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The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
Join Jason Palmer and Rosie Blau for noise-cancelling news and analysis from The Economist's global network of correspondents. Every weekday this award-winning podcast picks three stories shaping your world—the big shifts in politics, business and culture, plus things you never knew you needed to know. On Saturdays, download The Weekend Intelligence to dive deep into a single story, vividly told. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page at https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Refine and dandy: Iran’s war bounty
31 mar 202622 min<p>An Economist investigation reveals that <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/29/how-iran-is-making-a-mint-from-donald-trumps-war?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iran is profiting</a> from the war as it evades sanctions and oil prices surge. India’s government has promised to crush the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/26/the-end-of-the-worlds-longest-running-maoist-insurgency?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maoist insurgency</a>. Our correspondent visits a former rebel stronghold. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/19/why-understudies-are-seeing-their-wages-rise?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">understudies</a>, a theatre’s insurance policy, are underestimated.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor</li><li>Kira Huju, Asia correspondent</li><li>Hamish Clayton, culture writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Oil, Iran, Kharg Island, sanctions</li><li>India, Modi, Maoists</li><li>Culture, theatre, understudies</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The bog of war: week five begins
30 mar 202625 min<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/29/all-sides-in-the-gulf-war-are-at-risk-of-overplaying-their-hands?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iran conflict</a> is escalating with little prospect of an end in sight. Our correspondent explains why a US ground invasion is likely. In an ongoing <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/america-at-250#chapter-3?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history series</a>, we look at how America’s attitude to migrants changed as it got richer. And “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/20/what-to-watch-this-week?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Project Hail Mary</a>” is a sci-fi film drawing wide audiences.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Annie Crabill, a news editor in New York</li><li>Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, Houthis, geopolitics, oil</li><li>America, migration, colonialism</li><li>“Project Hail Mary”, sci-fi</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Hasta la victoria, quizás: Cuba’s broken economy
27 mar 202624 min<p>Even before America crimped Cuba’s oil, the country was <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/03/19/cubas-broken-economy-leaves-it-at-donald-trumps-mercy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">teetering</a>. We ask what is to blame for the Cuban people’s plight, and whether anything better is in prospect. The craze of <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/11/want-to-hack-your-body-with-peptides-if-only-the-science-agreed?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">injecting peptides</a> is not only scientifically unsupported—it is potentially dangerous. <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/26/chuck-norris-made-onions-cry?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chuck Norris</a> once got mad at dinosaurs. Just once. Our obituaries editor recounts his unlikely rise to international manly stardom.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sarah Birke, Central America and Caribbean bureau chief</li><li>Natasha Loder, health editor</li><li>Tim Cross, senior science writer</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Cuba, Trump administration</li><li>peptides, wellness, pseudoscience</li><li>Chuck Norris</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Algorithm and blues: a watershed social-media verdict
26 mar 202622 min<p>A jury in California agreed with a plaintiff who argued that Meta and Google, two social-media giants, designed their platforms to be addictive. That opens the floodgates to more litigation and perhaps to regulatory change. We examine the world’s maritime chokepoints and how they shape geopolitics—littorally, not figuratively. And how digitally animated films came to dominate the box office.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Wainwright, media editor</li><li>Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor</li><li>Alex Selby-Boothroyd, head of data journalism</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>social-media sites, internet use, online addiction</li><li>geopolitics, chokepoints, Strait of Hormuz</li><li>animated films</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
On goal difference: are America and Israel diverging on Iran?
