The Intelligence

Yesterday's arrest of a notorious gang leader is a win for Daniel Noboa. He assures our journalists he can beat back rampant transnational gangs without trampling democracy. The torrent of big geopolitical news has, perhaps surprisingly, not much moved the markets; we ask why. And the next instalment of our “Archive 1945” project revisits the founding of the United Nations.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

We examine the path of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, once a bookish cleric underrated by everyone—including himself. He has hung on to power perhaps in part by not making decisions at crucial points. Our finance correspondent looks at the shifting wisdom on how best to manage an inheritance. And why India's addresses are so long, complex and ultimately costly.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Western brands used to define cool and luxurious in China. No longer. Now consumers are turning to homegrown brands, some of which are becoming global tastemakers. Across Africa the Christian conservative movement is gaining ground fast—with a little help from American brethren. And why Britain is such a locus for the nuts and bolts of Formula 1.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Iran's strikes both before and apparently after a ceasefire began seem to threaten peace. If it holds, what will that mean for Iran's ambitions, and for the wider region? A meeting of NATO-country leaders seems precision-engineered to appease the alliance's most fickle member. And why Germany is considering cancelling one of its many public holidays.Additional audio courtesy of Chatham House's “Independent Thinking” podcast.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

After America's strikes intended to destroy Iran's nuclear programme, one question is whether they succeeded. Another is how Iran will respond; all of its options are bad ones. In the West people have been shedding religion for decades, but that secularist shift now seems to be slowing. And what is driving the decline of inverted commas (aka “quotation marks”).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Runtime: 22 min

The most consequential decision of Donald Trump's presidency is now on pause for two weeks. We examine how the choice pits two sides of Mr Trump against one another. India is an advanced-manufacturing powerhouse, but can it become a hub for high-tech innovation, too? And as “Jaws” turns 50 our correspondent says its hero is probably not who you remember.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The workplace wisdom that a university degree is a sure-fire key to success is very much in question—and the trend started long before AI began eating jobs. Russia has launched yet another summer offensive in Ukraine, and appears to be going for broke. And our journalists share their picks for the year's best books so far.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Political assassinations. Troops on city streets. National protests. We examine the edgy mood inside America through the lens of past periods of intense, violent partisanship. Our correspondent sees two motives for the visit to Greenland by Emmanuel Macron, France's president: one aimed at Donald Trump and another at Europe's self-conception. And what AI learned from scans of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

A sudden war made Iran's leaders look unprepared. And many Iranians loathe the regime. But there are no signs yet that internal dissent will shape the conflict. Shortly after Nayib Bukele became El Salvador's president, he was labelled as the world's first millennial dictator; now he is going after his critics. And remembering Valmik Thapar, tireless campaigner for India's tigers.Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

So far, Israel's strikes have not accomplished the stated mission of crippling Iran's nuclear programme. A war of endurance will be decided by which side runs out of materiel first. South Asia has not been heating up as fast as other regions—thanks in part to its notorious pollution. And a close listen to the music-production genius of the late Brian Wilson. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

After Israel launches an all-out assault on Iran without clear US backing, our correspondent explains how the conflict could escalate. The Trump administration has reduced America's readiness for hurricane season. And what FIFA's expanded Club World Cup will mean for football.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

The all-famous Murdoch clan is engaged in a fierce battle over control of the family's media companies. Our correspondent explains why turmoil at the top has not deterred investors. After decades of fruitless research into Alzheimer's, there are finally some new drugs in the pipeline. And pop songs are getting shorter.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

For centuries, male children were prized as heirs and breadwinners. Now the desire to have boys is diminishing and some parents would rather have a girl. What Germany's expanded armed forces mean for Europe. And if coffee can benefit your health, how many mugs should you consume a day?   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

It brought us the iPhone–and changed the world. Now Apple is struggling to keep up with rapid advances in AI. Our correspondent assesses its future. China used to rely on Russian patronage. That power relationship has now largely been reversed (9:41). And remembering Amanda Feilding, who pioneered research on psychedelics (16:14).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Our correspondent reports from LA, where Donald Trump's decision to send in troops risks inciting further antagonism. The argument is now about far more than immigration. A visual investigation confirms that Myanmar's junta is still bombing civilian settlements after the deadly earthquake, despite agreeing to a humanitarian ceasefire (9:25). And should kids play contact sports (14:32)?     Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

