Will China be the real winner from the Iran war? | The Economist

2026-03-07

Are Gulf states running out of missile interceptors? Iranian drones and rockets have been striking countries across the Arabian gulf in recent days. Shashank Joshi, The Economist’s Defence editor, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how advanced air-defence systems work, the risk of interceptor missile shortages, and what this means for current and future conflicts around the world.

00:00 – Are countries in the region prepared for missile attacks?
00:35 – How strong are Israel and the Gulf states’ air defence systems?
00:58 – How quickly are interceptor missiles being used up?
02:30 – Is Iran running out of missiles or slowing its attacks?
04:51 – What happens if air defence interceptors run out?
06:08 – What this missile shortage means for future wars

Links:

2026-01-26

Are ICE agents intentionally targeting sanctuary cities? The Economist’s Deputy editor, Edward Carr, and Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, explore why immigration enforcement has zeroed in on Minneapolis and what that focus might reveal about the Trump administration’s broader political objectives.

00:00 – Why is Minneapolis being targeted
01:46 – Do the videos match the administration’s story?
03:28 – What do you think about the optics of this operation in Minneapolis?
05:14 – Given public opinion is shifting, what do you think will happen next?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/49JKeDK
Another horrifying shooting by federal agents in Minneapolis:
https://econ.st/4jXy3q8
Sign up to our weekly newsletter: https://econ.st/3J0xzBr

2026-01-22

The dollar has been the world’s primary reserve currency for the best part of a century, but under Donald Trump it may be losing its privileged position. Kenneth Rogoff, from Harvard University, discusses with The Economist’s top economics editors at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

2025-12-03

India is taking a different path on AI. It is embedding AI models built by Indian universities in the government tech stack.

On the latest episode of Inside Tech, Tom Standage and Alex Hern explain how India’s approach works and why it stands out globally.

00:00 – Why India’s AI strategy stands out
01:12 – Why language is important
03:05 – What India’s experiment means for global AI

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4iyEJu7

How can a middle power compete in AI: https://econ.st/3Y5X48o

India has a unique opportunity to lead in AI: https://econ.st/4pa1ZBf

Sign up to the Insider newsletter: https://econ.st/4nOyzIb

2025-11-26

There is no love lost between Donald Trump and John Bolton, his former national security adviser. Mr Bolton made a dramatic exit from the first Trump administration after months of tension. Since then he has been a fierce critic of the president’s character and competence. He has also been indicted for transmitting and storing classified information—which he denies. Mr Bolton joins David Rennie, our geopolitics editor, to dissect Mr Trump’s worldview, evaluate his America-first foreign policy and consider the future of American power.

00:00 – Is Donald Trump on a “downhill slope”?
02:19 – What Trump could do as a lame-duck president
03:29 – Has Trump damaged America’s institutions irreparably?
05:21 – The long-term impact of ‘America-First’ foreign policy

Watch the full interview:

2025-11-22

Will transplanting animal organs into humans become normal? Emilie Steinmark, our Science correspondent and Alok Jha, host of Babbage podcast, discuss the logic behind transplanting genetically-modified pig organs into humans and if this might help resolve the global organ-donor shortage.

00:00 – Why is xenotransplantation interesting again in 2025?
00:12 – Why do scientists use pigs for organ transplants?
01:05 – What risks come from using organs from animals?
02:10 – How do you prepare a pig organ for a human transplant?
03:39 – How do scientists edit pig genes to reduce rejection?
06:03 – Will pig-to-human organ transplants become normal in the future?

Links:
Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3X9oIkA
How pig-organ transplants might soon save lives:

2025-10-12

Why is Saudi Arabia investing in the world’s biggest gaming firms? Our Media Editor, Tom Wainwright, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss the Middle Eastern kingdom’s bid to become a video game superpower.

0:39: Who’s buying EA?
1:06: What does a gaming superpower look like for Saudi Arabia?
2:01: Why is Saudi Arabia investing in gaming?
2:46: Is there more to this than MBS’s love of gaming?
3:26: Is this game-washing—like sportswashing?
5:01: Will Saudi influence change the games themselves?
6:47: What does the future of Saudi-influenced games look like?

#TheEconomist #SaudiArabia #EA

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3IU4lEA
With Electronic Arts, Saudi Arabia scores a record buy-out: https://econ.st/4h1Li7K
Sign up to our weekly newsletter:

2025-10-07

The decades-long succession saga is finally over—Rupert Murdoch’s media empire will be inherited by his son, Lachlan. Our media editor, Tom Wainwright, delves into the details of Murdoch’s “eldest boy”.