, despite the oil shock. What…
After catastrophic local-election results, Britain’s prime minister Sir Keir Starmer is fighting for his political life. One airline has folded and others may follow: jet-fuel prices are crimping carriers the…
Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOST
The Economist
Host of Economist Podcasts on The Culture Radio Network.
Independent Podcast
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