Sound reasoning. Every weekday, our global network of correspondents explain the world's most important stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sep 29, 2026 · 21:11
On October 4th, Brazil faces a polarising general election : re-elect the octogenarian incumbent or pick the son of a former president jailed for attempting a coup. In some…
Sep 28, 2026 · 20:03
Five men are in custody under suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after being arrested near a British military base used by American aircraft. This could mark a…
Sep 25, 2026 · 27:13
Not much of real substance appears to have emerged from the get-together. But our correspondent says there are clues of how both sides view an evolving relationship. Tommy…
Sep 24, 2026 · 23:10
Rich-world house prices survived the last fit of interest-rate rises; our correspondent lays out why they may not this time . Nine months after Australia banned social media for…
Sep 23, 2026 · 19:48
Marine Le Pen, party leader of France’s populist-right National Rally, starts her fourth presidential bid with a commanding lead. The country’s political centre is broad,…
Sep 22, 2026 · 20:48
An illicit shadow economy, rampant extortion and the capture of the criminal justice system: mafia members and tactics are eating away at the state. Oura seems to have captured…
Sep 21, 2026 · 21:06
Two more state-election results reveal surging support for both the far-right AfD and the populist-left Die Linke parties. Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself described the outcome…
Sep 18, 2026 · 25:48
After a visit to Ukraine last week, our defence editor reports on a new phase of the war as Kyiv and other civilian targets are bombarded by Russian missiles. He also visits an…
Sep 17, 2026 · 21:54
The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the first time since July 2023. For the central bank’s new chair Kevin Warsh, that decision was a test both of monetary policy…
Sep 16, 2026 · 24:16
Is artificial intelligence becoming uncontrollably powerful? Our correspondent analyses whether a pause to breakneck development is possible or feasible. We have entered the new…
Sep 15, 2026 · 23:41
Though a growing share of the British population is anxious about Islam, they have no reason to be. Islamism , a fringe ideology that believes government and society should be…
Sep 14, 2026 · 22:46
After years of stalemate, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are taking territory , including on a Red Sea strait. We ask what has changed, and how the shift fits into the wider…
Sep 12, 2026 · 49:13
For 15 years, the British media dismissed Tommy Robinson as a far-right extremist. We kept him off our televisions, and out of our newspapers. Today his rallies attract tens of…
Sep 11, 2026 · 22:49
OpenAI’s claim to have solved one of the great problems in mathematics has itself created problems. We ask why the breakthrough has shaken the field . On the 25th anniversary of…
Sep 10, 2026 · 19:56
The labour data are in from America and a trend is becoming clearer : on balance AI is starting to create more jobs than it hoovers up. Despite advancements of just about every…
Sep 10, 2026 · 2:08
Shire Folk is the story of how some of the most powerful people in America came to see Britain—and Islam—through the eyes of a fringe football hooligan. Hosted on Acast. See…
Sep 9, 2026 · 22:09
President Javier Milei has tamed inflation and improved the lot of many Argentines. But an election season approaches, and the promised economic and wage growth are not…
Sep 8, 2026 · 21:20
International tests in maths and reading show that 15-year-olds today score what 14-year-olds would have done a decade ago. Our correspondent explains the long-term decline. Is…
Sep 7, 2026 · 24:04
Alternative for Germany won an even larger share of the vote than expected in yesterday’s state election. What does the far-right nationalist party’s success mean for Germany and…
Sep 4, 2026 · 24:33
Nvidia , the world’s most valuable company, has shifted strategy to boost demand for its chips. Our correspondent assesses the opportunities and risks. Knife crime in Britain…
Sep 3, 2026 · 23:12
Donald Trump’s stance on immigration helped him win the presidency. Our correspondent asks if a backlash against the campaign could damage Republican midterm prospects. Reddit is…
Sep 2, 2026 · 23:23
On Sunday, Alternative for Germany could become the first far-right nationalist party to win a state election since the end of the second world war. Is Britain right to worry…
Sep 1, 2026 · 16:27
After the devastating flash flood last week, our correspondent explains why the country is so ill-equipped to deal with the crisis. Does AI stop children from learning? And why…
Aug 31, 2026 · 20:02
Behind the scenes, Artificial Intelligence is playing a growing role in every aspect of film-making , from script-writing and production-planning to shot-generation and editing.…
Aug 28, 2026 · 24:48
Our correspondent goes inside a Chinese robot facility to see thousands of droids being taught to complete useful tasks. Is it worth the time and money? How Meta ’s $17bn…
Aug 27, 2026 · 22:05
Personalised vaccines could offer a breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Our correspondent analyses the latest trial. Canada’s oil market is flourishing, despite the trade…
Aug 26, 2026 · 22:36
Amid record-tickling yields , the bond markets are now trying to make sense of what Scott Bessent, America’s Treasury secretary, has announced —a move that might put him on a…
Aug 25, 2026 · 23:25
After much hullabaloo America announced its “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new tranche of sanctions. It is thin gruel , and might in fact invite military reprisals from Iran.…
Aug 24, 2026 · 21:48
Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime…
Aug 21, 2026 · 24:48
