The Intelligence from The Economist

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 subscribi...

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...

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...

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 gl...

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...

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 pol...

For the past week in Indonesia, protesters have taken to the streets and cities have burned. President Prabowo is still popular – now he faces a big test. Climate change threatens the collapse of an Atlantic current that helps make Europe habitable. And facekinis become a fashion item in China.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscrib...

Prime minister Bibi Netanyahu is focused on his own political survival. Our correspondent explains how strategic differences within Israel have shaped the war in Gaza. As the new college sports season kicks off in America, players will be paid for the first time, upending the industry’s economics. And remembering Sen Genshitsu , 15th master of the Urasenke tea ceremony. Listen to what matters most...

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...

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 i...

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 mo...

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 Podc...

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 techno...

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 E...

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 Podcas...

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...

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 globa...

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...

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....

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 subscri...

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 t...

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 subscribin...

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...

As yet another tranche of Donald Trump’s tariffs takes effect, we look at why the duties might outlast him—and how American consumers will ultimately shoulder the trade war’s costs. Our correspondent visits US Space Command, which is preparing for a new age of combat in the heavens. And Gen Z’s obsession with big, personalised water bottles . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Pod...

The country had been on the rise: beating back jihadists, strengthening its federal structure and gaining international stature. That has all reversed . In Britain levels of crime have fallen—but the changing nature of criminality has meant a smaller fraction of crooks getting caught . And 80 years on to the day our Archive 1945 project revisits the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Get a world of insi...