The Intelligence from The Economist

Andy Burnham faces tough challenges as Britain’s new prime minister, both within his party and the country at large. Our correspondent analyses his prospects. After years of strife, how can Syria be rebuilt? And food markets have changed New York.

Guests and host:

• Hugo Gye, Britain political correspondent
• Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent
• Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Andy Burnham, Keir Starmer, prime minister
• Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa, Assad
• New York, street markets, farmers’ markets

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Binyamin Netanyahu’s government will, unusually, serve out its full term. What comes after October’s election will decide what kind of Israel will emerge. Our correspondent asks whether the World Cup will be remembered more for the dramas on the pitch or off it. And a tribute to A23a, the world’s largest iceberg, after it melts away at last.

Guests and host:

• Josie Delap, Middle East editor
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Israeli election, Binyamin Netanyahu
• World Cup
• icebergs, climate

Watch extended clips from Insider here. And listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

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We take a peek into a quirk of British politics as the country’s populist-right polling leader goes up against a man who wears a bin on his head. It is more serious than it sounds. Africans tired of shoddy internet services are turning to Starlink—for a price. And our culture editor reviews an anachronism-laden take on a classic epic.

Guests and host:

• Hugo Gye, British political correspondent
• Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, Africa correspondent
• Catherine Nixey, culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Nigel Farage, Count Binface, British politics, farce
• Africa’s internet infrastructure, Starlink
• “The Odyssey”, Christopher Nolan

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The sketch of a deal to end the war is all but dead; oil is up as strikes rain down. We look at the options available to America—all of them bad. India’s government websites are almost universally impossible to use; we look at the structural reasons behind the bad IT. And the growth of summer camps for adults. 

Listen to our “The Weekend Intelligence” episode on kidulting.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Leo Mirani, Ashoka columnist
• Rachel Mayman, senior audience editor 
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran war, Strait of Hormuz
• India’s government, IT
• summer camps, kidulting

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Myanmar’s jailed leader has not been seen since 2022. We ask if she is in fact alive, and what might happen if the military junta acceded to demands for her release. We examine Turkey’s plan to turn the war in Iran to its advantage. And delving into the research on just how much sleep is enough—and too much.

Guests and host:

• Aaron Connelly, Asia diplomatic editor
• Cerian Richmond-Jones, international economics correspondent
• Sam Wikeley, science correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar
• Turkey, economics, Iran war
• sleep, science

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The longtime South Carolina senator died suddenly at the weekend. His political arc mirrored that of his Republican party in the Trump era. We ask what his death leaves behind. Frontier AI models opaquely embody a worldview and set of values; we poke the big ones, asking what they believe. And why Old Master paintings are again so popular. 

Guests and host:

• Adam Roberts, foreign editor
• Sondre Solstad, senior data journalist
• Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Lindsey Graham, Republican party, American foreign policy
• AI frontier models, values
• art market, Old Masters

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This week Andrey Melnichenko, Russia’s biggest industrialist, warns in The Economist that disaster is looming for his country as the war in Ukraine continues. What does it mean when members of the elite risk broadcasting their discontent? Our correspondent describes life in Kyiv as attacks intensify. And our week-long journey down Route 66 reaches the end of the road.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, Economist deputy editor
• Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor
• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Russia, Putin, Andrey Melnichenko
• Ukraine, Kyiv, drone, interceptor
• Route 66, car culture

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As America hit 90 targets in a second day of attacks on Iran, the fragile truce is in jeopardy. Our correspondent explains how power shifts within Iran may affect the war. Asian governments are trying to force children to care for ageing parents. And day four of our journey down Route 66 traverses a darker side of the road.   

Guests and host:

• Nicolas Pelham, Middle East correspondent
• Farah Cheah, Asia reporter
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, ceasefire, Strait of Hormuz, Ayatollah
• Filial piety, ageing, elderly care
• Route 66, Oklahoma, race relations

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

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Last night, the populist-right leader announced that she will run in the French presidential election next year. Our correspondent analyses the Le Pen dynasty and explains how this decision will shape the campaign. The world’s first refuge for whales once held in captivity. And our journey down America’s Route 66 takes us into its commercial history.

Guests and host:

• Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief
• Sam Colbert, senior podcast producer
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Marine Le Pen, National Rally
• Whales, beluga, animal rights
• Route 66, America

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

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As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to courtrooms. And day two of our great American roadtrip down Route 66.  

Guests and host:

• Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
• Anna Kerr, senior audience editor
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• NATO, Ukraine, Ankara
• Vibe lawyering, vibe coding, courtroom
• Route 66, California

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. 

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