The Economist
What happens to the UN without America?
- Title
- What happens to the UN without America?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- What would happen if America left the UN? As the organisation turns 80, our diplomatic editor, Anton La Guardia, analyses whether its future is under threat on The Intelligence podcast.
- Title
- Why do the Democrats seem so weak?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Donald Trump’s net approval rating is in dire straits. And yet, the Democratic Party is even less popular than the president. Robert Guest, our deputy editor, explains why #usa #democrats #politics
- Title
- Can two sperm make a baby?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Scientists have created mouse pups with two fathers by combining the sperm of two mice in a lab. The breakthrough technique offers a possible future in which two dads could have children to whom they are both genetically related
- Title
- How Trumpian is Britain becoming?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- America’s president is paying a state visit to Britain at a time when there are growing calls to Make England Great Again. Is Britain becoming more Trumpian?
- Title
- Welcome to the deficit-populism doom loop
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Why can’t governments stop the rise of populist parties and satisfy the markets? Gavin Jackson, our finance writer, explains why politicians face an impossible dilemma: fixing weak economies with only deeply unpopular policies to choose from.
- Title
- Should cars be manufactured like iPhones?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- As cars are increasingly designed to be smartphones on wheels, Jan Piotrowski, our business columnist, argues that they should be manufactured like smartphones, too #cars #iphone #manufacturing
- Title
- Britain's stolen cars fuel a global criminal market
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Every four minutes a car is stolen in Britain—but where do they end up? We tracked the new global black market in stolen vehicles.
- Title
- Are British spies ready for future global threats?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- When MI6’s new chief takes over on October 1st, she’ll face a world where technology has irrevocably changed the nature of modern espionage. Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, discuss what the future holds for Britain’s foreign intelligence agency.
00:00 - How would you characterise the challenges MI6 faces?
01:43 - Who is the incoming chief?
03:18 - How will she address the challenges that she's facing?
05:06 - What are the tasks that MI6 faces?
07:17 - How does technology shape British intelligence?
Listen to the full episode: http://econ.st/3I1x4qx
The choices facing Britain’s next MI6 chief: http://econ.st/46c7dUO
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Sign up to The War Room newsletter: http://econ.st/47xQb5S
#theeconomist #spies #mi6
- Title
- The reverse-credit card craze in China
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- China is obsessed with pre-paid cards. Western credit culture often encourages consumers to buy now and pay later. But in China, it’s usually the reverse #china #bnpl #shopping
- Title
- What do Americans really think of Donald Trump?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- What do Americans really think of Donald Trump? John Prideaux, our US editor, breaks down the latest data to find out how popular the president is.
- Title
- Is France ungovernable?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- For the fourth time in under two years, President Macron is looking for a new prime minister. Our Paris bureau chief, Sophie Pedder, explains the paralysis at the heart of France’s government.
- Title
- What is America up to on this tiny Pacific island?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Across the Pacific, America is preparing for a possible war with China. Our diplomatic editor, Anton La Guardia, travelled to Tinian to explore why islands like it could play a decisive role.
- Title
- How stablecoins are disrupting global finance
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Stablecoins are a type of cryptocurrency that could make payments faster and cheaper. But could they also threaten the financial system as we know it?
- Title
- Are Ukraine’s kamikaze drones causing a Russian petrol crisis?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Oil refineries across Russia are going up in flames. Ukraine is using new long-range drones to strike at Putin’s petrostate. How are the attacks affecting the world’s third-largest oil producer?
- Title
- Why are strip clubs vanishing?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Why are strip clubs in Britain vanishing? Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and our writer, Rohan Banerjee, pull back the curtain on adult entertainment lounges and what the future might hold for them.
00:00 - What are strip clubs really like?
01:23 - Who goes to strip clubs?
02:08 - Are strip clubs doing well?
02:40 - How many strip clubs are left in the UK?
03:23 - Why did you go to a strip club in Norwich?
03:52 - What restrictions are coming from local councils?
04:42 - Is government regulation a good thing?
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4oZQkVT
British authorities are cracking down on strip clubs: https://econ.st/41vyqQY
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- Title
- Why is the trial of Jair Bolsonaro so important?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- Brazil’s former hard-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, is on trial for allegedly attempting a coup to remain in power. He denies all charges. Could this be a test case for how countries recover from a populist fever?
- Title
- Is Donald Trump pushing India towards China?
- Date posted
- 8 months ago
- Description
- China’s President Xi Jinping is playing host to over 20 world leaders, welcoming autocrats such as Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un. A more surprising addition to the guest list is India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Our foreign editor explains how Donald Trump’s chaotic trade war is pushing America’s friends towards China.
#donaldtrump #putin #xijinping #modi #china #india
- Title
- Why do people hate vocal fry?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- What do Kim Kardashian and James Bond have in common? Lane Greene, our language correspondent, explores the controversy behind their creaky vocal quality
- Title
- Can President Trump take over the Fed?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- In Donald Trump’s latest attack on the Federal Reserve he said he was sacking Lisa Cook, a governor on its board. Many fear that he is trying to take over America’s central bank to quickly lower interest rates
- Title
- Ukraine’s robot army is fighting on its deadly frontline
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Robot-on-robot fighting could be the future of frontline combat. From evacuating the wounded to storming trenches, robots are already serving in the war in Ukraine. These unmanned ground vehicles, or UGVs, are the newest front in the war’s technological arms race.
