Yesterday

Duty regime: America’s consumers will foot the tariff bill

As yet another tranche of Donald Trump’s tariffs takes effect, we look at why the duties might outlast him—and how American consumers will ultimately shoulder the trade war’s costs. Our correspondent visits US Space Command, which is preparing for a new age of combat in the heave ... Show More

22m 37s

Aug 6

Unsteady state: Somalia in disarray

The country had been on the rise: beating back jihadists, strengthening its federal structure and gaining international stature. That has all reversed. In Britain levels of crime have fallen—but the changing nature of criminality has meant a smaller fraction of crooks getting cau ... Show More

24m 2s

Aug 5

Consultant management: McKinsey loses its shine

The world’s biggest strategy consultant has smaller rivals nipping at its heels. As it nears 100 years old, we ask how it will navigate a tricky AI-inflected future. It is already hard enough to fiddle with travel plans to get the cheapest flight. A new thing to consider? Whether ... Show More

21m 10s

Aug 1

State swing: recognising Palestine

The aims of France, Britain and Canada in recognising a Palestinian state are laudable—but now is not the time to deploy what little leverage they have. AI optimists reckon the era of superintelligence will bring about explosive growth; we ask what that world would look like. And ... Show More

29m 26s

Sep 2024

War or less? Lebanon on the brink

For now, Israel’s moves seem to be posturing, a means to intimidate Hizbullah into backing down. But there remains a prospect of a ground invasion—and another pointless war. Our swing-state series starts with a state that only recently became swing-y: North Carolina (10:08). And ... Show More

27m 36s

Jul 22

Hawks v talks: barriers to peace in Gaza

Even as Western countries band together to condemn Israel’s actions, aid remains at a trickle and the war is expanding into a central-Gazan city. We ask how the horrors might end. As with many technologies before it, many worry artificial intelligence will ultimately dumb down it ... Show More

24m 44s

Sep 2024

Missile-stop tour: Zelensky in America

Ukraine’s president is again on American shores, trying to secure support of all kinds. He needs it—diplomatically, militarily and politically. America’s tendencies toward “woke” discourse and policies have permeated its politics, but our analysis finds that “peak woke” is alread ... Show More

23m 29s

Jul 2024

Bibi talk: a speech light on detail

Anyone hoping to glean hints of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Gaza war and its aftermath will have been disappointed: it was a political speech aimed at Israelis. Nigerians spend more than anyone on food, as a fraction of income. We look at the factors making ... Show More

23m 45s

Sep 2024

Rocketing: Israel escalates Lebanon conflict

After Israeli fires rockets into Lebanon and Hizbullah warns of “red lines” crossed, the Middle East is braced for further attacks. As the planet warms, sport is getting harder – and deadlier (6:32). And celebrating Francisco Lopera, who dedicated his life to researching Alzheime ... Show More

21m 7s

Jul 21

Land of the rising shun? Immigration and Japan’s politics

The Liberal Democratic Party, which has dominated the country’s politics for seven decades, just got a pasting at the polls—again. We ask why staid politics are getting swiftly messy. Iceland is a NATO member in a volatile region; at last it must consider raising its own army. An ... Show More

22m 49s

Jan 2025

Against the clock: Gaza peace talks

Israel continued to pound Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations began in Qatar. The familiar dynamic will soon be interrupted by a new American administration. Our analysis shows that Nordic firms have markedly better fundamentals than the European average; we examine what’s behin ... Show More

25m 16s

Oct 2024

Marching borders: what was Hizbullah’s plan?

Israel is planning to strike Iran within days, even as its wars in Lebanon and Gaza deepen. Our correspondent reports from the Lebanese border, where he embedded with Israeli forces. Carbon-trading schemes may finally help reforest the Amazon (9:29). And which country is the most ... Show More

23m 42s

Aug 2024

Enter staged right: misinformation feeds Britain’s riots

Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the violence, and how to end it swiftly. Japanese politics had until recently been anachronistically tame; not so now that the social ... Show More

22m 37s