Global news, sharpened into consequence.
Economist Podcasts turns current events into compact, carefully framed audio journalism. Its reporting moves from Venezuela and Lebanon to pensions, food shortages, spaceflight, football, and the social consequences behind the headline.
PRESS PLAY
Economist Podcasts presents global affairs as a sequence of connected pressures rather than isolated headlines. The show is brisk, polished, and strongly reported. It moves easily from a political turning point in Venezuela to Israel-Lebanon talks, from the future of NATO to hunger in East Africa, and from British pensions to football in Uzbekistan. Its central habit is explanation. A story is introduced, tested through questions, and then placed in a wider political, economic, or historical frame. The style is serious without being heavy. It can be grave when discussing war, food shortages, religious conflict, or invasion planning, but it also has room for dry curiosity about milk gluts, pet spending, non-alcoholic drinks, and sport. Recent episodes show a broad editorial appetite. Venezuela is treated through the uncertainty around power, elections, American support, and Maria Karina Machado’s role. Lebanon and Israel are handled through the hard question of what direct talks could achieve while fighting continues. Britain’s pension triple lock becomes a study in fiscal strain and political design. East African hunger is linked to supply chains, aid cuts, soil health, El Nino risk, and the aftershocks of war in Ukraine. The show also uses cultural stories to explain countries from another angle, including football in Uzbekistan and Spain’s team system. Its science and history segments are similarly grounded, as with Apollo 8, lunar observation, and the image of Earth rising over the moon. The Weekend Intelligence shifts into a more narrative mode, using Lithuania’s household crisis pamphlet to explore preparedness in the Baltic states. Across formats, the show prefers consequence over color for its own sake. It assumes listeners are informed, but it does not require specialist knowledge. Terms and institutions are explained when they matter. The pacing is compact, with frequent pivots and clear signposts. It is best for people who want a worldly news habit that is broad, skeptical, and efficient. It is not built around personality or banter. Its value comes from range, editorial judgment, and the discipline to keep asking what the facts mean.
Made for: For listeners who want international news, economics, politics, science, and culture explained with speed and precision. It suits people who follow headlines but want stronger context before forming a view.
What sets it apart: The show combines daily breadth with the habits of reported magazine journalism: correspondent detail, tight framing, and a steady focus on implications. It can move from war diplomacy to pensions or football without losing analytical discipline.
Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
It turns major international stories into clear questions about power, institutions, and consequences, then widens the frame with reported features.
Economist Podcasts, heard here through The Intelligence, builds each edition around a lead current-affairs interview before moving into reported features with a wider cultural or scientific reach.
America's possible NATO exit gets a contingency plan before your group chat declares the alliance dead.
Press play if you want
Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A clear look at Venezuela's opposition momentum and how much still depends on power beyond it.
The Intelligence opens with Nick Pope and then moves into Venezuela, where Kinley Salmon's journey from Caracas to Ocumare del Tuy gives the hour a strong sense of place.
A possible diplomatic opening is tested against the continuing war in Lebanon.
The possibility of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon gives this episode its pressure point: what can diplomacy achieve while Israel's offensive continues and Hezbollah keeps firing missiles and drones into northern Israel?
A broad hour that links hunger, burial-site violence, and a cooling British pet market.
The episode opens on war-driven hunger, following a World Food Programme supply-chain backlog, slashed aid budgets, and the risk that El Nino could make shortages worse.
A focused look at the Iran war's political aftershock and the emerging blame game between Jerusalem and Washington.
The episode looks at what may be the closing phase of the war in Iran, then turns to the political strain it has exposed between Jerusalem and Washington. Its strongest move is to treat the fighting as only part of the story.
NATO's future hinges on whether America leaves through a managed transition or a chaotic break.
NATO's future comes through as a problem of timing, not a clean choice between staying and going. The episode weighs whether the alliance could still function if America left, and what that would mean for Europe's security. It sets deep European unease about Mr.
A clear, concise look at how governments can protect citizens from lone-wolf attacks.
After Bondi: how to tackle extremism takes up a hard public-policy question: how can governments protect citizens from lone-wolf attacks? Rosie Bloor introduces the episode with Jason Palmer for The Intelligence, The Economist's weekday programme on events shaping the world,…
A compact review of how Israel's aims in Lebanon sit uneasily beside a ceasefire agreement between America and Iran.
Israel's campaign in Lebanon comes through as a test of stated intent as much as military pressure. Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel will begin talks with Lebanon on peaceful relations, while also saying strikes on Hezbollah will continue until the Iran-backed group disarms.
Markets, macro, AI, and crypto in motion.
Daily AI news through the lens of trust, infrastructure, and real-world deployment.
The episode opens with a report on the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, where a father and son killed 15 people at a Hanukkah party after training in the Philippines.
The episode examines Israel's contradictory stance on Lebanon amid ceasefire negotiations with Iran, revealing tensions with the US.
This episode discusses America's recent assault on Iran in collaboration with Israel, focusing on the dangerous situation in the Middle East and its global implications.
This episode explores the capabilities and limitations of AI-powered customer support agents through a real-world test with Sonos, highlighting their natural-sounding responses and task-focused training.
This episode examines how Lithuania and other Baltic states are preparing for a potential Russian invasion, including practical emergency planning and NATO's role in regional security.
Rosie Bloor opens The Intelligence with its weekday frame.
Rosie Bloor and Anshul examine whether Israel and Lebanon can pursue direct talks while Israel attacks Hezbollah, roughly a million Lebanese civilians remain displaced, and Iran seeks to link Lebanon to a broader ceasefire.
The hour opens on a food crisis shaped by war, aid cuts, and the threat of El Nino.
This episode of The Intelligence discusses failed talks between America and Iran that aimed to ease tensions, alongside updates on jihadist threats in Burkina Faso and trends in alcohol consumption.
This episode discusses the recent election in Hungary where Viktor Orban's Fidesz party lost power after 16 years of autocratic rule, marking a significant political shift.
Anshul Pfeffer says Israel was “freezed out” of talks that Donald Trump held through Pakistan.
The Economist's Rosie Bloor and Jason Palmer speak with diplomatic editor Anton LaGuardia about Donald Trump's latest pressure on NATO and the war in Iran.
This episode examines how Lithuania and other Baltic states are preparing their citizens for potential invasion through practical emergency guides and heightened security awareness amid Russian threats.
This episode explores how to hedge stock options against an AI bubble, focusing on massive tech company investments in AI and the associated risks.