The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it ? We dive into the data that reveal a surge in sexually…
Aug 20, 2026 · 1:08:12
Yuval Noah Harari is a big-ideas guy. Known for penning tomes that tackle broad sweeps of history, the historian-cum-philosopher has now turned his attention to AI. He joins…
Aug 20, 2026 · 22:45
From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.…
Aug 19, 2026 · 22:07
Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating…
Aug 18, 2026 · 22:10
Israeli settlers have been clashing more and more with Palestinians in the West Bank, often with government backing. We examine the forces at play in what could soon be yet…
Aug 17, 2026 · 23:51
To critics, the Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype.…
Aug 14, 2026 · 26:20
Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan , the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for…
Aug 13, 2026 · 21:25
After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and…
Aug 12, 2026 · 20:22
The Iran war triggered the largest supply shock in the history of petroleum, yet prices never rose as high as feared. Our correspondent explains how action taken by China…
Aug 11, 2026 · 21:39
The Muslim Brotherhood won power and influence in the Arab Spring of 2011. Now autocrats are resurgent and its leaders are in jail or exile. Elon Musk says Europe is more…
Aug 10, 2026 · 24:51
Britons are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections to state institutions, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints and demands may overwhelm…
Aug 7, 2026 · 28:00
We look at the peace that has settled over Khartoum, the ruined capital. War rages on elsewhere, and a slim chance at a settlement rests largely with the belligerents’ foreign…
Aug 6, 2026 · 21:50
We examine one of America’s primary races, in which a sharply lefty candidate beat the establishment figure. What does that reveal about changes in the Democratic Party? For…
Aug 5, 2026 · 23:00
Fewer clouds, shrinking ice caps, changing pollutants: all result in less of the sun’s energy being reflected back into space. Which is more bad news for a changing climate. Our…
Aug 4, 2026 · 21:22
President Donald Trump’s claim that Hamas had agreed to disarm in Gaza was, at best, premature. We examine the sticking points of a lasting deal. New-business applications are on…
Aug 3, 2026 · 24:17
The deadly rush of migrants into the Spanish exclave has deep roots in a wider North African conflict—and implications for a far wider European fight about immigration. Our India…
Jul 31, 2026 · 25:39
From impasse in Iran to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to…
Jul 30, 2026 · 25:08
A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning . We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments…
Jul 29, 2026 · 20:27
An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A…
Jul 28, 2026 · 24:17
Wildfires in France and Spain are only growing worse by the day. We examine what can be done as a future of more fires, and worse ones, becomes more assured. A dig into data on…
Jul 27, 2026 · 22:34
The resignation of India’s education minister was a stunning capitulation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The Cockroach Janta Party, a fast-growing youth movement,…
Jul 24, 2026 · 27:42
After Elon Musk ’s first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, The Economist editor-in-chief reflects on what he told her: that AIs will be in charge in ten years,…
Jul 23, 2026 · 1:20:40
Elon Musk may be the most powerful man in the world. For his first extended interview since SpaceX’s blockbuster IPO, he sits down with Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist ’s…
Jul 23, 2026 · 25:10
Many people, including politicians, love to hate the super-rich, and assume they have gamed the system. Yet our correspondent reports that a growing share of today’s wealthiest…
Jul 22, 2026 · 21:34
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Oleksandr Syrsky. That follows days of protests at his sacking of the defence…
Jul 21, 2026 · 22:24
Today, Lebanon’s president Joseph Aoun visits the White House to ask for Donald Trump’s help rebuilding the country. Our correspondent reports from his recent trip to Lebanon on…
Jul 20, 2026 · 26:19
Andy Burnham faces tough challenges as Britain’s new prime minister, both within his party and the country at large. Our correspondent analyses his prospects. After years of…
Jul 17, 2026 · 23:58
Binyamin Netanyahu’s government will, unusually, serve out its full term. What comes after October’s election will decide what kind of Israel will emerge . Our correspondent asks…
Jul 16, 2026 · 22:53
We take a peek into a quirk of British politics as the country’s populist-right polling leader goes up against a man who wears a bin on his head . It is more serious than it…
Jul 15, 2026 · 22:26
The sketch of a deal to end the war is all but dead; oil is up as strikes rain down. We look at the options available to America— all of them bad . India’s government websites…
Jul 14, 2026 · 22:42
Myanmar’s jailed leader has not been seen since 2022. We ask if she is in fact alive , and what might happen if the military junta acceded to demands for her release. We examine…
Jul 13, 2026 · 20:15
The longtime South Carolina senator died suddenly at the weekend. His political arc mirrored that of his Republican party in the Trump era. We ask what his death leaves behind .…
Jul 10, 2026 · 25:05
This week Andrey Melnichenko , Russia’s biggest industrialist, warns in The Economist that disaster is looming for his country as the war in Ukraine continues. What does it mean…
Jul 9, 2026 · 20:44
As America hit 90 targets in a second day of attacks on Iran , the fragile truce is in jeopardy. Our correspondent explains how power shifts within Iran may affect the war. Asian…
Jul 8, 2026 · 24:27
Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how…
Jul 7, 2026 · 20:19
As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics,…
Jul 6, 2026 · 20:32
The Iranian regime hopes the massive crowds gathered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ’s funeral will demonstrate its strength. Our correspondent says they could also reveal its…
Jul 3, 2026 · 36:12
Big birthdays are often a time for reflection. Our editors and correspondents chat through the state of American democracy as seen from inside and outside the country, the…
Jul 2, 2026 · 23:05
Big oil firms keep one part of their business hush-hush: trading. Amid an almighty oil shock, the majors’ trading arms are raking it in . But competition is mounting. We look at…
Jul 1, 2026 · 21:31
Government help was thin on the ground just after the country’s worst quakes in a century. The America-backed regime is thus on literal and figurative shaky ground. A…
Jun 30, 2026 · 24:17
With Iran emboldened and America an ever more capricious security partner, Gulf countries face several post-war challenges. They should put their divides aside to tackle them. We…
Jun 29, 2026 · 17:00
For all the Trumpian chaos in Latin America, no other developing-world regional economy has done so well in the past year. We examine the Donroe dividend . The cost to make…
Jun 26, 2026 · 27:35
Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks in a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting reports from the…
Jun 25, 2026 · 21:11
Americans are becoming more anxious about how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, society and even human existence. Republican and Democrat voters are unusually united in…
Jun 24, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 24, 2026 · 22:22
Our correspondent joins an embed in Lebanon , where Israel claims that Hizbullah’s continued strength justifies its campaign. If Israel’s goals diverge from America’s, how does…
Jun 23, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 23, 2026 · 28:45
On June 23rd 2016, Britain voted to leave the European Union, triggering years of argument, lost economic opportunities and political malaise. Our correspondents look back on the…
Jun 22, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 22, 2026 · 20:48
After winning a resounding victory for Britain’s Labour party two years ago, Sir Keir Starmer has announced his departure. As the country gets ready for its 7th prime minister in…
Jun 21, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 19, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 19, 2026 · 24:29
Andy Burnham won a by-election he needed in order to challenge Sir Keir Starmer, Britain’s prime minister. We look at the path ahead for him. The Iran deal seemingly promises a…
Jun 18, 2026 · 25:08
As expected, the new Federal Reserve chairman kept rates steady. More interesting were what he did and did not say. How will he handle inevitable pressure from President Donald…
Jun 17, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 17, 2026 · 22:54
Geopolitics has dominated this year’s G7 political meeting in Evian, France. Donald Trump offered scant detail on the Iran peace deal but leaders promised to boost support for…
Jun 16, 2026 · 3:27
When Alexis de Tocqueville visited America from France in 1831 he saw a new kind of society. Not just a country, but an idea that would change the world. His book “Democracy in…
Jun 16, 2026 · 22:58
The World Cup may seem to be proof that the digital commons centralises a global audience. We find that entertainment is in fact fragmenting , with big implications for soft…
Jun 15, 2026 · 23:28
Despite exchanges of missiles and drones between Israel and Lebanon, the start of a deal was struck overnight. What exactly has been agreed, and will it hold? We examine the idea…
Jun 13, 2026 · 44:23
Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a group of…
Jun 13, 2026 · 50:34
John Prideaux, The Economist ’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat…
Jun 12, 2026 · 26:26
An interview with Lee Jae Myung , South Korea’s president, a year into his role. Though he has stabilised a turbulent polity and overseen a stock market rally, the path ahead may…
Jun 11, 2026 · 44:23
Tocqueville saw America’s faith in its own democracy as a vital force. But these days the majority of Americans think the country is headed in the wrong direction. Can a group of…
Jun 11, 2026 · 48:48
John Prideaux, The Economist ’s US Editor, embarks on a roadtrip to see how America’s democracy is faring in the era of Trump. His companion is a long-dead French aristocrat…
Jun 11, 2026 · 21:39
Millions of people will tune in when the World Cup starts today. But demonstrators in Mexico, which hosts the first match, are using the international spectacle to draw attention…
Jun 11, 2026 · 3:27
Nearly two centuries ago, a French aristocrat called Alexis De Tocqueville went on a trip around America and wrote up his findings in a book called Democracy in America . Many…
Jun 10, 2026 · 23:06
The British government tightened immigration in response to public demand. Yet that policy damaged both the country and the Labour party. Our correspondent embeds on a US nuclear…
Jun 9, 2026 · 24:36
Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea in seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the trip? Our…
Jun 8, 2026 · 23:31
The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences.…
Jun 5, 2026 · 23:37
After decades of overpopulation worries, the country now has the opposite concern. We examine India’s unusual demographic turn , and why it is a wider warning to the world. Vegan…
Jun 4, 2026 · 24:08
Nigel Farage, leader of the populist-right Reform UK party, wants Britons to be enraged by a killing in the street. We ask why his tone has changed from “colour-blind” to…
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