What happens when the world's most powerful man falls out with its richest? Our correspondent analyses where the Trump-Musk brawl leaves the relationship between MAGA and tech. How Israel's far-right is influencing the war in Gaza (10:13). And why rhyme is on the decline (and verse is getting worse) (21:01). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

As the number of Russian dead and injured in Ukraine reaches a grim milestone, what do these losses signify about Vladimir Putin's strategy? Though misinformation is growing, the armies of fact-checkers are shrinking, forcing them to assess which lies may do the most harm (7:42). And why cheese rolling could become a protected item of British heritage (14:38). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

The election of South Korea's new president represents a resounding rejection of the political turmoil that preceded the campaign. Our correspondent explains the domestic and international challenges ahead. How Africa's diaspora is shaping Afrobeats (10:06). And why culling dingoes in Australia may be a mistake (16:44).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Britain, alongside other European countries, faces rising threats to its security. But a bold new strategy to bolster its defence forces risks being underfunded. Investors may be losing faith in long-term government bonds as a safe haven (8:42). And why a surprising number of French adults are choosing to be baptised (16:27).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Poland's presidential election was a fight between two distinct visions of the country's future. Our correspondent explains how the nationalist victor, a political newcomer, will shape Europe. Why drunken bar brawls are declining in Britain (7:31). And remembering the “Wonga Coup” mercenary, Simon Mann (12:18). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

A newly formed, private foundation took charge of aid distribution in the territory; a melee ensued. What is the group's origin, and what is its plan? A pandemic treaty at last agreed by the UN is an important step—even if the most desired signatory was absent (10:54). And a novel exhibition in London shows how to make the most of a museum's collection (18:22).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The US Court of International Trade ruled that Donald Trump's so-called fentanyl and Liberation Day tariffs constituted executive overreach. Now what? Artificial intelligence is on a wild ride through a well-known hype cycle—and is arriving at a “trough of disillusionment” (8:49). And a new book about Xi Jinping's father reveals much about the Chinese president himself (16:42).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The Trump administration's determination to bend higher-education institutions to its will seems to know no bounds—and nowhere is getting it worse than Harvard University. The outcome of Poland's presidential runoff matters far beyond its borders, now that it is a continental heavyweight (11:23). And a bid to elevate the humblest drink to a luxury beverage (19:25).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

No one knows which soldiers will be on the buses; many families simply come in hope. As the wider war grinds on, our correspondent witnesses a mix of joy, confusion and disappointment. Big American brands once had it easy in the global marketplace. Now they bear the brunt of anti-Trump sentiment (12:05). And Brazil's bustling bull market—that is, market for bulls (18:28).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Voters will be electing each and every one of the country's judges—removing the last meaningful check on Morena, the ruling party. Nigeria has more people without electricity than any other country, but fixing that will be fiendishly difficult (7:50). And if it is so easy to order a takeaway pizza, why are home pizza ovens all the rage (14:11)?Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The country's leader is in a mad rush to transform his country into an upper-middle-income powerhouse before geopolitical forces stall its rise. America's army is being thinned out; we examine the risks of putting both weapons and generals on the chopping block (10:12). And remembering Ed Smylie, who saved the crew of Apollo 13 with a delightfully low-tech plan (17:47). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia know their borders may be the next front for Russian aggression. They do not want to deploy mines and razor wire—but they must. Our correspondent visits the American city of Baltimore to investigate a national drop in violent crime (9:46). And a sweeping new biography of Mark Twain, who created a uniquely American style of fiction (17:19).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

A careful study of a range of data sources suggests that Israel's military actions in Gaza have resulted in far more deaths than published tallies indicate. The Church of England, facing declining numbers of parishioners, is selling up its properties on the cheap (14:10). And we ask whether those trendy “juice shots” confer any health benefits (20:29).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

