The Intelligence from The Economist

In a scene reminiscent of the US Capitol riot two years ago, supporters of Brazil’s defeated president rampaged through government buildings yesterday. Our Brazil correspondent surveys the damage. We explain why Tesla’s share price has plummeted , and why an Italian film has been remade in more than 20 countries in the past six years. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Eco...

Israel’s new government is its most right-wing ever—but, in a break from the past, that may not derail deepening relations with neighbouring Arab countries. Thousands of Africans are killed each year after being accused of witchcraft—in many cases for more nefarious reasons than mere superstition. And the “ cicerones ” helping Americans navigate a vast and growing craft-beer scene. For full access...

Our Brazil correspondent surveys the state of the country, as Lula assumes the presidency precisely 20 years after his first inauguration. We ask why America’s armed forces are facing recruitment struggles not seen since the Vietnam War. And as Benedict XVI ’s funeral begins, our obituaries editor reflects on his papacy. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subsc...

Republican control of America’s House of Representatives began in chaos: they failed to elect a speaker , the first time in a century that’s happened. China’s fishing fleet is the world’s largest—and a look at the thinning bounty from West Africa’s waters reveals its effects. And why the theft of catalytic converters is soaring in America. For full access to print, digital and audio editions...

The sudden rescinding of zero-covid strictures has, as expected, led to a spike in cases. Our correspondent visits overstretched hospitals and crematoria, and considers what will happen next . Aerial drones have in part shaped the war in Ukraine; now the naval kind are starting to play a role. And French-language purity goes out the window when it comes to startups.  For full access to print,...

China’s arsenal of nuclear weapons has swiftly expanded; it is now roughly the size of Russia’s and America’s. That will make for a different—and far trickier—landscape of three-way deterrence. We ask what to expect as a mountain of Hollywood’s intellectual property heads for the public domain . And our correspondent checks in on America’s friendliest and most bearded sport . For full access to pr...

From Pelé, the “ king of football ”, to Britain’s longest-reigning queen , our editors and correspondents reflected on the accomplishments of many notable figures who died this year. But our obituaries editor shone a light also on the lives and legacies of lesser-known figures. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffe...

It is that best-of time of year. We outline the case for our country of the year, after an uncharacteristically easy nomination process. Our correspondents explain their picks for the best books of 2022. And the shortlist of the year’s best games : there are cats, Norse gods and trombones. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/inte...

In 2022 global inflation spiked at a rate not seen in decades. A look at the world’s very first such bout reveals eerie echoes of today’s woes—and lessons for tackling them. Our correspondent meets Indonesia’s Baduy people, for whom modernity is encroaching on strict religious and ascetic ways. And our data team finds that favourite dog breeds vary by country. Additional music courtesy of Wim van...

Cows are venerated in India, but precisely how intensely often depends on politics . And being venerated does not necessarily yield a pleasant life for the creatures. Economists rarely consider how policies will affect birth rates and the yet-to-be-born; we examine the thorny topic of “ population ethics ”. And foreign-language phrasebooks may be in decline but they maintain huge historical value...

In a special episode, our Paris bureau chief witnesses the political divides that become apparent as she switches from France’s famed high-speed railways to forgotten lines. Our culture editor considers the improbably prophetic nature of the film “Titanic”. And, as the last 747 rolls off the line, our correspondent reflects on how the jet reshaped the airline industry .  For full access to pr...

Waves of protest after a stolen election in 2019 came to nothing. Now, thanks to the luck of geopolitics and petro-economics, President Nicolás Maduro is increasingly back in favour . “Peanuts” blazed a trail for comic strips, but beneath the family-friendly messages were a probing examination of the human condition. And a listen to the soundtracks of the franchise’s small-screen adaptations. For...

At the beginning of the war, editors from The Economist went to Kyiv, the first Western journalists to interview Ukraine’s president . Our Russia editor has now returned, finding a brighter capital—and a wearier leader still capable of flashes of humour . We consider the power the president has wielded through hundreds of speeches, and share his Christmas message to our listeners. For full access...

