The Intelligence from The Economist

After oil prices climbed to nearly $120 a barrel yesterday, Donald Trump signalled a possible abrupt end to the conflict in Iran. Markets calmed, but the course of the war remains unclear. Why China’s government has said little about Iran. And how a hippy grocery store became America’s swankiest supermarket.

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, deputy editor of “The Economist”
• Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief
• Avantika Chilkoti, global business correspondent 
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, Donald Trump, Brent Crude, financial markets, Asia, oil shock
• Chinese foreign policy, Wang Yi
• Erewhon, food prices, supermarkets

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After Iran appoints a new supreme leader, what does the choice tell us about the resilience of the regime and how the war will progress? Scientific research in America has taken a battering in Donald Trump’s second term. And why British choirs face a shortage of tenor voices.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Daniella Raz, US correspondent
• Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, oil prices
• Scientific research, National Science Foundation, renewable energy
• Tenors, choirs, Oxford University

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After a momentous week, our editors reflect on how uncertainty about the goals of the war in Iran will affect its course. Iran’s retaliation has been fierce and wide ranging. How long can Gulf stocks of missile interceptors last? And our obituaries editor looks back at the life of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei. 

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, Economist deputy editor 
• Josie Delap, Middle East editor
• Shashank Joshi, defence editor
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, Donald Trump, third Gulf war, war goals
• Interceptor missiles, military strategy
• Ali Khamenei 

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As America continues to batter Iran, what are the domestic implications of the war for Donald Trump? The widening conflict has prompted some European countries to deploy defensive forces. France has also announced a bigger shift in policy: to bolster its nuclear arsenal. And the politics of beer and nappies.

Guests and host:

• Adam Roberts, foreign editor
• Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief
• Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, Donald Trump, senate, Turkey
• France, Macron, nuclear warheads, NATO
• MAGA, marketing 

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As America and Israel continue to bombard Iran, much of Iran’s retaliation is directed against energy infrastructure. With tankers blocked and oil prices rising, our correspondent discusses the impact on the global economy. Why do student debts weigh heavily on Britain’s graduates? And is line dancing really becoming sexy? 

Guests and host:

• Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor
• Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent
• Hollie Berman, news editor, US bureau  
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” 
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, oil, gas, global economy, Dubai, Gulf, stockmarkets
• Britain, universities, student loans, tax
• Line dancing, New York, bar culture

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The war in Iran has entered its fourth day with further American and Israeli strikes, and Iranian retaliation across the region. Now Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon. Attacks on Tehran involved the use of Artificial Intelligence, so why is the Pentagon picking a fight with Anthropic, its supplier? And Pokémon turns 30.

Watch “The Insider” on Iran: Economist experts ask what will happen next

Guests and host:

• Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
• Henry Tricks, US technology editor
• Moeka Iida, Japan correspondent
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• War in Iran, America, Israel, Lebanon, Hizbullah, Middle East
• Anthropic, OpenAI, Claude, Artificial Intelligence 
• Pokemon, media

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This weekend, America and Israel launched long-anticipated attacks on Iran, killing Ali Khamenei, the country’s supreme leader. Our correspondents analyse what his death means for the country and the strategy behind Iran’s retaliation. We report how Gulf States are dealing with unprecedented instability within their borders. And we assess Iran’s military capability and what might happen next.

Guests and host:

• Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent 
• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent 
• Gareth Browne, Middle East reporter
• Shashank Joshi, defence editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran attacks, military capability
• Ali Khamenei, succession 
• Donald Trump, foreign policy
• Gulf States, Dubai 

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For all the promise of transformation that artificial intelligence offers, a close look at macroeconomic data shows little change. Sit tight. A brutal attack in Nigeria reveals how the security crisis is spreading ominously. And a tribute to Virginia Oliver, who cut an unusual figure on the lobster boat she skippered for decades.

