The Intelligence from The Economist

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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