Today

Refine and dandy: Iran’s war bounty

An Economist investigation reveals that Iran is profiting from the war as it evades sanctions and oil prices surge. India’s government has promised to crush the country’s Maoist insurgency. Our correspondent visits a former rebel stronghold. And why understudies, a theatre’s insu ... Show More

22m 11s

Yesterday

The bog of war: week five begins

The Iran conflict is escalating with little prospect of an end in sight. Our correspondent explains why a US ground invasion is likely. In an ongoing history series, we look at how America’s attitude to migrants changed as it got richer. And “Project Hail Mary” is a sci-fi film d ... Show More

24m 41s

Mar 27

Hasta la victoria, quizás: Cuba’s broken economy

Even before America crimped Cuba’s oil, the country was teetering. We ask what is to blame for the Cuban people’s plight, and whether anything better is in prospect. The craze of injecting peptides is not only scientifically unsupported—it is potentially dangerous. Chuck Norris o ... Show More

23m 56s

Sep 2025

Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slowing?

The collapse of Russia’s wartime economy has long been foretold, yet massive fiscal stimulus has compensated for the effect of sanctions. Though the pinch is now being felt, the labour market is surprisingly resilient. Protesters in China are getting more creative. And why car to ... Show More

23m 30s

Nov 2024

The long game: how will US missiles help Ukraine?

<p>America feared that letting <a href="https://www.economist.com/topics/ukraine?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_b ... Show More

24m 45s

Oct 2025

The great brawl: China is winning the trade war

This weekend American and Chinese officials are meeting to try and ease tensions over trade after China’s recent decision to restrict rare-earth exports. How has China gained the upper hand? Anxiety about screen time is focused on young people, but the elderly are addicted to dev ... Show More

23m 20s

Oct 2025

Aid pro quo: Trump weaponises foreign help

After cancelling much of America’s international development funding, President Donald Trump is now using that money to boost friends, allies against China and buy goods and influence. Ukraine is striking Russia’s fuel infrastructure deep inside the country. And why JD Wetherspoo ... Show More

23m 32s

Nov 2025

The little green look: China’s energy revolution

America has boycotted this week’s COP climate talks, but China has sent a giant delegation. The world’s biggest polluter is increasingly pivotal to tackling global warming. Why young protesters around the world brandish a pirate flag. And since sports leagues cannot stamp out pir ... Show More

22m 27s

Aug 2025

Why Russia’s wartime economy is starting to crack, with Elina Ribakova

When the EU and US hit Russia with fresh sanctions in 2022, many analysts expected the country’s economy to crack. Instead, Russia has shown strong GDP growth, powered in large part by a massive boost to war-related industries. Now, the effects of that boost appear to be fading. ... Show More

28m 8s

Sep 2025

Combative, conservative, cut down: Charlie Kirk

America’s most prominent young conservative was assassinated while conducting one of his signature campus events. His death might only widen political divides. In Asia a broad trend of deflation points to lower prices but unhealthy economies. And what happens when spiritual leade ... Show More

23m 1s

Sep 2025

Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains

A snapshot of the country reveals deepening military and economic problems—and, perhaps above all, political ones. America’s efforts to clamp down on skilled-worker visas will have far-reaching unintended consequences. And globally, more children today are obese than underweight. ... Show More

21m 15s

Aug 2024

Electric eye: AI is helping fight terrorists

<p>Predicting political violence is a painstaking job. Now <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/07/31/how-america-built-an-ai-tool-to-predict-taliban-attacks?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.c ... Show More

26m 19s

Feb 2025

I’ll be jammed: electronic warfare in Ukraine

<p>Some of the most frenetic innovation of Ukraine’s war happens in the electromagnetic spectrum: detecting and denying signals to and from materiel. This <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2025/02/05/fighting-the-war-in-ukraine-on-the-electromagnetic-spect ... Show More

21m 46s

Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slo...