Guests and host:

• Alex Domash, economics correspondent
• Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Artificial intelligence, macroeconomics
• Nigeria, security, jihadism
• Virginia Oliver, Maine, lobsters

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As a military build-up continues in the Middle East, President Donald Trump’s messaging remains ambiguous. What could, at this stage, head off conflict? Our series on America’s 250th birthday continues with a dive into our archive on the era leading up to civil war. And a couple of recommendations for the silver and the small screen.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
• Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, nuclear deal, military build-up
• American history
• entertainment, “Dreams”, “Bridgerton”

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The targeting of “El Mencho”, the leader of one of the country’s two biggest gangs, has resulted in a predictable spate of violence—more of which is virtually assured. We take a rare look inside Russia to see how four years of war has changed the country. And some surprising advice on how to get your best marathon time.

Guests and host:

• Sarah Birke, Mexico City bureau chief
• Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor
• Tim Cross, senior science writer
• Ainslie Johnstone, data journalist
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Mexico, cartels, gang violence
• Russia, economy, Ukraine war
• Running, training, marathons

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On the fourth anniversary of a war that many predicted would last mere days, much has changed—even beyond the unthinkable misery in Ukraine itself. Alliances have weakened, Europe is rearming like never before and the very nature of modern war has been redefined. Our correspondents take stock and consider what kind of peace is even possible. 

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, deputy editor
• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Shashank Joshi, defence editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• war in Ukraine, Russia, defence, diplomacy

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The smackdown by America’s Supreme Court was resounding: the bulk of Donald Trump’s tariffs were instituted illegally. He will try to rebuild his tariff wall, brick by brick—creating a new crop of winners and losers. Australia’s surging One Nation party threatens a conservative coalition that was already looking slightly shaky. And why Agatha Christie’s prolific output is so enduringly popular.

Guests and host:

• Rachana Shanbhogue, business-affairs editor
• Aaron Connelly, Asia diplomatic editor
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• America’s Supreme Court, Donald Trump, tariffs
• Australian politics, Pauline Hanson
• Agatha Christie

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The detainment of King Charles’s brother is almost without precedent in Britain’s long royal history. He denies wrongdoing, but damage to “The Firm” is already assured. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have fallen into a very public spat that may have grave implications far beyond the region. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of Jesse Jackson.

Guests and host:

• Sonny Loughran, Britain writer
• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Ann Wroe, Obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Britain’s royal family, Jeffrey Epstein
• Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, diplomacy
• Jesse Jackson

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Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s ex-president, has been handed a life sentence for insurrection. That is by no means the end of the story of division in the country. Nervous AI-watchers fret about which workers might be replaced; our analysis suggests white-collar workers can breathe easy. And the memoir of Gisèle Pelicot, a rape survivor turned global symbol of strength.

Guests and hosts:

• Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
• Alex Domash, economics correspondent
• Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol
• AI, white-collar jobs
• Gisèle Pelicot, memoir

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Income inequality abounds and today’s rich are staggeringly rich, implying that tax regimes are giving the wealthy more and more of a pass. Our dig into the numbers suggests the opposite. We ask why so many of the world’s international mercenaries hail from Colombia. And despite the signs, Spanish may be reaching its peak in America.

Guests and hosts:

• Callum Williams, senior economics writer
• Carla Subirana, news editor
• Lane Greene, senior digital editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Taxation, welfare state, inequality
• Colombia, international mercenaries
• Spanish

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Many scientists are considering the notion of actively cooling the region that is warming fastest. We examine the merits and the risks—both environmental and geopolitical—of messing with the polar climate. We ask why the kind of gig economy that has struggled in many markets is booming in India. And an unsettling peek into the first social network for AI agents.

