Podcasts · International affairs
The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
The Economist’s daily podcast on global news and ideas.
Audio and descriptions © The Economist, played from their official feed “The Intelligence from The Economist”. Feed checked 29 Oct 2026, 4:10 AM IST.
28 Oct 2026 · 21 min
Bye bye Bibi? Israel’s election results
Binyamin Netanyahu has underperformed but so has his main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot. Who will form a government? We decipher what the messy results mean for Israel. Our American-midterms series heads south to Georgia . And how film critics and audiences have agreed to disagree. Guests and host: Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent Doug Dowson, data journalist
Episode page ↗27 Oct 2026 · 24 min
Act of Claude: Anthropic’s IPO bid
It would be the first public listing from a frontier-AI firm—and perhaps the largest IPO of all time. We comb through the filing to understand how the company is thinking about itself and its industry. Our American-midterms series continues in the battleground state of Alaska . And scientists consider how to redefine the second . Guests and host: Miles Kruppa, technology correspondent Aryn Braun,
Episode page ↗26 Oct 2026 · 27 min
From this day, fourth: Lula’s surprise win
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, staged a historic comeback to win a fourth term. We ask how he did it, and what he must do next. Each day this week our correspondents in America are focusing on crucial midterm-election races; today we start in Texas . And tote-bag economics: why so many businesses are getting in on selling merchandise . Guests and host: Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chi
Episode page ↗23 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Songs of disenchantment: the sorrow of Nigeria
Nigeria is suffering a worsening security crisis, compounded by a lean harvest, global aid cuts and rising energy prices. So why is President Bola Tinubu likely to win January’s election? Europe is struggling to develop a rival to Starlink and reduce reliance on American satellites. And our obituaries editor recalls the improbable career of author and conman Jeffrey Archer . Watch extended clips f
Episode page ↗22 Oct 2026 · 24 min
Dunes and gloom: MBS’s annus horribilis
This week, Muhammad bin Salman , crown prince of Saudi Arabia, was forced to postpone his annual investment summit. His other big bets on the kingdom’s future are also floundering. Sam Bankman-Fried , a crypto-billionaire supporter of effective altruism, calls our correspondent from prison. And things look hazy in Singapore and other Asian countries. Guests and host: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East c
Episode page ↗21 Oct 2026 · 24 min
Cash test: can Europe support Ukraine alone?
Donald Trump’s administration is turning against Ukraine . But as European powers confront trouble at home, they are struggling to replace American support. Are US private science institutions entering a golden age? And the climb in art crime . Guests and host: Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor Shera Avi-Yonah, US business correspondent Vendeline von Bredow, senior Germany correspondent Rosie Bl
Episode page ↗20 Oct 2026 · 21 min
Disorder of magnitude: France’s riots
What started as student protests ballooned into national lawlessness. The disorder plays into the hands of France’s political extremes; expect more of it . In Zimbabwe white farmers are returning to work land taken by Robert Mugabe a quarter-century ago. And our columnist considers the delicate wording that might indemnify AI firms if the bots happen to wipe out humanity. Guests and host: Sophie P
Episode page ↗19 Oct 2026 · 22 min
Independence eh? Canada’s referendum
The province of Alberta will vote on secession today. It is unlikely to go ahead, but the separatist vibe is just one of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s many headaches . Our correspondent examines China’s efforts toward brain-computer interfaces, finding the country is closing the gap with America. And Britain’s “ bug superhighways ” link up the shrinking number of lush insect habitats. Guests and ho
Episode page ↗16 Oct 2026 · 28 min
Schrödinger’s chat: can AI and scientists co-exist?
