The Economist

The Economist

The Economist offers authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.

Videos by The Economist

Field of streams: sports viewing changes

As the Olympics begin, more people than ever will be watching via streaming services. We examine the changing viewing habits transforming (https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/07/25/a-shift-in-the-media-business-is-changing-what-it-is-to-be-a-sports-fan?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) sport’s role in the broadcast business. The sentencing (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/07/19/russia-sentences-evan-gershkovich-to-16-years-on-bogus-spying-charges?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) of Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist,

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Bibi talk: a speech light on detail

Anyone hoping to glean hints of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Gaza war and its aftermath will have been disappointed: it was a political speech aimed at Israelis. Nigerians spend more than anyone on food, as a fraction of income. We look at the factors making the squeeze even tighter (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/07/11/soaring-food-price-inflation-is-hurting-nigerias-poor?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) (11:44). And Starbucks franchises as community-level drivers of innovation

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Destruction instruction: Western armies learn from Gaza

From tunnels to tanks to drones, Gaza’s horrors provide object lessons in urban warfare. We ask what Western forces will be learning (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/07/18/to-see-the-future-of-urban-warfare-look-at-gaza?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) about their own future conflicts. Silicon Valley types may relish (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/07/17/tech-bros-love-jd-vance-many-ceos-are-scared-stiff?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) the prospect of J. D. Vance, a former tech investor, becoming

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Is Putin running out of soldiers?

The Russian army is suffering its highest casualties since it invaded Ukraine. Is Putin running out of soldiers to keep his war going?

#warinukraine #zelensky #putin

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How many Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine? https://econ.st/3zRgeGm

Russia’s vast stocks of Soviet-era weaponry are running out https://econ.st/4cROYWG

Vadym Sukharevsky, the man in charge of Ukraine’s drones https://econ.st/4d7t3v7

When will Ukraine join NATO? https://econ.st/3YaEVYv

The Kremlin is rewriting Wikipedia https://econ.st/3y9rDRg

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Keep Kamala and carry on: Harris’s smooth route

A day is a long time in American politics: Kamala Harris has reportedly already secured the votes to become Democrats’ presidential nominee, a pile of campaign cash and the Trump campaign’s attention (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/22/republicans-adjust-their-attacks-for-their-new-foe-kamala-harris?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). For insight into how China treats its startup scene, we count the dwindling number of newly born unicorns

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Joe of good faith: Biden bows out

Joe Biden has at last succumbed to the pressure (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/07/21/joe-biden-has-given-democrats-a-second-chance-to-win-the-white-house?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) to step aside and has endorsed his vice-president, Kamala Harris. We ask how things should progress from this extraordinary moment. India could be better run if power were devolved from the national government. The solution? Create lots of new states

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Dicky birds: the next pandemic?

The scars of the covid pandemic are still raw, but now a virus spreading (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/07/17/h5n1-avian-flu-could-cause-a-human-pandemic?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) among farm animals could leap to humans. Could bird flu become the next pandemic? White women are sometimes absolved of blame in the crime of slavery in America (9:50). Research suggests

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Veep show: America meets J.D. Vance

J.D. Vance was largely unknown in American politics until Donald Trump picked him (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/16/jd-vance-is-now-the-heir-apparent-to-the-maga-movement?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) as his running-mate for vice-president. Last night he gave his first speech to the Republican National Convention. Why is trade so sluggish within Latin America (https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/06/13/why-latin-america-is-the-worlds-trade-pipsqueak?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) (11:34)? And forget

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Food for thought: raising the world’s IQ

If you don’t have enough food in the first 1,000 days of your life, your brain may never reach its full potential. Our correspondent discusses what better nutrition (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/07/11/how-to-raise-the-worlds-iq?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.listener) would mean for the world. Undersea cables are the arteries of our telecommunications system, but that also makes them vulnerable (https://www.economist.com/international/2024/07/11/how-china-and-russia-could-hobble-the-internet?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) (9:13).

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Lost in stagnation? Japan’s economic paradox

After decades of torpor, is Japan recovering its dynamism (https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/07/01/japans-mind-bending-bento-box-economics?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)? Our correspondent turns to an ancient bento box merchant to test Japan’s economic future. A new study shows how few therapies tested on animals (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/06/14/only-5-of-therapies-tested-on-animals-are-approved-for-human-use?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) end up being applied to humans (10:02). And if you don’t

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An assassination attempt: what next for America?