25 mar 202624 min<p>In the daily tea leaves one might read that President Donald Trump would prefer a deal with Iran to a continuing military campaign. Where would that leave <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/23/donald-trumps-latest-climbdown-suggests-he-wants-to-end-the-war?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Israel and its goals</a>? Cryptocurrencies have gained a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/12/asia-is-turning-stablecoins-into-banking-infrastructure?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">particular foothold</a> in Asian economies; will they become real financial infrastructure or just tools of fraud? And tracing the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/19/its-strictly-business-the-enduring-allure-of-mafiosi-in-culture?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history of mafias</a> through the ages.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran war, Israel, America</li><li>cryptocurrency, Asia</li><li>mafias, crime families, history</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan
24 mar 202620 min<p>Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/19/a-deadly-strike-in-kabul-could-have-big-knock-on-effects?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hot conflict</a>. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act to lower it. Meanwhile that war’s oil shock brings with it fears of rising inflation; we examine how recent disruptions might inform policy decisions. And “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/03/how-to-hear-an-album-before-it-drops?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">listening parties</a>”, once for music-industry insiders, are becoming the norm.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Sasse, south Asia bureau chief</li><li>Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Afghanistan, Taliban, Pakistan, TTP</li><li>Iran war, oil shock, inflation</li><li>music, albums, listening parties</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran
23 mar 202623 min<p>As the war in Iran progresses, none of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/22/donald-trump-has-four-bad-options-for-the-war-in-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">options available</a> to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implicated in lots of lawless and dodgy behaviour—but clearing out the bad apples is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/01/08/can-thailand-rein-in-its-mafia-monks?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more complicated</a> than it seems. And gene-editing comes to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/04/a-basket-of-new-fruit-varieties-is-coming-your-way?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fruit bowl</a>: we look at what science is serving up next.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent&nbsp;</li><li>Alizée Jean-Baptiste, Asia senior podcasts producer</li><li>Maria Lisik, news editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran war, Donald Trump</li><li>Thailand, Buddhist monks</li><li>gene-editing, fruit</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah
20 mar 202625 min<p>As attention has focused on war in Iran, Israel sees an opportunity to crush a weakened Hizbullah in Lebanon. Our correspondent says it would be <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/19/lebanons-leaders-must-take-on-hizbullah?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">far better</a> for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/25/modernisation-is-making-south-east-asia-more-islamic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">greater primacy</a> in civic life. And a tribute to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/19/jurgen-habermas-hoped-rational-discussion-could-save-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jürgen Habermas</a>, Germany’s and perhaps Europe’s most prominent intellectual.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent&nbsp;</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Lebanon, Hizbullah, Israel, Iran war</li><li>Islam, south-east Asia</li><li>Jürgen Habermas, obituaries</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing
19 mar 202625 min<p>A rash entry into a war of choice exposes President Donald Trump in a number of ways—and he may prove more dangerous as he <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/18/how-the-iran-war-is-weakening-donald-trump?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">becomes weaker</a>. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/12/as-war-rages-turkeys-strongman-puts-the-opposition-on-trial?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">just began</a>. And Americans seem to be taking their anger out on <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/02/16/americans-are-unleashing-their-anger-on-food-delivery-robots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">food-delivery robots</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Robert Guest, deputy editor</li><li>Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent</li><li>Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Donald Trump, war in Iran</li><li>Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu</li><li>America, delivery robots</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck
18 mar 202619 min<p>Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/16/war-may-bring-lasting-change-to-the-airline-business?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lasting change</a> on the big Gulf carriers. We ask why the once-frothy fake-meat industry is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/26/the-fake-meat-industry-is-in-trouble?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">losing its bite</a>. And why PDFs, one of technology’s most pervasive file types, may <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/24/the-war-against-pdfs-is-heating-up?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">meet their end</a> thanks to AI.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and hosts:</p><ul><li>Simon Wright, industry editor</li><li>Hollie Berman, news editor</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>airline industry, Iran war</li><li>meat substitutes, plant-based meats</li><li>PDFs, AI</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Barrel vault: a Nigerian refining giant rises
17 mar 202621 min<p>Nigeria sorely needed the enormous oil refinery built by Aliko Dangote, who was already Africa’s richest man. We ask what that new capacity means for him, for Nigeria and for the continent. We speak to the surprisingly large and diverse <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/09/the-view-from-tehrangeles?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Iranian diaspora</a> in Los Angeles. And how a cancer diagnosis seems to drive some people to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/03/01/a-cancer-diagnosis-can-push-people-to-crime?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">life of crime</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi – Africa correspondent</li><li>Aryn Braun – West Coast correspondent</li><li>Ainslie Johnstone – data journalist&nbsp;</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Aliko Dangote, Nigeria, oil, energy security</li><li>Iran’s diaspora, California</li><li>cancer, crime, data&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Let me get this strait: the Iran-war escalation risk
16 mar 202623 min<p>Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of the war in Iran. The options available point to an <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/15/the-iran-war-may-be-about-to-escalate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">acute risk</a> of a broadening regional conflict. China is making great strides in building <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/18/chinas-humanoids-are-dazzling-the-world-who-will-buy-them?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">humanoid robots</a>—but so far they are more about entertainment than utility. And a look at the science to help you get <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/23/how-to-get-power-naps-right?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">power naps</a> right.</p><br><p>Guests and hosts:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Don Weinland, China business and finance editor</li><li>Harry Taunton, audience editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran war, Strait of Hormuz, Middle East&nbsp;</li><li>China, humanoid robots</li><li>power naps, wellness</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Lone goals: will US-Israel war aims diverge?