In recent weeks, AI has solved hundreds of previously unanswered maths problems. Our correspondents ask if machines can do the same in other areas of science and what role human researchers may play. Why crisps are getting chunkier and chocolate chewier. And celebrating the life and work of author Annie Dillard . Watch extended clips from Insider here . Guests and host: Alex Hern, AI writer Alok J
Episode page ↗15 Oct 2026 · 61 min
An interview with Alice Weidel
Under Alice Weidel’s leadership the Alternative for Germany (AfD), a right-wing populist party, has been riding high. A series of successes in state elections have brought it closer than ever to power at national level. Ms Weidel is perhaps best known for her calls for “remigration” and criticism of Germany’s support for Ukraine. She spoke to The Economist ’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes,
Episode page ↗15 Oct 2026 · 22 min
Who wants to be a millennial? Generation comeback
Their struggles to get jobs or buy homes once propelled political movements. Now many millennials are out-earning their parents and in positions of power. Our correspondent explains the transformation. Sophisticated tech tools are being used to sway voters in Israel . And why you should hold your tongue to high standards. Guests and host: Callum Williams, senior economics writer Anshel Pfeffer, Is
Episode page ↗14 Oct 2026 · 26 min
Kicking Kyiv: Trump’s doubtful deals
Donald Trump claims to have brokered a deal to import Russian diesel and an energy ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. As attacks on Kyiv continue, our deputy editor says Trump is risking Ukraine’s future for a mid-term bounce. India’s government is failing to quell Gen Z protests . And how song binds us together and brings joy. Guests and host: Edward Carr, deputy editor of The Economist Kira H
Episode page ↗13 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Unrest in peace: misery in Gaza
A year ago Donald Trump created the Board of Peace to rebuild Gaza . Yet for many Palestinians, life is even harder, as the ceasefire is repeatedly violated, crime is rising and poverty rife. Why record labels are in a spin over AI music. And Japan is struggling to benefit from the global matcha boom . Guests and host: Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent Henry Tricks, US technology and media
Episode page ↗12 Oct 2026 · 23 min
Saudi under siege: Houthis attack airport
This weekend, Yemeni rebels struck Saudi Arabia ’s international airport in the deadliest attack on a Gulf Arab country since the Iran war began in February. Our correspondent reports from Riyadh. How European manufacturers are adjusting to high energy prices and war. And the revival of writing by hand . Guests and host: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent Guy Scriven, global business write
Episode page ↗9 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Saving your bacon: healthy-eating policy evolves
Decades of messaging have not worked, so governments are trying new ways to get citizens to eat well, from scary labelling to taxing the junkiest foods. Will it work? The death of a plague researcher in Russia is made more mysterious by the government’s resolute lack of transparency. And a tribute to Cyril Hilsum , the inventor behind ubiquitous flat-screen displays. Watch extended clips from Insi
Episode page ↗8 Oct 2026 · 22 min
Valley of the shadow of debt: bond-market jitters
Bond yields across the rich world keep ticking up. We take a global look at where the risks are mounting most, and just how much worry is warranted. What might have once seemed fanciful is becoming real: delivering daylight to dark parts of the world using mirrors in space . And the fatal earnestness of “The Social Reckoning”. Guests and host: Alex Domash, economics correspondent Tim Cross, senior
Episode page ↗7 Oct 2026 · 20 min
Gilets jeunes? France’s school protests
What started as a small protest about conditions of a school and of schooling has mushroomed , and tapped into national anxieties that may prove hard to tame. In the context of the “Cornell 7” case we examine Title IX, the statute that should protect students—but that is failing. And how peddling superstitions to financiers is big business in India. Guests and host: Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chi
Episode page ↗6 Oct 2026 · 23 min
House call: Spain’s snap election
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is gambling that anger about housing might solidify his mandate in a snap poll . Most probably it will instead add to the rightward shift in European politics. America’s beef prices have never been higher, so why is it that the meatpackers have it so tough ? And the battery technology to improve medical diagnostics you can swallow. Listen to our episode of “Babbage” on
Episode page ↗5 Oct 2026 · 23 min
Here comes the son? Brazil’s election tips rightward
Flávio Bolsonaro, populist-right son of the imprisoned coup architect Jair, received the most votes in the presidential first round. We ask why Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent, fell behind—and what is at stake when they go head-to-head. We examine Americans’ growing anger at automatic number-plate-reading cameras. And the demanding but lucrative business of nannying the children of the su
Episode page ↗2 Oct 2026 · 26 min
Coffer stop: AI may shrink tax base
If Artificial Intelligence results in job losses or lower salaries, government revenues will fall. Our correspondent explains how best to tax the windfalls from AI. Paint is a surprisingly cheap way to cool buildings. And remembering the life of Stanislas Hutin , who revealed France’s barbarity in Algeria. Watch extended clips from Insider here Guests and host: Callum Williams, senior economics wr
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