After the shocking attempt to kill (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/14/donald-trump-survives-an-apparent-assassination-attempt?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) former President Donald Trump, how will America respond (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/14/donald-trump-survives-an-apparent-assassination-attempt?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)? Though leaders have called for calm, the risk is that an already hate-filled campaign could take a darker turn

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An officer and a gen AI: the future of war

Artificial intelligence is already making a difference (https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/06/20/how-ai-is-changing-warfare?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) in the theatre of war, and more involvement will certainly come. That raises a host of thorny ethical issues. In some cases, scientists just clocked (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/07/11/freeze-dried-chromosomes-can-survive-for-thousands-of-years?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), extinct beasts’ DNA can be extraordinarily well preserved—revealing

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Bidin’: will Joe go or no?

Democrats’ worried murmurs have become public statements. Polls give Donald Trump a widening lead. Why won’t President Biden make way (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/10/joe-biden-is-failing-to-silence-calls-that-he-step-aside?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) for a younger successor? Off Colombia’s coast a shipwreck bursting with treasures is about to be plundered, but who owns that loot is hotly contested

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Change of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president

Masoud Pezeshkian rode to victory on a promise of reforms that Iran’s people seem desperately to want (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/07/06/a-reformer-wanting-a-nuclear-deal-with-america-wins-irans-election?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). Will the former heart surgeon be permitted to carry them out? Ukraine has been getting a wartime pass on servicing its debts, but its creditors will soon come knocking

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Holey alliance: NATO’s worries at 75

It was formed to unite the world’s strongest countries and preserve peace, but as NATO holds a celebration summit for its 75th anniversary, it faces tricky challenges (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/07/04/how-to-trump-proof-americas-alliances). Climate change is jeopardising Scottish salmon (https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/06/17/climate-change-casts-a-shadow-over-britains-biggest-food-export), one of Britain’s biggest food exports (10:15). And why North Korea is sending hot air balloons (https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2024/06/26/why-north-korea-is-sending-its-rubbish-to-the-south) over to the South, filled with rubbish and faeces (16:50).

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Lurch in the left: France’s election shock

A tactical ploy to diminish the chances for Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally has worked—a surprise result that puts the left in front, but no party in charge (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/07/07/a-shock-election-result-in-france-puts-the-left-in-the-lead?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). Despite sporting passions in Africa, continental leagues have fizzled; a passion for basketball

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BOOM! – Episode 1: 1968 Born to be wild

Why are two old, unpopular men the main candidates for the world’s most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.

The generation born in the 1940s grew up in a land of endless growth and possibility, ruled by a confident, moderate elite. But just as they were embarking on adult life, all that started to come apart. The economy faltered, and the post-war consensus came under pressure from two sides: from the radical right, who hated government moves on civil rights – and from the ‘New Left’, as boomers rebelled against their parents’ generation and its war in Vietnam.

This episode is free to listen. For the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

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Starming victory: Labour sweeps to power

Britain has elected a Labour government (https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/07/05/labours-landslide-victory-will-turn-politics-on-its-head) for the first time in 14 years. The party inherits a spattered legacy and a country that is often seen as a laughing stock internationally. We consider Sir Keir Starmer’s long to-do list: growing the economy, mending Britain’s reputation…and moving house within 24 hours (https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/07/04/nukes-and-king-charles-but-no-door-key).

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Meet Keir Starmer, Britain’s next prime minister

He will become Britain’s prime minister—but voters remain unsure what he stands for. So who is the real Sir Keir Starmer?

00:00 – Who is Keir Starmer?
00:39 – His life before politics
01:38 – His political rise
02:38 – His politics

#breakingnews #breaking

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See our UK general election coverage: https://econ.st/3RW6Hnt
What’s happening in Britain?: https://econ.st/4cLnm5l
Keir Starmer should be Britain’s next prime minister: https://econ.st/3RVeJgi
Sir Keir Starmer, bureaucrat first, politician second: https://econ.st/3zCH5Wm
Who are generation K: https://econ.st/3zCH050
Keir Starmer, the post-populist: https://econ.st/3zD1RFm

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1. 1968 – Born to be wild

The generation born in the 1940s grew up in a land of endless growth and possibility, ruled by a confident, moderate elite. But just as they were embarking on adult life, all that started to come apart. The economy faltered, and the post-war consensus came under pressure from two sides: from the radical right, who hated government moves on civil rights – and from the ‘New Left’, as boomers rebelled against their parents’ generation and its war in Vietnam.