13 mar 202625 min<p>As <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/10/americas-war-aims-may-be-diverging-from-israels?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Israel</a> continues to pound Iran and expands its offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon, there are rumblings of disunity with America over the path and goal of the conflict. Why now is the time to buy <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/10/time-to-buy-the-most-rubbish-stocks-you-can-find?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rubbish stocks</a>. And celebrating the life of grand-clown <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/02/26/philippe-gaulier-refused-to-tolerate-boring-people?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Philippe Gaulier</a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Netanyahu, Trump, Hizbullah, refuelling plane</li><li>Markets, oil prices, quality stocks, junk stocks, investment</li><li>Philippe Gaulier, clowns, obituary</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Blood from a drone: Iran’s deadly arsenal
12 mar 202621 min<p>Iran continues to retaliate against attacks with ferocity. Though many of its ballistic missile facilities have been razed, its vast <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2026/03/06/can-ukraine-help-defeat-irans-drone-swarms?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drone armoury</a> is powerful and destructive. Who will benefit from India’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/19/india-is-in-the-midst-of-a-data-centre-investment-boom?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boom in data centres</a>? And why giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/11/adults-are-on-board-with-life-size-board-games?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">board games</a> are not child’s play.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Gavin Jackson, South Asia business and finance correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, America, Shahed drones, Geran, Ukraine, Zelenksy</li><li>India, data centres, Amazon, Meta, Google, Nvidia</li><li>Monopoly, board games, toys, kidults</li></ul><p><br></p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Strait of shock: Iran economic fallout
11 mar 202625 min<p>Overnight, the Pentagon said it “eliminated” 16 Iranian mine-laying ships, raising further jitters about the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/10/donald-trumps-options-to-cool-oil-prices-are-sorely-limited?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global impact</a> of the war in Iran. Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/02/fifteen-years-after-fukushima-japan-faces-an-energy-dilemma?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Fukushima nuclear disaster</a>, Japan is restarting reactors. And our correspondent meets <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/27/amid-the-war-a-tale-of-moral-reckoning-in-iran-is-fiercely-urgent?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jafar Panahi</a>, the Iranian director whose film is nominated for two Oscars this weekend.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business and finance editor</li><li>Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief</li><li>Andrew Miller, “Back Story” columnist</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, oil prices, Donald Trump, Strait of Hormuz, Brent crude, International Energy Agency, Russia</li><li>Japan, nuclear, Fukushima, tepco</li><li>Oscars, “It Was Just An Accident”, Jafar Panahi</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Oil rise: Trump gets the jitters
10 mar 202623 min<p>After oil prices climbed to nearly $120 a barrel yesterday, <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/08/why-maga-backs-donald-trumps-war-for-now?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> signalled a possible abrupt end to the conflict in Iran. Markets calmed, but the course of the war remains unclear. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/02/chinas-ice-cold-calculus-over-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">China’s government</a> has said little about Iran. And how a hippy grocery store became America’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/12/americas-hottest-grocery-store-is-also-its-priciest?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">swankiest supermarket</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, deputy editor of “The Economist”</li><li>Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief</li><li>Avantika Chilkoti, global business correspondent&nbsp;</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, Brent Crude, financial markets, Asia, oil shock</li><li>Chinese foreign policy, Wang Yi</li><li>Erewhon, food prices, supermarkets</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.&nbsp;</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Follow the leader: Iran picks the son
9 mar 202627 min<p>After Iran appoints a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/08/irans-defiant-regime-picks-a-new-supreme-leader?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new supreme leader</a>, what does the choice tell us about the resilience of the regime and how the war will progress? <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/02/04/in-america-science-sceptics-are-now-in-charge?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scientific research</a> in America has taken a battering in Donald Trump’s second term. And why British choirs face a shortage of <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/02/12/how-to-solve-the-tenor-shortage?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tenor</a> voices.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Daniella Raz, US correspondent</li><li>Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, oil prices</li><li>Scientific research, National Science Foundation, renewable energy</li><li>Tenors, choirs, Oxford University</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The third Gulf war: one week on
