The Intelligence from The Economist

To Viktor, no spoils: Hungary’s new start

<p>In a momentous election, <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/04/12/peter-magyar-topples-illiberal-hero-viktor-orban-in-hungary?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="_blank">Viktor Orban</a> has lost power in Hungary after 16 years of increasingly autocratic rule. Our correspondent explains how the country’s opposition led by Peter Magyar ousted a corrupt regime. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/03/26/britains-dairy-farmers-are-pouring-milk-away?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="_blank">cows in Britain</a> are producing too much milk. And celebrating the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/04/09/cambodia-honours-a-life-saving-rat?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="_blank">giant rat</a> that helped sniff out landmines in Cambodia.  </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Matt Steinglass, Europe editor</li><li>Harry Taunton, Britain writer</li><li>Vishnu Padmanabhan, Asia correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Hungary, Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar, populism</li><li>Dairy farming, cows, milk, wellness</li><li>Cambodia, landmines, Magawa, heroRats</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Bibi on board? Iran, America and Israel’s campaign in Lebanon

<p>Also on the daily podcast: what the Artemis Moon mission really accomplished and remembering a brave Soviet psychiatrist</p><br><p><strong>SHOW-NOTES TEXT  (60ish wds)</strong></p><p>Binyamin Netanyahu says his strikes against Hizbullah are separate from the Iran-war ceasefire. That assertion is putting cracks in the deal, and in Israel’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/04/08/partner-scapegoat-or-spoiler-israels-place-in-a-fragile-ceasefire?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="_blank">relationship with America</a>. We look at <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/04/07/artemis-ii-has-offered-earth-inspiration?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="_blank">the stated and the unstated goals</a> of the Artemis mission to the Moon—both achieved. And a tribute to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/04/09/semyon-gluzman-defied-the-abuse-of-psychiatry-by-the-ussr?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="_blank">Semyon Gluzman</a>, who exposed the Soviet ruse of labelling dissidents as mental-health cases.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Oliver Morton, senior editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Israel, Iran war, Lebanon, America</li><li>Artemis mission, NASA, Moon</li><li>Semyon Gluzman, Soviet Union, psychiatry</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

NATO’s dialogues: America’s (next) threat to go

<p>President Donald Trump has long threatened to pull America out of the alliance. We examine why the Iran war has made this time look significantly <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/04/05/european-allies-are-losing-hope-of-keeping-america-in-nato?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="_blank">more serious</a>. Westerners are fleeing their countries in <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/22/westerners-are-fleeing-their-countries-in-record-numbers?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="_blank">record numbers</a>—with economic consequences for their origins and destinations. And our series profiling the countries contesting the World Cup starts with Spain.  </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor</li><li>Callum Williams, senior economics writer</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>NATO, war in Iran, Donald Trump, Mark Rutte</li><li>expats, emigration, economics</li><li>World Cup, Spain</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Overnight cessation: a two-week pause in Iran

<p>With little time to spare before a threatened civilisation-ending attack, America agreed a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/04/08/iran-and-america-agree-to-pause-their-war?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="_blank">pause in fighting</a> with Iran. We ask how the temporary deal was reached and how likely a permanent one is. China has an ever-expanding, state-led <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/01/china-hopes-ivf-can-slow-its-baby-bust?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="_blank">IVF programme</a>: can that actually reverse a deepening demographic crisis? And the right way to think about AI’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/29/bots-are-often-bad-writers-but-so-are-most-humans?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="_blank">entry into literature</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Carla Subirana, news editor</li><li>Andrew Miller, special correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran war, Donald Trump, ceasefire</li><li>China, demographics, IVF</li><li>AI, literature</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Over troubled waters: Trump’s bridge-and-plant plot

<p>President Donald Trump’s rhetoric has grown yet more bellicose—and sweary. His stated ploy to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants would be ruinous for Iran, and Iran’s planned retaliation ruinous for the region. AI-driven job losses predicted for India’s IT sector are looking more likely to be job gains. And why Gen Z is taking up boomers’ hobbies.  </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Gavin Jackson, South Asia business and economics correspondent</li><li>Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran war, America</li><li>India, IT work, AI</li><li>Gen Z, hobbies</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Hungary for change? A challenger to Orban

