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

Mar 19

An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing

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 becomes weaker. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial just began. And ... Show More

24m 43s

Mar 18

Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck

Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force lasting change on the big Gulf carriers. We ask why the once-frothy fake-meat industry is losing its bite. And why PDFs, one of technology’s most pe ... Show More

18m 40s

Sep 2025

When the son comes up: the Murdoch succession battle

A high-stakes tussle about who will take over Fox and News Corp from Rupert Murdoch has concluded; Lachlan, his eldest son, came out on top. Will the new boss be the same as the old boss? Our correspondent looks at kush, a synthetic opioid tearing through west Africa. And a look ... Show More

24m 58s

Jun 2025

Same news story: why Murdoch endures

The all-famous Murdoch clan is engaged in a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2025/06/02/even-as-the-murdochs-bitterly-feud-their-empire-thrives?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_showno ... Show More

18m 57s

Nov 2025

Murdoch's Succession Battle and the Fight for Fox News

What are the key differences between Murdoch's children, particularly Lachlan and James? How do the internal family conflicts of the Murdochs mirror the TV show Succession? What will Rupert Murdoch's legacy be? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wol ... Show More

7m 28s

Aug 2024

The Secret Succession Fight That Will Determine the Future of Fox News

For years, Rupert Murdoch seemed content to let his children battle it out for control of his conservative media empire once he’s gone. Jim Rutenberg, who writes about media and politics for The Times, discusses how a secret change to that plan by Mr. Murdoch touche ... Show More

27m 12s

Jun 2025

Going gang-buster: we meet Ecuador’s president

Yesterday’s arrest of a notorious gang leader is a win for Daniel Noboa. He <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2025/06/12/a-harvard-man-turned-narco-gang-buster?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content. ... Show More

25m 48s

Oct 2025

A Deal With the Devil? Murdoch and New Labour (Part 2)

What was the nature of Rupert Murdoch's relationship with Margaret Thatcher? What led to News Corp's near-collapse in the late 1980s, and how did the company recover? Why and how did Tony Blair's "New Labour" court Rupert Murdoch's support in the 1990s? Alastair is joined by two- ... Show More

14m 44s

Oct 2023

Money Talks: The future of crypto, part two

Last week, we spoke to the author Michael Lewis, who was embedded with Sam Bankman-Fried, as FTX, the crypto-trading empire he built, came crashing down amid allegations of fraud, which Mr Bankman-Fried denies. Mr Lewis credits Changpeng Zhao - the boss of Binance, a rival exc ... Show More

43m 43s

Aug 2025

Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syria

Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees: why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of o ... Show More

23m 38s

Oct 2025

The Rise of Rupert Murdoch: Making of a Mogul (Part 1)

Why is Rupert Murdoch considered such an influential figure? What was his childhood and family like growing up in Australia? How did he establish his groundbreaking media presence in the UK? Alastair is joined by two-time Rupert Murdoch biographer, Michael Wolff, to discuss all t ... Show More

9m 9s

When the son comes up: the Murdoch succe...