Guests and hosts:

• Oliver Morton, senior editor
• Catherine Brahic, environment editor
• Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
• Alex Hern, AI writer
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• The Arctic, climate change, geoengineering
• India, gig economy
• Agentic AI, social networking, Moltbook

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Our data journalists trawled through the vast email archive of Jeffrey Epstein, a dead sex offender. It is a revealing look at how and with whom he communicated. As interest grows in banning young people’s use of social media, we argue there are better ways to mitigate harms. And a blindfolded introduction to “blouge”, a new, more climate-resilient wine variety.

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
• Dan Rosenheck, data editor
• Tom Wainwright, media editor
• Tom Standage, deputy editor of The Economist

Topics covered: 

• The Epstein files
• Social-media bans
• “Blouge” wine

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Tech firms are spending so much on artificial intelligence that investors are getting nervous. Our correspondent explains whether it is possible to protect your portfolio from a crash. Turkey’s ruler has become increasingly autocratic–and increasingly old. Who might succeed him? And celebrating the life of literary agent Georges Borchardt.   

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
• Josh Roberts, capital markets correspondent
• Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent

Topics covered: 

• Hedging against an AI bubble
• Turkey after Erdogan
• Obituary of literary agent Georges Borchardt

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As Russia’s war in Ukraine nears four years, there has been no let up in the fighting on the battlefield. Yet there is some optimism that negotiations could yield a ceasefire. Our correspondent joins a Colombian drug raid to destroy a cocaine laboratory in the Amazon. And is crime in London really soaring? 

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Claire McQue, Latin America writer
• Sonny Loughran, Britain writer

Topics covered: 

• Ukraine peace prospects
• Colombia’s war on drugs
• Crime in London

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The toppling of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hassina in Bangladesh in 2024 was celebrated as a triumph for democracy. Tomorrow the country finally heads to the polls. Our correspondent weighs the choice. Can Mars and other bleak planets be made fit for human habitation? And why AI bots are applying for human jobs. 

To find out how to have sex in space, listen to this episode of “The Weekend Intelligence”. 

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau and Jason Palmer, co-hosts of “The Intelligence”
• Mark Johnson, senior writer
• Oliver Morton, senior editor
• Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer

Topics covered: 

• Bangladesh’s election
• Astrobiology
• How AI changes job recruitment

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Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls for his resignation from a senior party member. He has survived – but Britain’s prime minister is now fighting for his political survival. Assisted dying legislation is catching up with public opinion in America. And what happens when skiing meets rodeo? 

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
• Sacha Nauta, Britain editor
• Stevie Hertz, US policy correspondent
• Aryn Braun, West Coast corrrespondent

Topics covered: 

• Keir Starmer’s political future
• Assisted dying in America
• The sport of skijoring  

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Takaichi Sanae’s gamble to call a general election has paid off. How will the prime minister’s thumping victory change Japan? New legislation in Republican states could imperil academic freedom. And why “Taxi Driver” resonates 50 years after the film’s release.

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
• Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
• Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent
• Andrew Miller, author of The Economist’s Back Story column on culture

Topics covered: 

• Japan’s election
• University censorship in America
• Fifty years of “Taxi Driver”

For more on Japan’s economy, listen to last week’s episode of Money Talks

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This week Elon Musk announced the merger of two of his companies: SpaceX and xAI, which makes chatbots. Is the new firm viable? As migrant workers return home for lunar new year, the Chinese Communist Party tells migrant workers not to stay for too long. And our culture editor’s hot take on “Heated Rivalry”.

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The New START nuclear deal was signed in 2010 to restrict the number of strategic warheads and missiles America and Russia could amass. Will there be a new deal – and what will happen if not? How social media has helped fuel recruitment to cults. And our baldness correspondent bristles at some hairy questions.

Listen back to "The Bomb", our Babbage series on America's quest to modernise its nuclear arsenal.  

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Peter Mandelson was a totem of Britain’s Labour party for decades. The newest Epstein files mark the end of his political career. What are the consequences for the country’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer? Ryanair is controversial and widely hated—yet strangely successful. And why so many animals engage in same-sex relationships.