A “reset” with the bloc is merely a first step in maintaining relations. We ask what is in this week's deal. Millennials and Gen Z get all the media attention—but spare a thought for Gen X, who have actually had it pretty rough (9:25). And Nvidia's graphics cards used to set the bar—but its latest offerings have failed to impress gamers (16:44).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor expected to win the first round cleanly only squeaked by. We ask what's at stake in the NATO-front-line country now the second round looks so uncertain. In the new world of weight-loss drugs Wegovy, from Novo Nordisk, has reigned supreme—perhaps not for much longer (9:40). And people really do look—but also act—like their dogs (16:51).Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Forget the hammocks and ping-pong tables. Creativity takes work. Managers at Google, Lego and a pair of AI startups share advice on breaking through. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Negotiations in Turkey to bring peace to Ukraine could be a flop. But the repercussions of shifting alliances with Russia will play out in this weekend's presidential election in Romania where the leading candidates have polarised opinion. Why British towns are shabby and disorderly (10:48). And the brilliance of women's basketball in America (18:30).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Drugs in America often cost more than three times as much as those elsewhere. But Donald Trump's plan to cut prescription costs and impose tariffs may have unintended consequences for consumers. Inside North Korea's crypto-heist: from hermit kingdom to hacking kingdom (10:45). And remembering Alvaro Mangino, who survived the 1972 Andes air crash (18:39).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

As Donald Trump removes bans on trade with Syria and meets its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, our correspondent analyses the implications. Two feuding political dynasties in the Philippines use mid-term elections as a proxy battle (10:03). And introducing V-Tubers, creators behind live-streams of cartoon avatars coming to a screen near you (18:42).Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

A ceasefire becomes ever more urgent in Gaza as Israel expands military operations and obstructs aid. As Donald Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia, the regional balance of power has shifted since his last term (9:55). Also on the show: introducing series two of “Boss Class”, on how to be a better manager (17:44). And we need your feedback! Please take our survey.Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Tariffs against China were the centrepiece of Donald Trump's “Liberation Day” trade plans. Our correspondent explains the significance of a new 90-day hiatus. Will Ukraine and Russia come to the negotiating table this week (7:51)? Why new techniques to compress the contrast between loud and quiet music could be damaging our hearing (15:35). And help us improve the show by taking this survey. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

The choice of Robert Prevost reflects a desire for unity and compromise. But insofar as Pope Leo XIV represents a middle path, how will he lead on the church's trickiest questions? The Trump administration has axed Biden-era export controls on AI chips. Good. Now they must enact simpler, more-effective ones (11:29). And remembering Martin Graham, founder of the Longborough Festival Opera (19:34).Economist Education is running a new six-week online course on international relations—a window into shifting geopolitical trends and a guide to navigating uncertainty and risk. Listeners to “The Intelligence” can save 15% by clicking here and using the code INTELLIGENCE.

Eighty years since the surrender of Nazi forces, we consider the differing ways that nations frame that distant history for today; none does so more gravely than Russia. Our “Archive 1945” project relives The Economist‘s reporting on the last days of war in Europe. And we examine how European defence has changed, and how Britain's celebrations hint at a world perhaps forever lost. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Two weeks after a terrorist attack in Kashmir, Indian missiles streaked into Pakistan. Will the retaliation end this latest flare-up or intensify it? Our correspondent meets Alexandre de Moraes, a swashbuckling Brazilian supreme court justice who is taking sides in the global free-speech fight (8:35). And appetite for Sweden's rare-earth minerals will pose difficulties for the Sami people and their reindeer (tk).Please take a moment to fill out our listener survey—let us know what you like about the show, and what you don't.

In a post-war first, Germany's round of parliamentary voting for a chancellor did not produce one. We ask why members of Friedrich Merz's coalition turned on him, and what happens next. Daring raids on scam compounds in Myanmar freed many slave-labour scammers—but thousands remain trapped there (9:42). And diving into the data that show young Americans are getting (slightly) happier (16:23).Economist Education is running a new six-week online course on international relations—a window into shifting geopolitical trends and a guide to navigating uncertainty and risk. Listeners to “The Intelligence” can save 15% by clicking here and using the code INTELLIGENCE.

Good bosses are rare. They don't have to be. The skills of management can be learned.The Economist's management columnist, Andrew Palmer, is here to help. The second season of Boss Class features leaders at some of the world's best performing companies, from Levi's to Novo Nordisk to Google. New episodes are out weekly starting May 12th. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plusIf you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

Many people view plastic as an environmental disaster that blights landscapes and chokes marine life. Our correspondent argues that instead we need to better understand this miracle material. To make prison work, governments need to have better strategies for managing inmates' release (10:04). And could saying sorry harm your career (16:16)? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.