<p><a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/04/01/lessons-for-the-world-from-tiny-hungary?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="_blank">Viktor Orban</a>, Hungary’s prime minister, is an idol to the global nationalist conservative right. Losing the next election would have far-reaching consequences. Could tourists help boost <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/02/15/the-battle-to-save-south-americas-skull-crushing-big-cat?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="_blank">jaguar</a> populations in South and Central America? And the number of Catholic <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/04/01/the-number-of-catholic-saints-is-climbing-heavenwards?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="_blank">saints</a> is soaring. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li><li>Matt Steinglass, Europe editor</li><li>Ana Lankes, Brazil correspondent</li><li>Catherine Nixey, culture correspondent</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Hungary, Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar, Fidesz</li><li>Jaguars, climate change</li><li>Saints, Catholic </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Xi says: who will succeed him?

<p>A giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/29/chinas-leadership-is-about-to-be-shaken-up?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="_blank">leadership reshuffle</a> is underway in China, but one job will stay the same: Xi Jinping is almost certain to secure another five-year term at next year’s party congress. Reasons to be optimistic about <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/01/at-last-reasons-to-be-cheerful-about-european-tech?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="_blank">Europe’s tech</a> future. And the life of controversial winemaker, <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/04/01/michel-rolland-was-the-worlds-first-flying-winemaker?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="_blank">Michel Rolland</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>James Miles, global China writer</li><li>Guy Scriven, global business writer</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Xi Jinping, China, Party Congress</li><li>Tech, quantum computing</li><li>Michel Rolland, wine, obituary</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Over the moon: Artemis II launches

<p>NASA has successfully launched its first crewed <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/25/nasas-moon-base-plans-mark-a-rethinking-of-its-future?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="_blank">space mission</a> in over a decade. Our correspondent explains why America wants to build a moonbase. AI models underperform in <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/18/top-ai-models-underperform-in-languages-other-than-english?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="_blank">languages</a> other than English. And meet China’s social-media stars: <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/12/some-of-chinas-officials-are-becoming-social-media-stars?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="_blank">influencer-officials</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Oliver Morton, senior editor</li><li>Deena Mousa, science writer</li><li>Gabriel Crossley, China correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Artemis II, moon, NASA</li><li>AI, LLMs, language</li><li>China, Chinese Communist Party, influencers, social media </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Drone wolf: Ukraine’s missile mastermind

<p>Ukraine’s resistance to Russia relies on the clever use of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/22/ukraines-top-drone-commander-wants-to-bleed-russias-army-dry?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="_blank">drones</a>. Much of that strategy is down to a single person, a former grain trader with a great idea. Our correspondent meets him. Since the Brexit vote a decade ago, <a href="https://www.economist.com/insider/inside-economics/can-rachel-reeves-shield-britain-from-the-energy-shock?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="_blank">Britain</a> has become more like Europe. And why American universities are abandoning the notorious <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/04/a-once-proud-tradition-is-becoming-awkward-for-elite-universities?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="_blank">swimming test</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent</li><li>Matthew Holehouse, Britain public policy editor</li><li>Doug Dowson, data journalist</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ukraine, drones, Russia, Putin</li><li>Britain, Europe, European Union, single market</li><li>American universities, race, discrimination, swimming</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Refine and dandy: Iran’s war bounty

<p>An Economist investigation reveals that <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/29/how-iran-is-making-a-mint-from-donald-trumps-war?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="_blank">Iran is profiting</a> from the war as it evades sanctions and oil prices surge. India’s government has promised to crush the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/26/the-end-of-the-worlds-longest-running-maoist-insurgency?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="_blank">Maoist insurgency</a>. Our correspondent visits a former rebel stronghold. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/19/why-understudies-are-seeing-their-wages-rise?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="_blank">understudies</a>, a theatre’s insurance policy, are underestimated. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor</li><li>Kira Huju, Asia correspondent</li><li>Hamish Clayton, culture writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Oil, Iran, Kharg Island, sanctions</li><li>India, Modi, Maoists</li><li>Culture, theatre, understudies</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The bog of war: week five begins