#ukraine #ukrainewar #drone #dronefootage #militarytechnology #ugv
- Title
- Why rich parents may matter more than hard work
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- People across the rich world will inherit some $6trn in 2025, but it will be unequally distributed.
- Title
- What to read about modern feminism
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Feminists believe that men and women are in all important respects equal. But getting people, especially men, to accept that truth and act on it has been the work of centuries. These five books could help you understand the large, evolving and controversial subject of modern feminism
- Title
- How much of Gaza has Israel destroyed?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Israel has begun its offensive on Gaza City, the largest remaining civilian centre in the strip. Gaza is now almost entirely uninhabitable—but the damage isn’t solely from Israeli airstrikes.
- Title
- Why Nigeria has a big power problem
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- 90m people in Nigeria don't have access to electricity. The Economist’s Africa correspondent, Ore Ogunbiyi, explains why Nigeria has more people without electricity than any other country
- Title
- Can AI supercharge global economic growth?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Silicon Valley optimists are betting that an era of AI-powered superintelligence will bring about explosive worldwide economic growth. Henry Curr, our economics editor, joins Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, to discuss if their gamble will pay off.
00:00 - Can AI supercharge global economic growth?
01:15 - What are the predictions for how AI will impact the economy?
02:01 - What will cause explosive economic growth?
03:39 - Will jobs be at risk from AI?
05:22 - Should people buy into AI companies?
07:09 - What is important to look at in the real world?
08:37 - Is the AI boom similar to the internet boom?
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/41Shtjz
The economics of superintelligence: https://econ.st/4mUX7hW
How America’s AI boom is squeezing the rest of the economy: https://econ.st/4mpaFlM
Sign up to our weekly newsletter: https://econ.st/3J0xzBr
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- Title
- Why this city is Xi Jinping’s pet project
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- This “city of the future” is Xi Jinping’s pet project. Don Weinland, our China business and finance editor, visited Xiongan to see if the former “ghost town” can really attract residents.
#china #urbanplanning #city
- Title
- Why a peace deal in Ukraine is unlikely
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Despite Donald Trump’s optimism, a peace deal in Ukraine still remains unlikely. Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, explains why.
- Title
- The Alaska summit was a symbolic victory for Putin
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- The Trump-Putin summit in Alaska has ended without a deal. But the meeting was a symbolic victory for the Russian president, whose status as a pariah in the West is over. Our diplomatic editor, Anton La Guardia, reports from the press conference.
#donaldtrump #america #putin #russia #ukrainerussianwar #latestnews
- Title
- Why Ukraine can't accept the peace deal Russia wants
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Vladimir Putin will meet Donald Trump in Alaska to discuss peace in Ukraine—without Volodymyr Zelensky at the table.
Trump has floated “land swaps”—trading Ukrainian territory for peace.
But frontline soldiers have told our Ukraine correspondent, Oliver Carroll, that they will never accept a territorial concession, leaving Zelensky caught between the hardline stance of his troops and Washington’s shifting demands.
#warinukraine #zelensky #donaldtrump #Putin #ukraine
- Title
- The looming threat from Russia in the Arctic
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Why is there a Russian settlement in Norway? Adam Roberts, The Economist’s digital editor, travelled to Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic, to find out if it could become a geopolitical flashpoint between Russia and NATO.
- Title
- Is McKinsey losing its shine?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- McKinsey, the consulting giant, is approaching its centenary, but growth has slowed and rivals are closing in. Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Tom Lee-Devlin, our business editor, explore whether this industry titan can stay top dog.
- Title
- How is Israel getting away with its actions in Gaza?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Amid mounting evidence of war crimes, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has announced a new offensive on Gaza City. Our foreign editor looks at who could stop him.
- Title
- Is McKinsey losing its crown to AI?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- McKinsey, the consulting giant, is approaching its centenary, but growth has slowed and rivals are closing in. Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Tom Lee-Devlin, our business editor, explore whether this industry titan can stay top dog.
00:00 - Has McKinsey lost its shine?
00:40 - What is happening at McKinsey?
01:09 - How did McKinsey grow in the past?
02:08 - How does McKinsey compare to BCG?
03:05 - Why are McKinsey struggling?
04:17 - Could AI be a threat to consultancy?
05:25 - How could AI change the industry?
06:33 - What will be the long-term impacts of AI for McKinsey?
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4lfnk9L
How McKinsey lost its edge: https://econ.st/4m75B5m
McKinsey and its peers need a new strategy. And some humility: https://econ.st/4mCrE40
Sign up to our weekly newsletter: https://econ.st/3J0xzBr
Sign up to our business and technology newsletter: ...
- Title
- How is America upgrading its nuclear arsenal?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Are America’s nukes too old? The US government seems to think so—it’s in the middle of the biggest overhaul of its nuclear infrastructure in 50 years. Our diplomatic editor visited a strategic-missile base to find out more.
