Today

(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan

Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into hot conflict. 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 inf ... Show More

20m 5s

Yesterday

From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran

As the war in Iran progresses, none of the options available 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 more complicated than it seems. And gene-editing co ... Show More

22m 59s

Mar 20

Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah

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 far better for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining greater primacy in c ... Show More

25m 2s

Jun 2024

Heir tight: why boomers are so stingy

The post-war generation reaped the benefits of peace and prosperity. Yet rather than spend that bounty, retired boomers are hoarding their riches–and upending economists’ expectations. The science of menstruation is baffling, partly because most animals don’t do it. Now clever in ... Show More

22m 54s

Mar 2024

The Intelligence: Fed reckoning

America’s central bank left rates untouched, to widespread market delight. Why is this economic cycle confounding expectations so much, and how to bring it to a gentle end? We look at the modern fortunes of Vodafone, a once-mighty telecoms firm that is slimming down to get health ... Show More

21m 28s

Apr 2024

The Intelligence: Your country needs you!

Governments particularly in the rich world are struggling to get young people in uniform. Will some form of conscription become necessary? In America, how remote working husbands may be liberating their wives (10:19). And, the generational hunting prowess of the killer whale (16: ... Show More

23m 53s

Feb 2024

The Intelligence: Strikes, a careful balance

Dozens of air strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen were designed to show American resolve without themselves provoking a deeper conflict. We ask what happens next. Philanthropists are increasingly doing things differently: handing over the cash and getting out of the way (11:01). And ... Show More

25m 58s

Apr 2024

The Intelligence: Bear up

In Russia inflation is under control, wages are on the up and supposedly tough sanctions have been successfully skirted. Why is the pariah economy proving so resilient? Despite the nasty rhetoric of many of its politicians, Britain has turned out to be quite good at assimilating ... Show More

25m 6s

May 2024

Swat off the press: Meta v Canada’s news ploy

A bid to squeeze money from social-media platforms that link to news content has backfired: what was intended to help publishers is instead harming them. America’s workers still work more than Europe’s; what is changing is where they do it (9:44). And remembering Shirley Conran, ... Show More

23m 40s

May 2024

The Intelligence: The kids are alright, turns out

When you look around the world, and at a wider set of measures, Generation Z are far better off than the popular narrative would have you believe. We examine what India’s push to soup up its nukes means for the global arms race (09:30). And even as global fertility rates fall, su ... Show More

21m 26s

Dec 2023

The Intelligence: searching for the elixir of life

Scientists are making considerable progress in the race to slow the ageing process of our cells, and in turn, our bodies. But what would living for longer actually mean for the world? How government legislation and impatient consumers are forcing the advertising industry to adapt ... Show More

30m 6s

Sep 2023

Refresh your feed: introducing Economist Podcasts+

<p>For 17 years, The Economist has brought you a host of brilliant shows. Now we are taking that even further. But to bring you even more of the content that you love, we need your support. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/09/04/an-armenian-enclave-inside-azerba ... Show More

26m 45s

Mar 2024

The Intelligence: The power of positive tinkering

The Bank of Japan has ended its grand experiment in unconventional monetary policy—how did it work, and what happens now that it has concluded? Ahead of Florida’s presidential primary our correspondent pays a visit, examining the state’s hard swing to the right (10:17). And the n ... Show More

25m 45s