To get 15% off Economist Education’s new business writing and storytelling course, register with the code ECONWRITING-15.

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After months of speculation, Donald Trump has picked Kevin Warsh to run the Federal Reserve. Our correspondent explains what this means for America–and the world economy.  What matters more in Thailand’s election: the will of the people or the power of the monarchy? And why Hong Kong’s humble tram network could help keep tourism on track.

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After Narendra Modi’s setback in the 2024 Indian elections, many thought his star was falling. Our correspondent explains the surprising resurgence of popular support. Why pushing your child to specialise may not be the best way to nurture their genius. And what the departure of pandas from Japan says about the country’s relationship with China.

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Can AI do my job? How should employees and bosses be using the technology right now? And how should all of us prepare for the future?

Andrew Palmer returns for a third season of Boss Class. This time it’s all about AI. In the first episode, he starts introducing AI into his daily work routines, and receives a nasty shock.

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In this episode, Andrew asks Claude, a generative AI programme, to write his management column for him. You can find Andrew’s column here and Claude’s version here.

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On the streets of Minneapolis, in polls and in the halls of Congress, disapproval of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda is mounting. Democrats won a near-term battle on funding—for now—but a wider war awaits. Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s leader, appears to be positioning his daughter ever more visibly as his successor. And remembering Mark Tully, a veteran BBC correspondent in India. 

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As the smoke of a murderous crackdown clears, Iranians have hardened into two camps. Moderates and reformists are out; a sense of looming civil war is in. As America nears its 250th birthday, we launch our series examining the highlights and low points of its history. And why the wild playground popularity of the song “Sigma Boy” is so worrisome.

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Many of the continent’s populist-right leaders once saw President Donald Trump as an example-setting fellow traveller. But his actions and policies on Venezuela, Greenland and Canada have them pulling back. Dating apps from the West failed to make inroads in India; now the country has its own crop of them. And scientific spying in the jungle reveals where predators hunt.

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The two men under investigation are in the army’s highest echelon, and are some of President Xi Jinping’s closest counsel. We examine the probable motives for a surprising purge. In Ukraine’s freezing capital thousands upon thousands of people suffer unpredictable cuts to electricity, heat, even water; we ask them how they cope. And why Strava is leading the fitness-app footrace.

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For the second time this month, federal agents in Minneapolis killed a citizen under disputed circumstances. We take a wider look at the immigration-enforcement effort and what, if anything, might limit it. OpenAI remains a generative-AI darling but it is burning through eye-watering amounts of money; 2026 may be its make-or-break year. And the effort to save Britain’s red squirrels. 

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AI is changing how we work. It's turning us all into managers. Be a good one.

The Economist’s management columnist, Andrew Palmer, takes on the bots in the third season of Boss Class. From cloning to coding, agents to entry-level jobs, he tackles the threat head on and figures out how to turn anxiety into opportunity. Along the way he meets bulls and bears and the people who can help you to master management in the age of AI.

Full Season 3 out 29th January 2026.

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Our Middle East correspondent reports from the largest holding camp for ISIS fighters in northern Syria, which government troops have just retaken from Kurdish control. What will happen to the inmates? Custom-made drugs are a medical milestone. And our obituaries editor remembers Cecilia Giménez, whose “Monkey Jesus” transformed the fortunes of a Spanish church. 

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After an astonishing week, Donald Trump has said America will not take Greenland by force, nor put tariffs on those who oppose his acquisition plan. Our correspondent asks if America-Europe relations can ever be repaired. A deal to transfer TikTok to American ownership is due today––why is no one watching? And pop songs get gloomier.  

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In recent days Syrian government troops have tried to retake territory held by the country’s Kurdish minority. Our correspondent reports from the region. Factions are fighting to control Vietnam’s Communist Party Congress: the winner will change Vietnam’s future. And are millennial fathers more hands-on than their crusty forbears?