6 mar 202630 min<p>After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/03/05/how-the-latest-regional-conflict-is-reshaping-the-middle-east?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">momentous week</a>, our editors reflect on how uncertainty about the goals of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/05/donald-trump-must-stop-soon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">war in Iran</a> will affect its course. Iran’s retaliation has been fierce and wide ranging. How long can Gulf stocks of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/03/are-gulf-states-running-out-of-missile-interceptors?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">missile interceptors</a> last? And our obituaries editor looks back at the life of Iran’s supreme leader <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/03/ali-khamenei-hoped-his-legacy-might-last-for-ever?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ali Khamenei</a>.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, Economist deputy editor&nbsp;</li><li>Josie Delap, Middle East editor</li><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, third Gulf war, war goals</li><li>Interceptor missiles, military strategy</li><li>Ali Khamenei&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Spars and strikes: Who backs Iran war?
5 mar 202622 min<p>As America continues to batter Iran, what are the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/03/the-perils-of-donald-trumps-pivot-from-peace-to-war-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">domestic implications</a> of the war for Donald Trump? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/04/the-iran-war-has-been-a-stunning-operational-success?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">widening conflict</a> has prompted some European countries to deploy defensive forces. <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/03/what-frances-new-nuclear-arms-doctrine-means-for-europe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France</a> has also announced a bigger shift in policy: to bolster its nuclear arsenal. And the politics of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/15/why-maga-brands-have-been-a-flop?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beer and nappies</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Adam Roberts, foreign editor</li><li>Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, senate, Turkey</li><li>France, Macron, nuclear warheads, NATO</li><li>MAGA, marketing&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Crude awakening: Iran oil shock
4 mar 202621 min<p>As America and Israel continue to bombard Iran, much of Iran’s retaliation is directed against <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/03/the-nightmare-iran-energy-scenario-is-becoming-reality?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">energy infrastructure</a>. With tankers blocked and oil prices rising, our correspondent discusses the impact on the global economy. Why do student debts weigh heavily on Britain’s graduates? And is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/22/the-latest-choreography-craze-line-dancing?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">line dancing</a> really becoming sexy?&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor</li><li>Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Hollie Berman, news editor, US bureau&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”&nbsp;</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, oil, gas, global economy, Dubai, Gulf, stockmarkets</li><li>Britain, universities, student loans, tax</li><li>Line dancing, New York, bar culture</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.&nbsp;</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Escalation: Middle East war widens
3 mar 202625 min<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/02/the-iran-war-is-rapidly-engulfing-the-region?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">war in Iran</a> has entered its fourth day with further American and Israeli strikes, and Iranian retaliation across the region. Now Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a ground offensive in <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/02/hizbullah-the-reluctant-proxy-strikes-at-israel?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Lebanon</a>. Attacks on Tehran involved the use of Artificial Intelligence, so why is the Pentagon picking a fight with <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/24/pete-hegseth-wages-war-on-anthropic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anthropic</a>, its supplier? And <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/26/thirty-years-on-pokemon-is-still-a-monster-hit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pokémon</a> turns 30.</p><p>Watch “<a href="https://www.economist.com/insider?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Insider</a>” on Iran: Economist experts ask what will happen next</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Henry Tricks, US technology editor</li><li>Moeka Iida, Japan correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>War in Iran, America, Israel, Lebanon, Hizbullah, Middle East</li><li>Anthropic, OpenAI, Claude, Artificial Intelligence&nbsp;</li><li>Pokemon, media</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
