The Intelligence from The Economist

In response to the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Houthi militants are attacking vessels along the key shipping route . If it continues, the consequences could upend global trade. Why do so many young Americans think that the Holocaust is a myth (09:51)? And, how museums are finding some value in NFTs (14:40).  Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The E...

For almost a decade The Economist’s Noah Sneider has been following the story of MH17, the passenger plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014. All 298 people on board died. No group, or country, has ever admitted responsibility, leaving the victim's families searching for answers. In this episode Noah, who was at the scene of the crash that day, reports on the ten year battle for jus...

Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to secure more aid from Washington. But the decision rests with a divided Congress. What does this mean for the next phase of war? India’s aviation industry is really taking off and this boom looks much more promising than the last (10:59). And, the riotous origins of eggnog (18:42). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The...

News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too left-leaning . Our data show there might be something to that, but the reasons why are more complicated than you think. As a NATO frontline state, the war in Ukraine is prompting Poland to ramp up its military spending – and double the size of its armed forces (08:42). And, what a hit property show reveals about the British dream (15:25). S...

In a landmark agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. However, that is not the same as phasing them out. Has the deal done enough? For the young trying to invest, the markets look bleak. But they could make better choices (10:42). And, the allure of cookery books (17:18). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The...

Since the Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, debate at America’s top academic institutions has turned sour. Now, the issue has reignited an age-old argument about freedom of speech on campuses. Today Britain’s parliament will vote on whether to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – they aren’t the only ones thinking about outsourcing responsibility (07:54). And books about the twilight of the au...

Our correspondent joins the French air force on a mission in the Baltics, seeing increasing support for NATO just as the country draws down in Africa. Drones have by now become a standard feature of warfare, but in Gaza the demands are different —and Israel has much expertise to draw upon (09:36). And artificial intelligence predicts the structures of 2m brand-new materials (16:38). Sign up for a...

In the American West, grizzly bears are spreading—and fights over protecting them under the Endangered Species Act test the frontiers between science and politics. Vaping is tremendous business in Britain, but the largely unregulated industry is now, curiously, asking for more oversight (10:57). And our language columnist explains our word of the year for 2023 (17:47). Sign up for a free trial of...

Even before America’s tussle over funding Ukraine’s war effort, it seemed as if Russia was gaining the upper hand —by exploiting Ukraine’s widening political cracks. A drought-induced traffic jam in the Panama Canal will only get worse in the coming dry season, and consumer-price rises look inevitable (10:42). And to save Britain’s heritage pig breeds, consumers should eat more of them (17:48). Si...

By the numbers, the outcome seems clear: Venezuelans voted to annex much of newly minted petrostate Guyana. But our correspondent says the referendum was mere electioneering by President Nicolás Maduro, with unimpressive results. Our obituaries editor remembers Saleemul Huq , who campaigned relentlessly on behalf of the most vulnerable countries (9:52). And just how much lighter the paycheques are...

The cradle of American technology was once known for its libertarian values—but as law-enforcement agencies seek more means of surveillance, Silicon Valley companies are piling in . Mounting cases in America’s courts reveal a trend of progressives arguing for their religious right to abortion (9:09). And how tourism gone wrong is killing the Dark Hedges that appeared in “Game of Thrones” (16:28)....

As its ground offensive appears to be expanding, Israel is acutely aware that time and international support will run out; we examine its impossible set of aims to achieve before then. Europe has not yet faced the kind of fentanyl crisis that has plagued America—but there are risks that it may soon (10:53). And the power-napping prowess of penguins (18:26). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Po...

The Economist 's editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, and our Russia and Eastern Europe editor, Arkady Ostrovsky, return to Kyiv to to find out if cracks are beginning to emerge in the iron shield of Ukrainian unity and to ask how the war with Russia is reshaping a nation living on a knife’s edge. The Weekend Intelligence is a subscriber-only episode. For the next month you can sign up for a fr...

