Category Archive: 5.) The Economist

Did Olena Zelenska really go on a $1m shopping spree in New York?

In 2023, a story about Olena Zelenska’s spending habits spread on social media. It was a lie. But how did it circulate so quickly—and what does it reveal about Russia’s disinformation war against the West?

Read More »

Paradise lost: Hurricane Milton bashes Florida

Global warming is increasing the intensity of storms like the one that just hit Florida (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/09/how-florida-should-respond-to-hurricane-milton?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 explains the science. In a week of reflection on the anniversary of the...

Read More »

Google’s lurch: how to fix its monopoly

This summer, an American judge ruled that Google’s search dominance (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/03/dismantling-google-is-a-terrible-idea?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) was illegal. Now the Department of Justice has revealed possible solutions. How robots could help mend leaking water...

Read More »

What will Trump do if he loses the US election?

Donald Trump’s machine is already gearing up to fight a loss in America’s presidential election. If Kamala Harris wins he won't give up without a fight. Just how messy could things get? Sign up to our US politics newsletter: https://econ.st/3BC94Xb See Harris and Trump’s latest polling numbers: https://econ.st/4dtMpK7 What will happen if America’s election result is contested?: https://econ.st/3BwJPWA

Read More »

General rule: how to reinvent America’s army

Twenty years ago America was fighting insurgents in Afghanistan and Iran. As state-on-state clashes become more likely, Randy George (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/09/29/the-us-armys-chief-of-staff-has-ideas-on-the-force-of-the-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) is the person in charge...

Read More »

The Weekend Intelligence: Gaza, after the dust settles (republished)

*This episode was first published 20/07/24 After a year of war in Gaza, people are beginning to discuss the aftermath. Schools, hospitals, the sanitation system are in ruins. Just clearing the rubble will take years. Focusing on the long term, many neglect what needs to happen on day one. Gazans say the territory is becoming lawless. Who will control security, and with what legitimacy? Does anyone have a coherent plan? In this special...

Read More »

Year of destruction: how October 7th shattered the Middle East

After Hamas militants attacked Israel a year ago, few people predicted how deep and devastating the ensuing conflict in the Middle East (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/03/the-year-that-shattered-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) would be. The Economist’s Middle East experts...

Read More »

The Weekend Intelligence: Black boxes (part one): Michael Kovrig on how he became a political…

One evening, Michael Kovrig, a former Canadian diplomat, grabbed a late dinner in Beijing with his partner. When they arrived back at his apartment, men in black were waiting for them. Mr Kovrig was pushed into a waiting SUV. Handcuffed and blindfolded, he was driven to a detention centre in southern Beijing that would be his home for the next 1,019 days. September 24th 2024 is the third anniversary of Mr Kovrig’s release. And now he is ready to...

Read More »

A key Keystone: the race for Pennsylvania

Whoever wins Pennsylvania will probably win the presidency: according to it’s the most likely tipping point state. We’ve travelled to three different areas to assess how the campaign is going, and try to read the electoral tea leaves. Who’s winning in Pennsylvania?...

Read More »

October 7th: How one year reshaped the Middle East

When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th last year, its leader, Yahya Sinwar, wanted a cataclysmic war that reshaped the Middle East. One year later, that’s what he has—but not in the way he planned. Provoked by Iran’s recent missile attacks, Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has vowed to retaliate. The next phase will see violence spread across the region. The year that shattered the Middle East: https://econ.st/3Y8moeX The...

Read More »

The arc of war: a bloody week in Lebanon

In a matter of weeks the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah has transformed life in Lebanon (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/10/03/the-year-that-shattered-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). Our correspondent reports from the streets of Beirut. After a pandemic-sized hiccup in the...

Read More »

Yuan for the money: China stimulates its economy

After years of slowing growth, the Chinese government is finally attempting to bolster (https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/09/27/at-last-china-pulls-the-trigger-on-a-bold-stimulus-package?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)consumer demand, business confidence and the stock market. Our...

Read More »

What are Donald Trump’s policies?

A second Trump presidency would leave a much greater mark on America than the first. Adam O'Neal, our Washington correspondent, explains why. Sign up to our US politics newsletter: https://econ.st/3BC94Xb See Harris and Trump’s latest polling numbers: https://econ.st/4dtMpK7 What are Harris and Trump’s economic plans?: https://econ.st/3Nb64Uy What J.D. Vance is learning from Donald Trump: https://econ.st/4dtJeSM What will happen if...

Read More »

Veep state: the running mates debate

After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate (https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/10/02/the-vice-presidential-debate-was-surprisingly-cordial?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 assesses their performance – and its effect on the US...

Read More »

War in Ukraine: what does victory now look like?

Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, has travelled across Ukraine to find out what lies ahead. What might victory look like? Listen to a special episode of our “Weekend Intelligence” podcast and find out why it’s crunch time for Ukraine: https://econ.st/4gKTFnK Ukraine and its allies must change course: https://econ.st/4gKTA3q Ukraine is on the defensive, militarily, economically and diplomatically: https://econ.st/3XLC6LI More on the...

Read More »

Ground assault: Israeli forces invade Lebanon

As Israeli troops move into Lebanon (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/09/29/lebanon-faces-its-worst-crisis-since-the-end-of-the-civil-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) and missiles strike Damascus in Syria, can Israel’s next offensive really stay “limited, localised and targeted”?...

Read More »

Beirut force: Israel kills Hizbullah leader

Israel’s attacks on Lebanon (https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/09/29/lebanon-faces-its-worst-crisis-since-the-end-of-the-civil-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) and Yemen this weekend will have implications far beyond the militant groups that were the apparent targets. Our...

Read More »

The Weekend Intelligence: Crunch time for Ukraine

To listen every week and enjoy all our podcasts you'll need a subscription to Economist Podcasts Plus. Follow the link in the show notes for a free trial To hear more about Ukraine, join our live event on October 25th. Our editors will discuss the situation on the battlefield, the impact of the American election and the diplomacy in the background. To sign up, go to: economist.com/registertoday (http://economist.com/registertoday) Hosted on...

Read More »

Woke croaks: “peak woke” has passed

Over the past decade a form of wokeness (https://www.economist.com/leaders/2024/09/19/after-peak-woke-what-next?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=checksandbalance&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners) arose on the illiberal left, characterised by extreme pessimism about America and its capacity to make progress. of how influential these ideas are today finds...

Read More »

Why the Philadelphi corridor in Gaza is blocking a ceasefire

The Philadelphi Corridor— a narrow area along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt—has become the latest block in reaching a ceasefire. Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, says the presence of Israeli troops is crucial—but his generals disagree What is the significance of the Philadelphi corridor?: https://econ.st/4d80lJy Isrealis want the hostages home: http://econ.st/4erp8cD More of our Middle East & Africa coverage:...

Read More »