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/29/all-sides-in-the-gulf-war-are-at-risk-of-overplaying-their-hands?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="_blank">Iran conflict</a> is escalating with little prospect of an end in sight. Our correspondent explains why a US ground invasion is likely. In an ongoing <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/america-at-250#chapter-3?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="_blank">history series</a>, we look at how America’s attitude to migrants changed as it got richer. And “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/20/what-to-watch-this-week?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="_blank">Project Hail Mary</a>” is a sci-fi film drawing wide audiences.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Annie Crabill, a news editor in New York</li><li>Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, Houthis, geopolitics, oil</li><li>America, migration, colonialism</li><li>“Project Hail Mary”, sci-fi</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Hasta la victoria, quizás: Cuba’s broken economy

<p>Even before America crimped Cuba’s oil, the country was <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2026/03/19/cubas-broken-economy-leaves-it-at-donald-trumps-mercy?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="_blank">teetering</a>. We ask what is to blame for the Cuban people’s plight, and whether anything better is in prospect. The craze of <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/11/want-to-hack-your-body-with-peptides-if-only-the-science-agreed?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="_blank">injecting peptides</a> is not only scientifically unsupported—it is potentially dangerous. <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/26/chuck-norris-made-onions-cry?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="_blank">Chuck Norris</a> once got mad at dinosaurs. Just once. Our obituaries editor recounts his unlikely rise to international manly stardom. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Sarah Birke, Central America and Caribbean bureau chief</li><li>Natasha Loder, health editor</li><li>Tim Cross, senior science writer</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Cuba, Trump administration</li><li>peptides, wellness, pseudoscience</li><li>Chuck Norris</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Algorithm and blues: a watershed social-media verdict

<p>A jury in California agreed with a plaintiff who argued that Meta and Google, two social-media giants, designed their platforms to be addictive. That opens the floodgates to more litigation and perhaps to regulatory change. We examine the world’s maritime chokepoints and how they shape geopolitics—littorally, not figuratively. And how digitally animated films came to dominate the box office.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Wainwright, media editor</li><li>Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor</li><li>Alex Selby-Boothroyd, head of data journalism</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>social-media sites, internet use, online addiction</li><li>geopolitics, chokepoints, Strait of Hormuz</li><li>animated films</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

On goal difference: are America and Israel diverging on Iran?

<p>In the daily tea leaves one might read that President Donald Trump would prefer a deal with Iran to a continuing military campaign. Where would that leave <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/23/donald-trumps-latest-climbdown-suggests-he-wants-to-end-the-war?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="_blank">Israel and its goals</a>? Cryptocurrencies have gained a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/12/asia-is-turning-stablecoins-into-banking-infrastructure?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="_blank">particular foothold</a> in Asian economies; will they become real financial infrastructure or just tools of fraud? And tracing the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/19/its-strictly-business-the-enduring-allure-of-mafiosi-in-culture?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="_blank">history of mafias</a> through the ages. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent</li><li>Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran war, Israel, America</li><li>cryptocurrency, Asia</li><li>mafias, crime families, history</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan

<p>Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/19/a-deadly-strike-in-kabul-could-have-big-knock-on-effects?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="_blank">hot conflict</a>. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act to lower it. Meanwhile that war’s oil shock brings with it fears of rising inflation; we examine how recent disruptions might inform policy decisions. And “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/03/how-to-hear-an-album-before-it-drops?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="_blank">listening parties</a>”, once for music-industry insiders, are becoming the norm. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Tom Sasse, south Asia bureau chief</li><li>Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Afghanistan, Taliban, Pakistan, TTP</li><li>Iran war, oil shock, inflation</li><li>music, albums, listening parties</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran

<p>As the war in Iran progresses, none of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/22/donald-trump-has-four-bad-options-for-the-war-in-iran?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="_blank">options available</a> to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implicated in lots of lawless and dodgy behaviour—but clearing out the bad apples is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/01/08/can-thailand-rein-in-its-mafia-monks?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="_blank">more complicated</a> than it seems. And gene-editing comes to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/04/a-basket-of-new-fruit-varieties-is-coming-your-way?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="_blank">fruit bowl</a>: we look at what science is serving up next.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent </li><li>Alizée Jean-Baptiste, Asia senior podcasts producer</li><li>Maria Lisik, news editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran war, Donald Trump</li><li>Thailand, Buddhist monks</li><li>gene-editing, fruit</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah

<p>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 <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/19/lebanons-leaders-must-take-on-hizbullah?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="_blank">far better</a> for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/25/modernisation-is-making-south-east-asia-more-islamic?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="_blank">greater primacy</a> in civic life. And a tribute to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/19/jurgen-habermas-hoped-rational-discussion-could-save-the-world?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="_blank">Jürgen Habermas</a>, Germany’s and perhaps Europe’s most prominent intellectual.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent </li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Lebanon, Hizbullah, Israel, Iran war</li><li>Islam, south-east Asia</li><li>Jürgen Habermas, obituaries</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

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

<p>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 <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/18/how-the-iran-war-is-weakening-donald-trump?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="_blank">becomes weaker</a>. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/12/as-war-rages-turkeys-strongman-puts-the-opposition-on-trial?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="_blank">just began</a>. And Americans seem to be taking their anger out on <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/02/16/americans-are-unleashing-their-anger-on-food-delivery-robots?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="_blank">food-delivery robots</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Robert Guest, deputy editor</li><li>Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent</li><li>Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Donald Trump, war in Iran</li><li>Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu</li><li>America, delivery robots</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck

<p>Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/16/war-may-bring-lasting-change-to-the-airline-business?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="_blank">lasting change</a> on the big Gulf carriers. We ask why the once-frothy fake-meat industry is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/26/the-fake-meat-industry-is-in-trouble?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="_blank">losing its bite</a>. And why PDFs, one of technology’s most pervasive file types, may <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/24/the-war-against-pdfs-is-heating-up?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="_blank">meet their end</a> thanks to AI. </p><br><p>Guests and hosts:</p><ul><li>Simon Wright, industry editor</li><li>Hollie Berman, news editor</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>airline industry, Iran war</li><li>meat substitutes, plant-based meats</li><li>PDFs, AI</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Barrel vault: a Nigerian refining giant rises

<p>Nigeria sorely needed the enormous oil refinery built by Aliko Dangote, who was already Africa’s richest man. We ask what that new capacity means for him, for Nigeria and for the continent. We speak to the surprisingly large and diverse <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/09/the-view-from-tehrangeles?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="_blank">Iranian diaspora</a> in Los Angeles. And how a cancer diagnosis seems to drive some people to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2026/03/01/a-cancer-diagnosis-can-push-people-to-crime?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="_blank">life of crime</a>.  </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi – Africa correspondent</li><li>Aryn Braun – West Coast correspondent</li><li>Ainslie Johnstone – data journalist </li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Aliko Dangote, Nigeria, oil, energy security</li><li>Iran’s diaspora, California</li><li>cancer, crime, data </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Let me get this strait: the Iran-war escalation risk

<p>Control of the Strait of Hormuz has become the focus of the war in Iran. The options available point to an <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/15/the-iran-war-may-be-about-to-escalate?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="_blank">acute risk</a> of a broadening regional conflict. China is making great strides in building <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/18/chinas-humanoids-are-dazzling-the-world-who-will-buy-them?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="_blank">humanoid robots</a>—but so far they are more about entertainment than utility. And a look at the science to help you get <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/01/23/how-to-get-power-naps-right?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="_blank">power naps</a> right.</p><br><p>Guests and hosts:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Don Weinland, China business and finance editor</li><li>Harry Taunton, audience editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran war, Strait of Hormuz, Middle East </li><li>China, humanoid robots</li><li>power naps, wellness</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Get a world of insights by </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribing to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em>. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Lone goals: will US-Israel war aims diverge?