To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+: https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus

If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page:

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Leader of the package: Amazon turns 30

It has changed our lives and become one of the world’s most valuable companies. As Amazon turns 30 (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/07/01/what-next-for-amazon-as-it-turns-30?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), what comes next? Education is key to social mobility in India (https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/06/27/narendra-modi-needs-to-win-over-low-income-indians?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), so protests have erupted over widespread cheating in university entrance exams, presenting Modi’s new government with its first

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Degree programme: stopping heat deaths

As heatwaves become more frequent (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/06/26/simple-steps-to-stop-people-dying-from-heatwaves) and intense, they exacerbate existing inequalities. The poor, sick and elderly are particularly vulnerable. How should governments respond? Universities depend on the high fees international students pay. Now Indian scholars are replacing (https://www.economist.com/international/2024/06/20/brainy-indians-are-piling-into-western-universities) the diminishing flow of Chinese ones (10:00). And full-body deodorant is all the rage (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/05/23/americans-are-fretting-over-their-body-odour): find out if you should be using it (16:15).

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Rule and divide: Donald Trump is judged immune

The US Supreme Court has granted (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/07/01/donald-trump-wins-a-big-victory-at-the-supreme-court) the former President immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office. We ask what that means for future Presidents and the 2024 American election. Humanity is standing by while sea levels rise. Now scientists want to geo-engineer polar ice (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/06/06/zany-ideas-to-slow-polar-melting-are-gathering-momentum) to stem the flow (10:45). And why a hot sauce beloved by many (https://www.economist.com/business/2024/06/20/the-cautionary-tale-of-huy-fongs-hot-sauce) suddenly disappeared from our shelves (19:45).

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Trailer: Boom! How a generation blew up American politics

Why are two old, unpopular men the main candidates for the world’s most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.

Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years – not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold war. They hit the jobs market at an unmatched period of wealth creation. They have benefitted from giant leaps in technology, and in racial and gender equality.

And yet, their last act in politics sees the two main parties accusing each other of wrecking American democracy. As the boomers near

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Bet noir: Macron’s electoral gamble backfires

Marine Le Pen’s far-right party made great gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election (https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/06/30/a-crushing-blow-for-emmanuel-macrons-centrist-alliance). The left did too. We ask what this means for France and President Emmanuel Macron. Thailand will soon legalise same-sex marriage (https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/06/20/thailand-legalises-same-sex-marriage), but in other areas, democratic freedoms are being threatened (10:20). And penalty shoot-outs are agony (https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/06/14/the-secret-to-taking-better-penalties) for players, coaches and spectators. Can technology help (16:20)?

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The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain

On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If so, it would bring to an end 14 years of Tory rule. It’s been a turbulent period; the twin catastrophes of Brexit and Covid, set to the grinding and gloomy mood music of the 2008 financial crash. The Economist’s Andy Miller travels up and down the country, to the towns and cities shaped by these events, to get a sense of how Britain is feeling.

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Debate and switch? Biden’s stumble

America’s president had one primary task at last night’s debate: to close down speculation about his mental faculties. It went so poorly (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/06/28/joe-bidens-horrific-debate-performance-casts-his-entire-candidacy-into-doubt?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) his whole campaign is now in doubt. Tentative results from a newish instrument give tantalising hints

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Pier pressure: a visit to Gaza’s aid platform

Our correspondents were the first media to see the American-built JLOTS pier, intended for aid deliveries into Gaza. Things have not at all gone to plan. After years of slipping, house prices are on the rise (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/06/16/why-house-prices-are-surging-once-again?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) again; we ask why (16:51). And a trip to see the Savannah Bananas, a goofy exhibition-baseball team that has serious lessons

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Spring a leaker: Assange goes free

As Julian Assange is released from prison our correspondent reflects on how the work of Wikileaks changed whistleblowing in the internet era, for good and for ill. Meanwhile Peter Navarro, Donald Trump’s trade hawk, remains behind bars—but is plotting for a second Trump term (09:25). And the social-media trend changing tinned fish from frumpy to foodie fare (18:33).

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