logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2021
22m 6s

Ain’t no party: scandals hobble Britain’...

The Economist
About this episode

At two years into Boris Johnson’s premiership, yet more scandal ensures attention will still stray from the sweeping agenda of change he promised. An archaeological find in the state of Tamil Nadu rewrites the timeline of civilisation in India—raising questions of identity in a charged political atmosphere. And the man listening intently to the staggering variety of Beijing’s birds.

Have your say about “The Intelligence” in our survey here 

www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey. And for full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Up next
Today
The Weekend Intelligence: The hunt for Austin Tice
On December 8th, 2024, rebels swept into Damascus and ousted Syria's dictator, Bashar al-Assad. One of the first things they did was open up the prisons. Syrians who disappeared years earlier began to emerge from their grim detention cells. Would missing American journalist Austi ... Show More
38m 42s
Yesterday
At your services: Britain’s economic bright spot
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice, a mi ... Show More
23m 14s
Jul 10
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2023
Balancing of Powers: India’s foreign policy
Narendra Modi is cosying up to America, but not at the expense of valuable relationships with Russia and China. Our correspondent speaks with the country’s foreign minister who details its unique worldview. After losing its charismatic leader, what does the future hold for the Sc ... Show More
27m 49s
Nov 2020
Lock step: England to shut down, again
Prime Minister Boris Johnson all but ruled out a second lockdown, but his hand has been forced by England’s caseload. What are the political costs of his U-turn? Myanmar’s coming election will almost certainly be marred by disinformation on Facebook—principally because so many Bu ... Show More
20m 32s
Oct 2022
Help them, Obi: one hopeful candidate in Nigeria
Our correspondent meets with Peter Obi, who has a handsome poll lead and an appeal that spans the country’s religions and ethnicities. But his presidential bid still faces obstacles. Myanmar’s ruling junta is doing more than suppressing the country’s people: it is battering the e ... Show More
25m 30s
May 2023
Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base
The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a curious slump for middle-of-the-road brands. Artificial intelligence like ChatGPT stands to disrupt everything from art to coding; we self-interestedly exp ... Show More
26m 5s
Jun 2024
Modi’s mess: a shock election result spells uncertainty for India
Narendra Modi, the strongman of India, will have to compromise now his party has lost its majority. What does the surprise result mean for the country? As some foreign investors shy away from Africa, the continent’s private sector is serving domestic customers to fill that hole ( ... Show More
23m 32s
Jan 2024
The Intelligence: The city that never slipped
From Brexit to covid-19, nothing has yet stymied London’s successes. The city has its problems, but it remains a paragon of policymaking. In the last of our series on democracy around the world, we examine what is at stake in India’s coming election (9:16). And a tribute to Gao Y ... Show More
24m 49s
Jun 2024
The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain
On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it would bring to an end 14 years of Tory rule. It’s been a turbulent period; the twin catastrophes of Brexit and Covid, set to ... Show More
50m 33s
Jan 2022
The Economist Asks: Carl Bernstein
The veteran reporter was a teenager when he first walked into a newsroom. He tells Anne McElvoy how that moment led him to become one half of the most famous bylines in journalism. They discuss the decline in trust in the media and echoes of Watergate in American politics today. ... Show More
26m 4s
May 2024
The Intelligence: Supercharging India’s economy
Narendra Modi’s reputation for prosperity is likely to propel him to a third term. But for India’s economic successes to last, the country needs a set of new reforms. Despite a host of sanctions from the West, Russia still has a booming arms industry. Where are all the weapons co ... Show More
20m 22s
Apr 2024
'Influencer of influencers': Modi's strategy to win the Indian election
India's PM Narendra Modi is favoured to win a third term as 970 million voters hit the polls in a six-week general election. Using an aggressive digital campaign, he’s doubling down on Hindu nationalism and promising more development. However, crackdowns on opposition and the pre ... Show More
30m 48s