<p>As <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/10/americas-war-aims-may-be-diverging-from-israels?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="_blank">Israel</a> continues to pound Iran and expands its offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon, there are rumblings of disunity with America over the path and goal of the conflict. Why now is the time to buy <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/10/time-to-buy-the-most-rubbish-stocks-you-can-find?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="_blank">rubbish stocks</a>. And celebrating the life of grand-clown <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/02/26/philippe-gaulier-refused-to-tolerate-boring-people?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="_blank">Philippe Gaulier</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Netanyahu, Trump, Hizbullah, refuelling plane</li><li>Markets, oil prices, quality stocks, junk stocks, investment</li><li>Philippe Gaulier, clowns, obituary</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Blood from a drone: Iran’s deadly arsenal

<p>Iran continues to retaliate against attacks with ferocity. Though many of its ballistic missile facilities have been razed, its vast <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2026/03/06/can-ukraine-help-defeat-irans-drone-swarms?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="_blank">drone armoury</a> is powerful and destructive. Who will benefit from India’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/19/india-is-in-the-midst-of-a-data-centre-investment-boom?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="_blank">boom in data centres</a>? And why giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/11/adults-are-on-board-with-life-size-board-games?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="_blank">board games</a> are not child’s play. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Gavin Jackson, South Asia business and finance correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, America, Shahed drones, Geran, Ukraine, Zelenksy</li><li>India, data centres, Amazon, Meta, Google, Nvidia</li><li>Monopoly, board games, toys, kidults</li></ul><p><br></p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Strait of shock: Iran economic fallout

<p>Overnight, the Pentagon said it “eliminated” 16 Iranian mine-laying ships, raising further jitters about the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/10/donald-trumps-options-to-cool-oil-prices-are-sorely-limited?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="_blank">global impact</a> of the war in Iran. Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/02/fifteen-years-after-fukushima-japan-faces-an-energy-dilemma?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="_blank">Fukushima nuclear disaster</a>, Japan is restarting reactors. And our correspondent meets <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/27/amid-the-war-a-tale-of-moral-reckoning-in-iran-is-fiercely-urgent?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="_blank">Jafar Panahi</a>, the Iranian director whose film is nominated for two Oscars this weekend.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business and finance editor</li><li>Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief</li><li>Andrew Miller, “Back Story” columnist</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, oil prices, Donald Trump, Strait of Hormuz, Brent crude, International Energy Agency, Russia</li><li>Japan, nuclear, Fukushima, tepco</li><li>Oscars, “It Was Just An Accident”, Jafar Panahi</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Oil rise: Trump gets the jitters

<p>After oil prices climbed to nearly $120 a barrel yesterday, <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/08/why-maga-backs-donald-trumps-war-for-now?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="_blank">Donald Trump</a> signalled a possible abrupt end to the conflict in Iran. Markets calmed, but the course of the war remains unclear. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2026/03/02/chinas-ice-cold-calculus-over-iran?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="_blank">China’s government</a> has said little about Iran. And how a hippy grocery store became America’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/12/americas-hottest-grocery-store-is-also-its-priciest?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="_blank">swankiest supermarket</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, deputy editor of “The Economist”</li><li>Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief</li><li>Avantika Chilkoti, global business correspondent </li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, Brent Crude, financial markets, Asia, oil shock</li><li>Chinese foreign policy, Wang Yi</li><li>Erewhon, food prices, supermarkets</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Follow the leader: Iran picks the son

<p>After Iran appoints a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/08/irans-defiant-regime-picks-a-new-supreme-leader?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="_blank">new supreme leader</a>, what does the choice tell us about the resilience of the regime and how the war will progress? <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/02/04/in-america-science-sceptics-are-now-in-charge?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="_blank">Scientific research</a> in America has taken a battering in Donald Trump’s second term. And why British choirs face a shortage of <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/02/12/how-to-solve-the-tenor-shortage?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="_blank">tenor</a> voices.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Daniella Raz, US correspondent</li><li>Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, oil prices</li><li>Scientific research, National Science Foundation, renewable energy</li><li>Tenors, choirs, Oxford University</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The third Gulf war: one week on

