Can luxury toilets fix China’s economy? | The Economist

2026-03-29

Do peptides really work? The Economist’s health editor, Natasha Loder, senior science writer, Tim Cross and co-host of The Intelligence podcast, Jason Palmer, discuss the booming peptide market, the risks of unregulated experimentation, and how internet hype is outpacing scientific evidence.

00:00 – Are peptides really the shortcut to bigger muscles, better skin, and faster recovery?
00:10 – How easy is it to buy peptides online?
00:42 – What is BPC-157 and the so-called “Wolverine Stack”?
01:01 – How are these substances being sold despite safety warnings?
02:01 – What exactly are peptides and why are they so popular?
03:24 – What are the biggest health risks and unknowns?
04:31 – How has the internet accelerated the spread of “bro science”?
05:40 – What are regulators doing to

2026-03-19

Has Donald Trump betrayed America First? Tucker Carlson thinks so. In an interview with Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Carlson argues the war on Iran was launched on Israel’s timetable, not America’s, and that the idea behind it “is not only contrary to America First, it may be its inverse”.

#tuckercarlson #usa #trump

Read more: https://econ.st/47FuP5G
Subscribe to The Economist: https://econ.st/3Mia0pz
Download The Economist app: https://econ.st/4qdVVaA

Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheEconomist
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeconomist
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist

2026-03-18

“Better trade relations with the EU is in our national interest,” Rachel Reeves tells The Economist’s Rachana Shanbhogue. “It would be foolish to just carry on as we are.”

#ukpolitics #labour #labourparty #europe #eu #economics

Watch the full interview: https://www.economist.com/insider
Subscribe to The Economist: https://econ.st/3Mia0pz
Download The Economist app: https://econ.st/4qdVVaA

Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheEconomist
Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeconomist
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist

2026-03-13

As the oil crisis intensifies, Russia has a lot to gain from Donald Trump’s war in the Middle East.

2026-01-29

Is civil war brewing in Iran? Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss internal tensions in the country and why some protesters seem to be turning their backs on peaceful demonstrations.

00:50 – What are Iran’s two opposing camps?
02:56 – What does this deepening divide mean for politics?
03:57 – Why has Iran shifted from protest to civil conflict?
06:16 – Is there any way to stop a civil war?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3NKjsm1
Is America about to attack Iran?: https://econ.st/4qKVKEC
Sign up to our weekly newsletter: https://econ.st/3J0xzBr

#TheEconomist #Iran #Protests

2026-01-23

Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland—and his willingness to use intimidation and economic coercion to get it—could deal a deathblow to the post-war order. Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Edward Carr, deputy editor, and a panel of our expert journalists discuss whether the diplomatic spat could be the end of the West as we know it.

2025-12-12

President Trump has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela and blown up alleged narco-boats across the Caribbean. What’s behind this escalation of military force?

Tap the link in our bio to read why an American oil blockade would devastate the Venezuelan regime.

2025-12-01

Plagued by corruption and weakened on the battlefield, Ukraine now risks being beaten at the negotiating table. If it does not show that it is willing to talk peace, it risks losing American support. Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, and Edward Carr, deputy editor, and a panel of our experts dissect the latest peace plan and what it means for Ukraine. #ukraine #russia