podcast

The Intelligence from The Economist

by The Economist

New world of warcraft: how conflict has forever changed

29.05.2026 • 00:25:37

Our outgoing defence editor reflects on how war has changed during the eight years of his tenure. Wars have become easier to start and harder to finis...

Deal or ordeal: Trump’s bad options in Cuba

28.05.2026 • 00:22:36

The American administration’s next round of sabre-rattling has been directed at Cuba. But more military adventures there would probably prove disastro...

What price victory? Ukraine on the front foot

27.05.2026 • 00:18:44

Economic support, drone capability, defence under new management: the tide may have turned for Ukraine. But domestic politics and perceptions will def...

No big deal: murky Iran-war negotiations

26.05.2026 • 00:20:43

More mixed messages from President Donald Trump and air strikes that seem to violate the ceasefire: all that is remotely in prospect is a deal to keep...

Pulp fiction v the classics: summer reading

25.05.2026 • 00:29:17

What do we mean by a “good book”? Some people choose a holiday read that demands time and attention. Others pick rip-roaring novels that require littl...

Big boosts to fill: SpaceX’s giant IPO

22.05.2026 • 00:24:54

Elon Musk has launched the largest stockmarket listing in history. The accompanying space mission remains grounded. Our correspondent weighs SpaceX’s ...

The Peking order: Xi meets Putin after Trump

21.05.2026 • 00:20:36

Within the space of a week Chinese president Xi Jinping has welcomed both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin to Beijing. Our correspondent explains the s...

Bibi, one more time? Israel’s election launches

20.05.2026 • 00:20:29

Is Binyamin Netanyahu’s time up as Israel’s prime minister? As a vote in parliament triggers the election campaign, our correspondent – and Netanyahu’...

Spread too thin: Africa’s next Ebola outbreak

19.05.2026 • 00:21:46

The latest Ebola emergency is different from previous ones: there is no vaccine, and the kind of community-level work that stops the spread has been t...

Equal before the law? Transitional justice in Syria

18.05.2026 • 00:24:50

Atef Najib, a former security chief, is the highest-profile member of the Assad regime to go on trial. We ask why the speed, uneven spread and murky l...