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Japan’s prime minister Takaichi Sanae has called an election three months into her term. Can she capitalise on her popularity, or will her less-popular party be punished at the ballot box? Will a new treaty curb the destruction of the oceans? And how fancy restaurants are responding to the age of Ozempic. 

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Donald Trump has promised to impose a 10% tariff on eight countries, all NATO members, that oppose his plan to acquire Greenland. As the argument over the territory’s future continues, our correspondent analyses the fragile state of international relations. American megachurches are becoming more like businesses. And the rise of vodcasts: why audio is becoming video.

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Reza Pahlavi, son of the shah deposed in the 1979 revolution, tells us he sees himself as the people’s choice to lead. We ask how that might work. Our correspondent reckons that, in a full accounting of buying versus renting a home, the smart choice has become clear. And our obituaries editor on Aldrich Ames, a prolific CIA double agent for Russia.  

To see much more of our interview with Reza Pahlavi, and deep analysis with our editors and correspondents on how he might fit into Iran’s future, watch the latest episode in our Insider series for subscribers.

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As Maria Corina Machado, Venezuela’s opposition leader, meets with President Donald Trump, we talk through our exclusive polling on what the country wants for its future. Childhood in the age of AI promises to be bespoke and personalised—and perhaps also lonely and atomised. And on America’s National Bagel Day, our correspondent explores the foodstuff’s murky history.

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More inflation numbers, more jabs by President Donald Trump at Jay Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman. We ask what the Fed is doing, should be doing and is being pressured to do. Six years after the official Brexit divorce, we count the costs and ask what making-up is now possible. And how self-help books reveal the anxieties of their times.

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From Argentinian beef to German cars, a freshly inked deal between the EU and a bloc of South American countries should ease trade barriers—and is a sign of global trade’s topsy-turvy time. Foreigner-bashing is politically fashionable in Japan, but focuses on the wrong problems. And a look at Parkrun, a free weekly event that has unwittingly made many Britons healthier.

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Each country fears an attack from the other: Iran may wish to distract from internal conflict, Israel to exploit it. In an interview with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu we explore perspectives on the war-gaming. As the first cohort of graduates weaned on generative AI enters the workforce, we examine a changing career ladder. And why European pension systems badly need reform.

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Demonstrations are growing once again—but this time the message is notably different, and the regime has little means available to calm tensions. Where will it end? Our World Ahead series lays out what to expect this year in China’s dealings with Taiwan, Japan and beyond. And a tribute to Nino Loureiro, a pioneering fusion physicist slain by a former classmate.  

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It had real dramatic elements: a (slow) chase scene, faked locations, a literal false flag, a daring helicopter descent. But what is the broader picture of America’s bid to disrupt the Venezuelan-oil network? And how will the expanding oil saga affect an already weakened regime in Cuba? Also, we ask whether Hispanic football fans might avoid the World Cup in America.

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We return to the Los Angeles suburbs that were consumed by wildfires a year ago. The varying rebuilding efforts reveal divides in wealth, but also strains in California’s insurance industry. Never mind the AI job apocalypse, if it comes: the technology will create plenty of new roles, too. And why “peak wine” may be a good thing for sippers of the fine kind.

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The countries have a decades-long relationship—debt freely given in one direction and plenty of oil sold in the other. Yet America’s intervention has served as a reality check on China’s power in Venezuela and elsewhere. Our World Ahead series examines the risks to the American dollar as global reserve currency. And pricey handbags ain’t built like they used to be.

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America’s National Security Strategy, released a month ago, suggested the administration’s focus was on dominance of the western hemisphere. But no one expected its first move would be a special-forces raid to depose President Nicolás Maduro. What is next comes with grave risks. And the video-games business wants to escape its rut by finding whole new markets—geographically and demographically.

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Property wealth in China turbo-charged investment in art. Now house prices have crashed, art sales may follow. Are Britons really leaving the country in droves? And our obituaries editor on the death of the American cent coin.

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