War with Iran: Middle East in flames
2 mar 202629 min<p>This weekend, America and Israel launched long-anticipated <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/01/why-donald-trump-gambled-in-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">attacks on Iran</a>, killing <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/01/ali-khamenei-grabbed-power-and-held-it-at-bloody-cost?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ali Khamenei,</a> the country’s supreme leader. Our correspondents analyse what his death <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/01/war-succession-and-the-perilous-test-of-two-myths-about-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">means for the country</a> and the strategy behind Iran’s retaliation. We report how <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/02/28/americas-gulf-allies-face-a-moment-of-great-peril?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gulf States</a> are dealing with unprecedented instability within their borders. And we assess Iran’s military capability and what might happen next.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent&nbsp;</li><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent&nbsp;</li><li>Gareth Browne, Middle East reporter</li><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran attacks, military capability</li><li>Ali Khamenei, succession&nbsp;</li><li>Donald Trump, foreign policy</li><li>Gulf States, Dubai&nbsp;</li></ul><p><br></p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.&nbsp;</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The Weekend Intelligence: How to prepare for an invasion
28 feb 202644 min<p>Just one generation after they gained independence, people in the Baltic States are watching the threat from the Kremlin creep closer and closer. In Lithuania, the government is preparing the population to resist an invasion.&nbsp;</p><br><p>On “The Weekend Intelligence” Katie Bryant travels to Vilnius to ask how facing up to threat is changing the nation.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Topics covered:</p><br><p>Lithuania</p><p>Civil defence</p><p>Disinformation</p><br><p>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.</p><br><p>Music by bluedot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.</p><br><p>This podcast transcript is generated by third-party AI. It has not been reviewed prior to publication. We make no representations or warranties in relation to the transcript, its accuracy or its completeness, and we disclaim all liability regarding its receipt, content and use. If you have any concerns about the transcript, please email us at podcasts@economist.com.</p><br><p>Read more about how we are using AI.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Bot the difference: AI’s absence in economic data
27 feb 202623 min<p>For all the promise of transformation that artificial intelligence offers, a close look at macroeconomic data shows <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/02/22/the-ai-productivity-boom-is-not-here-yet?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">little change</a>. Sit tight. A brutal attack in Nigeria reveals how the security crisis is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/02/12/a-deadly-attack-shows-nigerias-security-crisis-is-worsening?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spreading ominously</a>. And a tribute to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/02/12/virginia-oliver-worked-maines-waters-for-nearly-a-century?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Virginia Oliver</a>, who cut an unusual figure on the lobster boat she skippered for decades.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Alex Domash, economics correspondent</li><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Artificial intelligence, macroeconomics</li><li>Nigeria, security, jihadism</li><li>Virginia Oliver, Maine, lobsters</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Poised and confused: the will-he-won’t-he of Iran strikes
26 feb 202625 min<p>As a military build-up continues in the Middle East, President Donald Trump’s messaging remains <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/02/25/americans-have-no-idea-what-donald-trump-wants-from-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ambiguous</a>. What could, at this stage, head off conflict? Our <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/america-at-250#chapter-2?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">series on America’s 250th birthday</a> continues with a dive into our archive on the era leading up to civil war. And a couple of recommendations for the silver and the small screen.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Annie Crabill, senior digital editor</li><li>Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Iran, nuclear deal, military build-up</li><li>American history</li><li>entertainment, “Dreams”, “Bridgerton”</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
Chapo, Mayo, Mencho: another Mexican kingpin falls