Olena Zelenska foresees a time when her family can regain a quiet life. Our editor-in-chief sits down with her to discuss her mental-health campaign and life in an unexpected spotlight. President Xi Jinping wants to improve China’s toilets; we ask why that is proving so difficult (12:20). And why the superyacht industry is just sailing along (19:50). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+...

The doyen of diplomacy has died, leaving a complex legacy . Following extensive interviews with him earlier this year, our deputy editor examines what Dr Kissinger stood for and whether his ideas will outlast him. As the COP28 climate summit begins, we look at an approach that deserves more attention: carbon dioxide removal (13:16). And our annual cost-of-living survey ranks the world’s priciest c...

Drug-related shootings and bombings are on the rise. Policies are changing and law-enforcement budgets rising, but stemming the violence is proving politically tricky . Our columnist considers how China is using the war in Gaza to burnish its diplomatic credentials (9:36). And the teams vying to smash a long-standing sailing-speed record (18:27). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If...

The singular focus on the metaverse of Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s boss, fretted investors. But in the past year he has pulled off a spectacularly timely turnaround . We look at what is driving an illegal-gold rush in Venezuela as a lens on a wider, regional concern (9:48). And why North Korea’s women’s football team provides such good propaganda (16:48). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts...

Our correspondent speaks with the Africa head of the Red Cross who has borne witness to the war, famine and genocide that continue—unrelenting and largely ignored —in Sudan. As Ukraine’s men are sent off to war, the country’s women are upending its labour market ; we meet some newly minted miners (10:07). And how the age at which careers peak is changing (18:34).   Today is the last day of ou...

Look past short-term stumbles: there are plenty of reasons to think Japan may spin out of its decades-long deflationary spiral. But how to avoid another false dawn? A visit to a mine in Zimbabwe reveals how valuable lithium is becoming to the continent—and China’s role in securing it (13:09). And remembering a “Rosie the Riveter” who kept riveting until age 95 (21:38). Until Monday November 27th y...

Geert Wilders campaigned on leaving the European Union, closing the borders, and even suggested banning Islam. The Dutch surprisingly voted for him anyway. But without a majority, can he form a government? WeWork is a flawed company, but their bankruptcy reflects greater turmoil in real estate (10:10). And, how hyper-bouncy shoes are giving runners an edge (17:42). Sign up for a free trial of Econ...

After weeks of negotiations , Hamas has agreed to release some hostages. In exchange, there will be a four-day pause in fighting. But then what? Americans really love their cars and dependence on them is making the country fairer (09:34). And what Netflix’s latest spin-off reveals about the changing trends in TV (15:56).  Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a su...

It is still unclear why the board of OpenAI fired him last week, but hundreds of staff are revolting anyway. The debacle reveals a sizeable rift between the tech companies at the forefront of AI development. Canadians typically consider themselves pro- immigration . Is the tide changing (10:45)? And the books you didn’t know were propaganda (18:49). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+....

He is a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” and in a run-off, the people have entrusted this political firebrand to shake the country out of economic malaise. Will he deliver ? Hamas has an intricate network of tunnels under Gaza, but new tech could help Israel fight them (10:48). And what AI can glean from listening to the forests (19:03). Additional audio courtesy of Jörg Müller Sign up for a f...

Were America’s presidential election to be held today, Donald Trump would probably win . We examine the winds shifting in his favour, and how the Biden campaign might tack against them. The town of Basildon best matches Britain’s national-average statistics—a mean reason to pay a visit (13:13). And remembering Vivian Silver , a Canadian-Israeli peace activist who died at the hands of Hamas (20:51)...

There is little left, in terms of people or infrastructure, in the north of the strip. Our correspondent, embedded with the Israel Defence Forces, considers the humanitarian crisis growing in the south. Our film on American school shootings discovers the growing phenomenon of hoaxes known as “swatting” (11:49). And how, despite its ahistorical nature , “The Crown” will influence perceived history...