- Title
- How influential is Nvidia's boss?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- How much influence does Nvidia’s boss have over Donald Trump? Our business columnist looks at the extent of tech mogul Jensen Huang’s powers of persuasion over America’s president.
- Title
- Why is Donald Trump picking on Switzerland?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Donald Trump announced Swiss exports to America will soon face tariffs of 39%, which came as a shock to Switzerland.
- Title
- How OnlyFans transformed porn
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- OnlyFans transformed the online porn industry by charging users to subscribe. Its most famous creator, Bonnie Blue, told The Economist she made $250,000 from the site in March 2025. With the platform now on sale for $8bn, who might buy it?
- Title
- How OnlyFans transformed porn
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- OnlyFans transformed the online porn industry by charging users to subscribe. Its most famous creator, Bonnie Blue, told The Economist she made $250,000 from the site in March 2025. With the platform now on sale for $8bn, who might buy it?
Click the link to read why Bonnie Blue thinks "being an online creator isn’t as glam as it seems". econ.st/3H07CBj
Welcome to Bonnie Blue’s Britain: https://econ.st/3HaWoKf
Should you have to prove your age before watching porn? https://econ.st/3GQwV8U
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- Title
- Who is Israel’s surprising ally?
- Date posted
- 9 months ago
- Description
- Which Muslim-majority country is Israel surprisingly close friends with? From oil to weapons, learn how this decades-long partnership has evolved.
- Title
- Donald Trump has started a fight that America can't win
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Trump's sweeping set of tariffs will ultimately make American consumers poorer, as Rachana Shanbhogue, The Economist's business affairs editor, explains.
- Title
- Is AI making you stupid?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A growing body of work is exploring the potentially detrimental effects of AI use for creativity and learning. Our AI writer explains why it’s not all doom and gloom on The Intelligence podcast.
- Title
- Why are so many being killed near Gaza's aid sites?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- “The worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip”, according to a group of UN agencies. The Economist has used satellite imagery and videos from inside Gaza to analyse how people have been killed trying to collect basic food supplies.
- Title
- Do Americans have kids if they like the president?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Does the outcome of America’s presidential election have an effect on whether Democrats and Republicans decide to have children? Our data editor, Dan Rosenheck, explains why there is some evidence that it does #us #fertility #donaldtrump
- Title
- Why are people dying for gold?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- As the price of gold has risen so has the violence linked to mining it. Cartels in Peru and Colombia now make more money from gold than cocaine. In South Africa dozens of illegal miners died after they were sealed in an abandoned mine.
- Title
- Has Zelensky made a strategic blunder?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Ukrainians are protesting after President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a bill undermining the independence of the country’s two main anti-corruption agencies. Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast and Oliver Carroll, our Ukraine correspondent, discuss the consequences of the new law.
Chapters
00:00 - Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies are under threat
00:55 - What is happening in Ukraine?
02:57 - What is the bill intending to do?
04:06 - Are the anti-corruption accusations valid?
05:20 - Why are Ukrainians concerned?
06:46 - Will the protests make a difference?
Links
Listen to the rest of the episode: https://econ.st/4lP3cfC
Volodymyr Zelensky has made a strategic blunder: https://econ.st/40yWn9q
Sign up to our defence newsletter: https://econ.st/4dgzw67
Sign up to our daily newsletter: https://econ.st/4gyhHCm
- Title
- Why is the UAE backing a genocidal militia?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- The UAE’s support for a genocidal militia in Sudan is helping fuel the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Our Middle East correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom, explores why the United Arab Emirates is involved.
- Title
- Has the MAGA movement arrived in Japan?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- A Trump-inspired populist party has rocked elections in Japan. Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast and Moeka Iida, our Tokyo-based reporter, discuss how the fringe hard-right Sanseito party made significant gains and why Japanese politics is entering an era of instability
00:00 - Japanese politics is entering an unstable era
01:45 - What was the big debate in this election?
02:39 - How did the ruling party lose its grip?
03:49 - How has social media changed politics in Japan?
04:56 - What’s going to happen to the ruling party?
Listen to the rest of the episode: https://econ.st/4kTmdfA
Populism comes to Japan: https://econ.st/4kIU0YJ
Sign up to our daily newsletter: https://econ.st/4j03fmq
- Title
- Is the longest-held American hostage still alive?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Gareth Browne, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, travelled through the ruins of Bashar al-Assad’s Syria to find out what happened to Austin Tice.
To listen to Gareth’s interviews with key witnesses and follow his journey into the regime’s most notorious prisons, listen to The Economist's Weekend Intelligence.
- Title
- Why is America’s bond market so volatile?
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- Joshua Roberts, our capital markets correspondent, gives three reasons why yields are so high and explains how it’s affecting government borrowing across the rich world.
- Title
- Why Vladimir Putin is expanding in Africa
- Date posted
- 10 months ago
- Description
- After years of using a secretive military company to train violent African regimes, Russian forces are stepping out of the shadows and consolidating Putin’s influence in the region.
