The Intelligence from The Economist

*This episode was first published 20/07/24 After a year of war in Gaza, people are beginning to discuss the aftermath. Schools, hospitals, the sanitation system are in ruins. Just clearing the rubble will take years.  Focusing on the long term, many neglect what needs to happen on day one. Gazans say the territory is becoming lawless. Who will control security, and with what legitimacy? Does...

One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, men in black were waiting for them. Mr Kovrig was pushed into a waiting SUV. Handcuffed and blindfolded, he was driven to a detention centre in southern Beijing that would be his home for the next 1,019 days. September 24th 2024 is the third anniversa...

In a matter of weeks the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah has transformed life in Lebanon . Our correspondent reports from the streets of Beirut. After a pandemic-sized hiccup in the gym industry only the cheap ones and the really pricey ones are building muscle (11:10). And why chess grandmasters are getting younger and younger (17:45). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and b...

After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our correspondent analyses the surprise shift in policy (10:25). How will immigration policy play with swing voters in Arizona ? And Sally Rooney , a modern-day Jane Austen with a dash of S&M (19:35). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and...

After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate , our correspondent assesses their performance – and its effect on the US election. In Britain the pro-European cause is popular, but its advocates are ineffective (10:53). And why the gleam of a Michelin star may tarnish (19:18).   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busi...

As Israeli troops move into Lebanon and missiles strike Damascus in Syria, can Israel’s next offensive really stay “limited, localised and targeted”? Japan’s new prime minister loves planes, trains and ramen, but with few allies within his own party, his premiership may attract less devotion (8:57). And the worst invention in modern office life: “the sandwich lunch” (15:24). Listen to what matters...

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Yemen this weekend will have implications far beyond the militant groups that were the apparent targets. Our correspondents analyse what may happen next. Our correspondent reports from a conference for journalists exiled from Belarus—home to “ Europe’s last dictator ”—to find out how they get news in (11:30). And a new card game is shaking Communist Party offices in...

Ukraine’s President has been in New York this week.  With a victory plan in his pocket, he’s been shoring up support at the UN and among America’s presidential contenders. On the world stage Mr Zelensky presents a united front but back home things are a little more patchy. It's crunch time for Ukraine. Winter is coming, some Western partners are tiring, Ukrainians are tiring too. In this spec...

Ukraine’s president is again on American shores, trying to secure support of all kinds. He needs it —diplomatically, militarily and politically. America’s tendencies toward “woke” discourse and policies have permeated its politics, but our analysis finds that “peak woke” is already in the past (8:57). And the latest instalment of the wildly popular football video-game formerly known as simply “FIF...

For now, Israel’s moves seem to be posturing, a means to intimidate Hizbullah into backing down. But there remains a prospect of a ground invasion—and another pointless war. Our swing-state series starts with a state that only recently became swing-y: North Carolina (10:08). And a look back at a year’s worth of Economist Podcasts+ audio journalism (19:15). Get a world of insights by subscribing to...

Even before last month’s revised religious rules , Afghanistan’s women were being crushed under the Taliban’s thumb. Now they cannot even so much as raise their voices. While other countries try to crimp the flow of cheap Chinese electric cars, Britain is welcoming them —for now (9:55). And why the French have at last come to appreciate “Emily in Paris” (16:12).  Get a world of insights by su...

A handful of Republican leaders have been denouncing Donald Trump since his first presidential campaign. Will the voices of those who remain be heeded this time around? China’s attempt to fix its pensions by raising the retirement age will create a different problem with childcare (7:40). And the seemingly bottomless market for pet-pampering (14:21). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Econo...

Artificial Intelligence has gained ground so fast that OpenAI, the firm powering ChatGPT, is changing Silicon Valley’s investment model and how it innovates. Why the global nuclear order may be in peril (10:24). And an alternative type of electoral forecasting is gaining ground: political astrology (19:02).  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technol...