<p>After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2026/03/05/how-the-latest-regional-conflict-is-reshaping-the-middle-east?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="_blank">momentous week</a>, our editors reflect on how uncertainty about the goals of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/05/donald-trump-must-stop-soon?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="_blank">war in Iran</a> will affect its course. Iran’s retaliation has been fierce and wide ranging. How long can Gulf stocks of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/03/are-gulf-states-running-out-of-missile-interceptors?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="_blank">missile interceptors</a> last? And our obituaries editor looks back at the life of Iran’s supreme leader <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/03/ali-khamenei-hoped-his-legacy-might-last-for-ever?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="_blank">Ali Khamenei</a>. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Edward Carr, Economist deputy editor </li><li>Josie Delap, Middle East editor</li><li>Shashank Joshi, defence editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, third Gulf war, war goals</li><li>Interceptor missiles, military strategy</li><li>Ali Khamenei </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Spars and strikes: Who backs Iran war?

<p>As America continues to batter Iran, what are the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/03/the-perils-of-donald-trumps-pivot-from-peace-to-war-president?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="_blank">domestic implications</a> of the war for Donald Trump? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/04/the-iran-war-has-been-a-stunning-operational-success?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="_blank">widening conflict</a> has prompted some European countries to deploy defensive forces. <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/03/what-frances-new-nuclear-arms-doctrine-means-for-europe?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="_blank">France</a> has also announced a bigger shift in policy: to bolster its nuclear arsenal. And the politics of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/15/why-maga-brands-have-been-a-flop?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="_blank">beer and nappies</a>.</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Adam Roberts, foreign editor</li><li>Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief</li><li>Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer</li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, Donald Trump, senate, Turkey</li><li>France, Macron, nuclear warheads, NATO</li><li>MAGA, marketing </li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Crude awakening: Iran oil shock

<p>As America and Israel continue to bombard Iran, much of Iran’s retaliation is directed against <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/03/03/the-nightmare-iran-energy-scenario-is-becoming-reality?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="_blank">energy infrastructure</a>. With tankers blocked and oil prices rising, our correspondent discusses the impact on the global economy. Why do student debts weigh heavily on Britain’s graduates? And is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/22/the-latest-choreography-craze-line-dancing?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="_blank">line dancing</a> really becoming sexy? </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor</li><li>Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent</li><li>Hollie Berman, news editor, US bureau  </li><li>Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” </li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Iran, oil, gas, global economy, Dubai, Gulf, stockmarkets</li><li>Britain, universities, student loans, tax</li><li>Line dancing, New York, bar culture</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Escalation: Middle East war widens

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/02/the-iran-war-is-rapidly-engulfing-the-region?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="_blank">war in Iran</a> has entered its fourth day with further American and Israeli strikes, and Iranian retaliation across the region. Now Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a ground offensive in <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/02/hizbullah-the-reluctant-proxy-strikes-at-israel?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="_blank">Lebanon</a>. Attacks on Tehran involved the use of Artificial Intelligence, so why is the Pentagon picking a fight with <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/24/pete-hegseth-wages-war-on-anthropic?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="_blank">Anthropic</a>, its supplier? And <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/02/26/thirty-years-on-pokemon-is-still-a-monster-hit?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="_blank">Pokémon</a> turns 30.</p><p>Watch “<a href="https://www.economist.com/insider?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="_blank">The Insider</a>” on Iran: Economist experts ask what will happen next</p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent</li><li>Henry Tricks, US technology editor</li><li>Moeka Iida, Japan correspondent</li><li>Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>War in Iran, America, Israel, Lebanon, Hizbullah, Middle East</li><li>Anthropic, OpenAI, Claude, Artificial Intelligence </li><li>Pokemon, media</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account. </em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>