The Intelligence from The Economist

Since Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy in 2021, it has dominated the fast-growing market for slimming drugs. Now a new jab is eating into the Danish firm’s success. Why a slang expert thinks the first word humans ever uttered may have been a profane one. And why British sheep have got happier.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to...

The European Union had promised to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2035, as part of its environmental ambitions. Yesterday it watered down that commitment. Our correspondent explains the implications. Will Donald Trump’s choice of Federal Reserve chair politicise the institution? And The Economist announces its word of the year . Listen to what matters most, from global politics...

As the Australian authorities continue their investigation into Sunday’s deadly attack on a Hannukah party in Sydney, investigators have uncovered a possible link with Islamic State . Our journalists recommend their favourite books of 2025. And why there is now an Advent calendar for everything. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to...

Today Hong Kong’s most prominent media mogul was convicted of flouting national security legislation. Our correspondent explains the consequences for the territory. Why the policies of Britain’s Labour government are damaging London . And our correspondent offers sober advice on how (not) to cure a hangover .   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and...

In Britain, Germany and France, populist-right leaders and parties are making hay . What unites their movements, and how do their respective political environments shape their future prospects? And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of Frank Gehry , perhaps the world’s most innovative architect. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how...

America’s seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker fits with the stated goals in its new national-security strategy : untrammelled hemispheric dominance. How much of the document is polemic and how much will become policy? The long-run costs of the work-from-home revolution are becoming apparent in many American cities. And the one region where Pepsi is the cola of choice . Get a world of insights by su...

At every technological revolution, the industry of indecency is close at hand. We look at how sex workers and porn-peddlers are making use of AI. The sites of Syria’s most brutal civil-war deeds are just the latest destination for “ dark tourists ”; we explore the draw of atrocities. And to the many divisions in America, add one about a lawn-care implement . Get a world of insights by subscribing...

Of all the sackings at federal level President Donald Trump has carried out—and that the Supreme Court has upheld—the one now under consideration has the greatest implications for presidential power. Now that satellites are going up by the thousands, earthly astronomers are struggling for clear views. And how one firm is bucking the downward trend in the pen industry.  Get a world of insights...

A year after ousting its despot, things are not as bad as many had feared. But old sectarian divides threaten the peace . Forced labour, sex tourism and human-trafficking: ever more sophisticated drug gangs are behind a wave of exploitation across Latin America. And the rocketing price of gold drives a new generation of prospectors to California. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist...

Ukraine has been hit by a corruption scandal. One that strikes at the core of the political establishment in a way never before seen—and this in a country with a long and turbulent history of corruption. It has toppled President Zelensky’s right-hand man. It could mean the President himself won’t survive re-election when the war is over. And the timing couldn’t be worse—right in the middle of a pe...

The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes met Sir Keir Starmer for “ The Insider ”, our new video offering. We bring you the analysis. Why executions in America are surging, despite declining support for the death penalty. And Tom Stoppard , one of Britain’s most challenging playwrights, is remembered by his Russian translator. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and...

As Vladimir Putin begins a two-day visit to India, our correspondent explains why Donald Trump’s policies have pushed India and Russia closer together. How AI models could learn to take shortcuts––and accidentally become evil . And the curious case of the newly- Malaysian footballers . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist...

America’s attacks on possible drug boats in the Caribbean is already controversial. Now critics are questioning the legality of one particular strike in September. What does this mean for the US secretary of war, Pete Hegseth? Why American firms are raising funding to explore gene-editing babies . And women in Japan face a long fight to play the national sport: sumo .  In “ Babbage ” earlier...

Once derided as a copycat nation, China is now leading the world in innovation , from driverless cars to pharmaceuticals. Our correspondent explains what others can learn from it. Britain looks abroad for policy ideas, but which country is most like it? And why the capybara is a creature of comfort for our troubled age.    Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busine...

Our correspondents get a feel for today’s Tehran: no morality police but still much fear of speaking out. And the foreign minister indicates a desire to return to nuclear dealmaking . Who has bought into whom in AI makes the whole industry look pretty circular; we ask what that means for competition . And the first European country to scrap letter delivery. Get a world of insights by subscribing t...

Chef Gary Thomas has a lot on his plate. That’s because he’s in the business of feeding thousands of people a day on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Not just any ship – the Star of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.  The Weekend Intelligence’s senior producer Barclay Bram braved a trip to the Bahamas to try to figure out the secret behind one of the most impressive food operat...

The dead are still being found; the displaced huddle in public spaces. Who or what will be blamed, and what policies will change after the tragedy ? We visit Georgia, where protests have now lasted a year , probing the differences between popular uprisings that succeed and those that fail. And remembering He Yanxin , last natural inheritor of China’s ancient women-only language.  Additional a...

The tax-and-spend plan was fine-tuned to avoid immediate political jeopardy. But it will do little to help Britain’s chronic growth problem, and is likely to erode further the political centre. We meet with Yogi Adityanath, the leader of India’s most populous state and a harbinger of the country’s possible political future. And readers’ best—or most discombobulating— job-interview questions . Get...

The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering only deepens . Britain is making the most of its advantages in the burgeoning industry of quantum technology. And why conservationists’ concern about a wood beloved of classical musicians may be misplaced .   Get a world of insights by subsc...

For decades governments have found minimum-wage rises a politically expedient means of redistribution. But the onward economic distortions have at last become clear. Of course AI can write a faster cover letter — perhaps even a better one. But there are knock-on costs when everyone is doing it. And a look at Florida’s bold experiment in the free choice of unbundled education . Get a world of insig...

It is telling and troubling that the annual climate talking-shop’s outcome did not even mention fossil fuels. We ask whether the COP process is still fit for purpose. Cryptocurrencies could be heading for an almighty fall : what would they take down with them? And the revealing vowels and diphthongs of whale communications . (Hear much more on animal communication in our series on “Babbage”: part...

Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in immigration policy this week. Our correspondent explains Labour’s reforms – and the reasoning behind them. Why military spy balloons are making a comeback. And celebrating historian Gillian Tindall , who illuminated ordinary lives to bring the past to life. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to scienc...

Pentagon officials are meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a Russia-US peace proposal Ukraine had no part in writing. That merely adds pressure as a giant corruption crisis is already embroiling top officials. Fifty years on from the death of Franco , our correspondent assesses how much Spain has changed. And should you date your boss ?  Listen to what matters most, from g...

Muhammad bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in seven years earned the Saudi crown prince new weapons, giant tech deals and a burnished reputation. Our correspondent explains Trump’s warm welcome. Why gay rights in Hong Kong are going backwards. And how snail farms help Britons dodge tax. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to...

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, has been sentenced to death for  crimes against humanity. The country is at a pivotal moment as it heads towards parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump hopes tariffs will return furniture making to America. And why English speakers use their alphabet so oddly. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science...