Is the Iran war weakening America’s armed forces?

2026-02-19

Why do so many of the world’s international mercenaries hail from Colombia? The Economist’s news editor, Carla Subirana Artús, and co-host of The Intelligence podcast, Rosie Blau discuss why Colombia’s soldiers are in such high demand around the world and what the diplomatic consequences are.

00:48 – Why are there so many mercenaries from Colombia?
02:37 – Why do former Colombian soldiers continue this dangerous work?
03:57 – How is the Colombian government responding?
05:02 – Will the global mercenary market continue to grow?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/46LRWLr
Why so many Colombians fight in foreign wars: https://econ.st/3OP61BA
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2026-02-18

Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb, isn’t worried about Europe’s military heft. As some European officials panic about Donald Trump’s erratic approach to foreign policy, he calls for cool heads. Mr Stubb explains to The Economist’s geopolitics editor, David Rennie, why Europe can defend itself without America.

#europe #usa #finland

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4aEAUjE
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2026-02-14

Can you hedge against an AI bubble? Joshua Roberts, The Economist’s capital markets correspondent, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss why AI spending is making investors nervous, the lessons learned from the dot com boom and what strategies might help investors manage risk.

00:00 – Why Is investor confidence in AI wobbling?
00:31 – What’s making stock markets jittery about AI?
01:33 – What can investors do to avoid getting stuck?
02:48 – How should investors hedge risk?
04:43 – What’s the safest strategy?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4tFtKV2
How to hedge a bubble, AI edition:https://econ.st/3ZwwzKh
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2026-02-09

Are minimum wages too high? Henry Curr, The Economist’s economics editor, argues that high pay floors can have damaging economic consequences and that governments should pursue more effective policies to reduce poverty.
#theeconomist #politics #economy

2025-12-19

The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, explores the power of arguing in schools.

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