Elon Musk may be stepping down as chief executive, but he has already changed the firm’s fortunes —and shown that social media’s free-speech struggle is far from over. A bit of fried dough in Kenya reveals how cost-of-living concerns in Africa manifest as shrinkflation . And why members of South Korea’s pop behemoth BTS are headed into the armed forces .  For full access to print, digital and...

The Congressional committee probing the riot at America’s Capitol recommended that the Justice Department bring four charges against Donald Trump . But the road to indictment and prosecution of the former president is long and winding. The UN’s biodiversity summit ended with a historic but still unsatisfying agreement . And our language columnist presents his choice for word of the year . For full...

The country has been slinging missiles skyward at an alarming pace, and with ever-greater technological advancement. We ask why things are heating up, and how the West might at last cool them down . Reforms to Indonesia’s criminal code that sparked mass protests in 2019 are back; restrictions including an extramarital-sex ban look set to pass . And Wales’s booming leech-and-maggot business . ...

A strategy approved today peels back some of the country’s constitutional pacifism; in large part that is because of its tense relationship with a hawkish China. Despite some promising reforms, violence against women remains rampant in India. And our obituaries editor looks back on the life of Britain’s last surviving Dambuster . Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://eco...

Our correspondent sits down with President Volodymyr Zelensky and two top military commanders—concluding that the next few months will determine the future of Ukraine. Morocco’s inspired run in the World Cup sparked much debate about its identity as an Arab country. And our co-host investigates the vanishing pleasures of American Jewish delis —over lunch, of course. Help us make the show better: t...

Scientists have reported a long-awaited nuclear-fusion breakthrough, using lasers to ignite hydrogen-isotope fuel in a self-sustaining burn. But that marks just one step on a long, uncertain road to clean fusion energy. Same-sex marriage in America is now protected by legislation, in a compromise that could provide a template for future culture-war clashes. And the uncertain future of Darjeeling t...

A pair of crises will bedevil Europe, starting with crippling energy prices in the short term. And American protectionism threatens a longer-term dent in the continent’s green-industry ambitions. A visit to Ivory Coast’s cocoa operations reveals why balancing farmers’ welfare and market forces is so tricky . And what Britain’s street names reveal about its history and its ideals. Help us make the...

With astonishing speed, the machinery of testing, tracing and lockdowns is being dismantled. We examine the risks that will pose to a country that is not prepared for big outbreaks. A winemaker’s lawsuit in Napa Valley reveals why many Californians believe regulators are unfriendly to business. And a clever solution to spare sharks from becoming unwanted “bycatch”. Help us make the show better: ta...

Perhaps Pedro Castillo thought he could repeat the coup staged by his predecessor, Alberto Fujimori, in 1992. He did not, and is now behind bars . We ask how his fitful presidency fell apart so suddenly. Our correspondent explains why getting policy right around e-cigarettes is so tricky. And what the funerals of Kenya’s motorbike-taxi drivers reveal about the country. Help us make the show b...

Raids across the country netted 25 far-right extremists suspected of trying to overthrow the government. We look into what is known about a hare-brained plan to dissolve the republic and restore a king. Spates of spontaneous violence in Chicago reveal the unintended consequences of America’s organised-crime crackdown. And why Indonesia’s clerics are taking up environmentalist causes. Help us make...

Democrats will have a bit more breathing room in the Senate, with an outright majority provided by Reverend Raphael Warnock’s win . We ask what the state-level victory reveals about national politics. Algeria’s leadership has benefited from an oil-and-gas boom; lamentably, its long-suffering citizenry has not . And why an artificial intelligence success at the game Diplomacy is significant. H...

The enforcers of the hardliners’ mores may have been disbanded; it is hard to know if the regime is bending to protesters or sowing confusion. Either way the disquiet looks set to continue. We take a look at China’s widely watched nightly news and the narrative it hopes to promulgate. And why women are suddenly flooding into America’s funeral-services industry. Help us make the show better: t...