After Israeli fires rockets into Lebanon and Hizbullah warns of “red lines” crossed, the Middle East is braced for further attacks. As the planet warms, sport is getting harder – and deadlier (6:32). And celebrating Francisco Lopera , who dedicated his life to researching Alzheimer’s disease (13:36). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscrib...

The first reduction in interest rates for four years shows America’s Federal Reserve thinks inflation is now in check. But does the central bank’s decision suggest it is now concerned about the labour market? Ukraine wants its allies to provide long-range missiles (9:50). Our correspondent explains what difference these would make to the war.  And how fashion brands conquered TV (19:44). List...

The explosion of thousands of pagers across Lebanon and Syria was an attack on Hizbullah, a Shia militant group which had been trying to evade Israeli surveillance by using these low-tech devices. What will such an escalated attack mean for the region? Why Americans’ obsession with big cars makes the country’s roads so deadly (9:25). And the thrill of fossil-hunting (16:31). Listen to what matters...

Large fuel subsidies in Nigeria are popular but ruinous to other public services . Our correspondents report from Lagos on how home-grown oil refining could help wean people off this popular premium. Texas was once a haven for crypto-mining; now many people are souring on it (11:06). And the terrifying rise of Indonesian horror films (17.05). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and b...

With less than eight weeks to go to the presidential election, tension is running high after a second probable assassination attempt on Donald Trump. Has political violence become routine in America? Virtual replicas of racing cars, plane engines, even bodies, may change how we diagnose problems (9:08). And celebrating Sergio Mendes , the king of Bossanova (17:04). Listen to what matters most, fro...

Capsule that can withstand vacuum? Check. Low-pressure spacesuit? Check. Space-friendly Doritos? Check. The first spacewalk by private citizens showcases SpaceX’s prowess, the viability of privately funded exploration—and extraplanetary product placement. Gene editing has revolutionised the treatment for certain conditions, but can the staggering prices be brought down (11:30)? And some big news a...

One of America’s stalwart tech giants is on the ropes, having first missed the move to mobile and then the one to AI. We ask what fate awaits it. Our correspondent meets with Vadym Sukharevsky , head of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces—the world’s first drone commander (9:05). And what is behind Donald Trump’s outlandish claim of immigrants eating pets in Ohio (16:40). Get a world of insights by...

The vice-president turned in a confident if imperfect performance, leaving Donald Trump flustered . But will it change anything? A global shortfall of blood plasma is hampering the development of new medicines; we argue for some simple market forces that could plug the gap (11:40). And how Nigerians are slimming their legendarily lavish weddings amid a cost-of-living crisis (18.10). Get a world of...

The EU’s unofficial chief technocrat issued a doorstop of a report outlining how the bloc can boost growth and keep up in a changing world. Is it all too ambitious? Mexico’s lame-duck president has one last project in mind: undermining the judiciary (10:44). And as the film “Fight Club” turns 25 our correspondent finds many of its disturbing messages still resonate (17:49). Get a world of insights...

Nicolás Maduro has stolen an election, again—but this time the rightful winner felt so threatened that he has fled to Spain . We ask what happens next. A valedictory dispatch from our global business columnist asks why the forces of “creative destruction” seem to have faded (10:27). And the youth clubs that stitched together the fabric of young Britons’ lives are disappearing (18:55). Get a world...

Two months ago, French politics was thrown into crisis after a snap election left no party with a clear majority. Michel Barnier , the new prime minister, has a huge task ahead. Donald Trump’s campaign took time to adjust to the nomination of Kamala Harris. Now he’s on the attack again (9:40). And celebrating the life of stonemason, Simon Verity (17:37). Listen to what matters most, from global po...

Though we use more renewable energy than ever before, electricity grids need ways to cope with intermittent wind or solar power. Innovations that make batteries to store that energy bigger, cheaper and more efficient can help. Why tourists are flocking to Asia (9:41). And a listener asks how we should talk to our children about AI (16:59). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busi...