The Intelligence from The Economist

Layoffs, suspended dividends, a share price in free fall, a chief executive hustled out the door: Intel is in a bad way . But America needs a chipmaking champion, so what will save it? We examine a legally pioneering International Criminal Court case alleging cross-border crimes against humanity (10:31). And how the internet is changing the way people think about food and cooking (19:40). Get a wo...

As Syrians awoke to a new era, thousands rushed to fling open the dark, filthy prisons where Bashar al-Assad locked up dissenters. Our correspondent followed along. The first of our two-part series on spirituality reveals a lucrative nexus of DIY enlightenment and tourism (9:13). And the stumbles of Manchester City, a once-invincible side in England’s Premier League (15:27). Get a world of insight...

For five years the prospect of a criminal prosecution has loomed over Binyamin Netanyahu. Today he becomes the first Israeli prime minister to testify as a defendant. A shocking fraction of master’s degrees confer no financial benefit—and may even leave degree-holders worse off (10:43). And our staff share their picks for the best books of 2024 (16:58). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Ec...

President Bashar al-Assad has been run out, his regime in tatters. As Syrians awaken to a new era, how can they put their broken country back together peacefully? Australia has passed a law that will ban under-16s from social media: a bold move , but a tricky one to implement (10:21). And how “Dungeons & Dragons” jumped from nerd culture to popular culture (19:38). Get a world of insights by subsc...

Many thought a five-year timeline was too ambitious. But even as France’s politics falls apart, it has managed to put the cathedral back together with aplomb . As an election takes place in Ghana, its status as a leading light of African democracy is looking shaky (10:11). And remembering John Kinsel , among the last of the second world war’s Navajo code-talkers (17.44). Get a world of insights by...

An alliance of the far right and the left has sacked Prime Minister Michel Barnier; out goes his budget and the government. Can President Emmanuel Macron find a stable path between the political extremes? We ask why employees seem so much more comfortable using generative artificial intelligence than their employers do (8:25). And Britain’s giant craft-gin industry hits headwinds (14:33). Get a wo...

The country’s increasingly unpopular president, Yoon Suk Yeol, backed down six hours after his shocking move of imposing martial law. South Korea’s democracy has held firm —so far. Brazil’s gangsters have found a neat way to launder assets through the legal economy: by getting involved with politics (7:26). And the hefty computations going into the design of breeze-free badminton arenas (15:17). G...

The country has been turning increasingly away from Europe and towards Russia—but a halt to EU-accession talks has sparked enormous demonstrations . Researchers know unequivocally that ultra-processed foods are bad for you; we look into the persistent question of why (10.26). And fatherhood in East Asia is undergoing a quiet revolution as gender roles shift (18.22). Get a world of insights by subs...

The country’s civil war never ended—it became a fragile stalemate that fell out of the news. A surprise rebel advance reveals how the war’s international players are busy facing their own challenges. Our correspondent found it so difficult to disappear from the internet that she gave up (10:30). And who were the stockmarket winners as “Trump trades” fired up again (16:54)? Get a world of insights...

In an interview with Javier Milei , our correspondent probes how far the “anarcho-capitalist” president plans to push his promise to slash spending and reform the state. Can seaweed and other fibrous packaging replace plastic (11:51)? And remembering Celeste Caeiro , who named the carnation revolution in Portugal in 1974 (18:20).   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and bu...

As civil war rages in the country , millions of people have been displaced and famine is widespread. Why won’t the warring parties join talks to end it? Accusations of assassination plots and an attempted coup swirl in Brazil (9:28). And why Chinese bubble tea shops are conquering your local shopping street (17:33).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science an...

This morning, a deal halting fighting between Israel and Lebanon for 60 days came into effect. Our correspondent considers if that can hold, and what it means for Gaza. What do Northvolt’s financial troubles mean for European hopes to produce batteries for electric vehicles (10:06)? And why the French are realising that women can still be sexy at 60 (16:08). Listen to what matters most, from globa...

Donald Trump had been facing a swathe of lawsuits this year. Now he has won a second term in office, the cases against him are falling away. Why wellness trends may be contributing to iodine deficiency (8:02). And the secrets of elevator etiquette (13:58). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information...

Gautam Adani is one of India’s richest men, whose fortunes are closely aligned to those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What will the political ramifications be of bribery charges against him? China’s property crisis has left a truly staggering number of new homes empty (9:01). And why Jordan Peterson is so contrarian, yet so popular (17:09). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and...

Should people have the right to choose how they die? Though many Britons support the principle, a vote on assisted dying in the House of Commons may fail. Donald Trump reshaped the Supreme Court in his first term. His second act could be just as dramatic (09:30). And remembering figurative painter Frank Auerbach (18:10).   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to...

What will the world’s richest man do in the White House? Our correspondent analyses the political and ideological role Elon Musk could play in Donald Trump’s second term. “Small things like these” may be fiction but it is based on grim historical truths in Ireland (9:30). And Chile is suffering a spate of salmon heists (15:22). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to scie...

Donald Trump tore up America’s nuclear deal with Iran in his first term. What will he do when he becomes president again? The pushy tactics China’s government uses to press women to have more children (10:24). And the sneaker wars get more competitive (18:06). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more informa...

Trade ties between the two countries have been increasing for over a decade. The election of Donald Trump for a second term means the relationship could now become even closer. Going to space could harm human health (7:57). And why Britain has such miserable mobile-phone service (14:43).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Ec...

America feared that letting Ukraine use US weapons to attack far-off targets in Russia would escalate the conflict. Why has President Joe Biden finally changed his mind? Markets soared when Donald Trump was elected, but the longer-term impact of Trumponomics may be less positive (9:42). And why airships are back in our skies (18:12). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business t...

Donald Trump admires Vladimir Putin’s strongman style and has failed to condemn his invasion of Ukraine. So why do some people in Kyiv think Trump’s election is good news? African churches are springing up across the world (10:20). Our critic reviews “Gladiator II” . She is not entertained (17:38).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subs...

China is enacting a rapid project of military modernisation . Though in some areas its forces are already stronger than America, that does not mean China is ready for war. Why luxury shoppers are no longer buying so much online (10:16). And remembering Balthazar Uscha, Ecuador’s last ice-miner (16:45).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—...

A week after Donald Trump won a decisive victory in the presidential election, he is making appointments to his new White House. What do they tell us about his second term? Many European governments are turning against immigration but they still need agricultural migrants (10:29). And why place names in India are getting longer (18:20). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busines...

At a time when Russia is making gains in Ukraine and Donald Trump has been re-elected as president, Europe needs strong leadership. Instead, Germany’s ruling coalition has collapsed. A study that hinted at racism among white doctors in America may have been flawed (9:18). And the wondrous revival of King’s Cross in London (17:23). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to s...

Last time Donald Trump was president he pulled America out of the Paris climate agreement. What is on the agenda at COP29 , as world leaders meet after a second Trump victory? The future of cloud computing (9:40). And how the culture wars came for remembrance poppies (17:35). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+...

Donald Trump will inherit a tangle of conflicts in the Middle East; will he deliver on his promise to “stop the wars”? That will depend on who has his ear . Our correspondent says the way to better rehabilitate people in British prisons is to take some of them out (10:33). And our obituaries editor on the staggeringly productive career of Quincy Jones (19:15).  Additional audio in this episod...