How special is Britain and America’s relationship? | The Economist

2026-04-07

Who is winning the war between America and Iran? Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, and Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss Donald Trump’s repeated deadline delays, the battle of competing narratives between America and Iran and the mounting military and economic costs on both sides of the war.

00:00 – Will Trump’s latest deadline trigger escalation?
00:34 – How can both sides claim they’re winning?
05:45 – What is the effect on Iran’s economy?
07:31 – Is there any realistic path to peace?
08:32 – Is the conflict on the brink of full escalation?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4sSrtot
Iran and America are spinning stories about the size of their victories: https://econ.st/3NRdiB4
Subscribe: https://www.economist.com/subscribe

2026-02-26

Elon Musk thinks the future of AI might not be on Earth at all—but in orbit.

On the latest episode of Inside Tech, Tom Standage and Alex Hern explore how orbital data centres would work, whether the numbers add up, and why this once outlandish concept is suddenly being taken seriously.

#elonmusk #spacex #xai #aiinfrastructure #datacenters #spacetech #technews #futureofai

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4cSR9vY
Sign up to the Insider newsletter: https://econ.st/4nOyzIb

Subscribe to The Economist: https://www.economist.com/subscribe
Download our app: https://www.economist.com/get-the-app

Follow The Economist on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeconomist/
Follow The Economist on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEconomist
Follow The Economist on X:

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
Subscribe: https://www.economist.com/subscribe
Download the App: https://www.economist.com/get-the-app

Instagram:

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

Subscribe to The Economist: https://www.economist.com/subscribe
Download our app: https://www.economist.com/get-the-app

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

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
Subscribe: https://www.economist.com/subscribe
Download the App: https://www.economist.com/get-the-app

Instagram:

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

2025-11-11

Between 2001 and 2024, a quarter of Madagascar’s native rainforest has vanished. At this rate of destruction, those ecosystems will be entirely wiped out by the end of the century. Could collecting and preserving the seeds of the endangered plants help repair the country’s ancient forests?

00:00 – Collecting seeds in Madagascar
00:18 – Why do Kew have a seed bank?
01:10 – What was the trip like?
05:27 – The seed-collection process
07:32 – What happens next?
09:00 – How could seed banks help?
10:03 – Impact of Madagascar’s military coup
10:37 – Will Madagascar benefit?

Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/4ozmmaF

How to save Madagascar’s dwindling forests: https://econ.st/3LwnwVU

Sign up to our daily newsletter: https://econ.st/4m7Q9WA

#Science #Madagascar #conservation

2025-11-07

In Britain, France and Germany the populist right are leading in the polls. Could the National Rally, the AfD or Reform UK revive their respective countries? Zanny Minton Beddoes, our editor-in-chief, and Edward Carr, deputy editor, speak to a panel of our experts about what the populists are promising, why they’re so popular and how they could reshape Europe.

#france #uk #germany #afd #reformuk #europe

00:00 – Why is the populist right so popular?
02:50 – How Nigel Farage is moderating as he gets closer to power
03:35 – Alice Weidel and the AfD
05:08 – The populist right and economic growth
06:50 – How would the RN deal with the European Union?

Watch the full show: econ.st/4oYgmbt

Jordan Bardella starts to lay out his plans: econ.st/3XeUAnO

France’s Fifth Republic is in