25 feb 202624 min<p>The targeting of “El Mencho”, the leader of one of the country’s two biggest gangs, has resulted in a predictable <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/02/23/the-killing-of-mexicos-most-powerful-narco-will-please-donald-trump?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spate of violence</a>—more of which is virtually assured. We take a rare look inside Russia to see how four years of war has <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/02/19/how-four-years-of-war-have-changed-russia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changed the country</a>. And some surprising advice on how to get your <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/12/26/what-is-the-best-way-to-train-for-a-marathon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">best marathon time</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sarah Birke, Mexico City bureau chief</li><li>Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor</li><li>Tim Cross, senior science writer</li><li>Ainslie Johnstone, data journalist</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Mexico, cartels, gang violence</li><li>Russia, economy, Ukraine war</li><li>Running, training, marathons</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
A world-changing war: four years in Ukraine
24 feb 202621 min<p>On the fourth anniversary of a war that many predicted would last mere days, much has changed—even beyond the unthinkable misery <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/02/18/how-a-four-year-onslaught-has-changed-ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in Ukraine itself</a>. Alliances have weakened, Europe is rearming like never before and the very nature of modern war has been redefined. Our correspondents take stock and consider what kind of peace is even possible.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, deputy editor</li><li>Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent</li><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>war in Ukraine, Russia, defence, diplomacy</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
When the levy brakes: Trump’s tariffs struck down
23 feb 202621 min<p>The smackdown by America’s Supreme Court was <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/02/20/donald-trump-answers-a-supreme-court-rebuke-with-new-tariff-threats?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resounding</a>: the bulk of Donald Trump’s tariffs were instituted illegally. He will try to rebuild his tariff wall, brick by brick—creating a new crop of winners and losers. Australia’s surging <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/19/could-one-nation-soon-become-australias-most-popular-party?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One Nation</a> party threatens a conservative coalition that was already looking slightly shaky. And why Agatha Christie’s prolific output is so <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/01/12/the-secret-to-agatha-christies-success?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">enduringly popular</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business-affairs editor</li><li>Aaron Connelly, Asia diplomatic editor</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>America’s Supreme Court, Donald Trump, tariffs</li><li>Australian politics, Pauline Hanson</li><li>Agatha Christie</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The arrest is history: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
20 feb 202622 min<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/02/19/what-andrew-mountbatten-windsors-arrest-means-for-the-monarchy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">detainment</a> of King Charles’s brother is almost without precedent in Britain’s long royal history. He denies wrongdoing, but damage to “The Firm” is already assured. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have fallen into a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/02/17/why-the-gulfs-most-powerful-countries-are-at-odds?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">very public spat</a> that may have grave implications far beyond the region. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/02/18/jesse-jackson-made-a-black-president-possible?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jesse Jackson</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sonny Loughran, Britain writer</li><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Ann Wroe, Obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain’s royal family, Jeffrey Epstein</li><li>Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, diplomacy</li><li>Jesse Jackson</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
The splitting image: Yoon verdict will deepen divisions
19 feb 202626 min<p>Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s ex-president, has been handed a life sentence for insurrection. That is by no means the end of the story of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/18/south-korea-is-still-haunted-by-its-disgraced-ex-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">division in the country</a>. Nervous AI-watchers fret about which workers might be replaced; our analysis suggests white-collar workers can <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/01/26/why-ai-wont-wipe-out-white-collar-jobs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">breathe easy</a>. And the memoir of <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/17/gisele-pelicots-horrifying-rape-case-changed-the-law-and-minds?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gisèle Pelicot</a>, a rape survivor turned global symbol of strength.</p><br><p>Guests and hosts:</p><ul><li>Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief</li><li>Alex Domash, economics correspondent</li><li>Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol</li><li>AI, white-collar jobs</li><li>Gisèle Pelicot, memoir</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
