The Intelligence from The Economist

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Growth negligence: Britain’s budget Nov 27, 2025

Show notes

The tax-and-spend plan was fine-tuned to avoid immediate political jeopardy. But it will do little to help Britain’s chronic growth problem, and is likely to erode further the political centre. We meet with Yogi Adityanath, the leader of India’s most populous state and a harbinger of the country’s possible political future. And readers’ best—or most discombobulating—job-interview questions.

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Party likes it 1959: Cuba in crisis Nov 26, 2025

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The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering only deepens. Britain is making the most of its advantages in the burgeoning industry of quantum technology. And why conservationists’ concern about a wood beloved of classical musicians may be misplaced.

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Wage against the machine: the distortions of minimum pay Nov 25, 2025

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For decades governments have found minimum-wage rises a politically expedient means of redistribution. But the onward economic distortions have at last become clear. Of course AI can write a faster cover letter — perhaps even a better one. But there are knock-on costs when everyone is doing it. And a look at Florida’s bold experiment in the free choice of unbundled education.

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Emission creep: a contentious COP closes Nov 24, 2025

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It is telling and troubling that the annual climate talking-shop’s outcome did not even mention fossil fuels. We ask whether the COP process is still fit for purpose. Cryptocurrencies could be heading for an almighty fall: what would they take down with them? And the revealing vowels and diphthongs of whale communications. (Hear much more on animal communication in our series on “Babbage”: part 1 asks whether animals truly have language, and part 2 whether AI could translate it.)

Additional audio courtesy of Project CETI.

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Flee country: Britain seeks to slash migration Nov 21, 2025

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Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in immigration policy this week. Our correspondent explains Labour’s reforms – and the reasoning behind them. Why military spy balloons are making a comeback. And celebrating historian Gillian Tindall, who illuminated ordinary lives to bring the past to life.

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War graft: scandal engulfs Ukraine Nov 20, 2025

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Pentagon officials are meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a Russia-US peace proposal Ukraine had no part in writing. That merely adds pressure as a giant corruption crisis is already embroiling top officials. Fifty years on from the death of Franco, our correspondent assesses how much Spain has changed. And should you date your boss?

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Crown prince arming: Trump sells jets to MBS Nov 19, 2025

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Muhammad bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in seven years earned the Saudi crown prince new weapons, giant tech deals and a burnished reputation. Our correspondent explains Trump’s warm welcome. Why gay rights in Hong Kong are going backwards. And how snail farms help Britons dodge tax.

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After Sheikh: what next for Bangladesh? Nov 18, 2025

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Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, has been sentenced to death for crimes against humanity. The country is at a pivotal moment as it heads towards parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump hopes tariffs will return furniture making to America. And why English speakers use their alphabet so oddly.

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Gang-buster: Can Sheinbaum beat Mexico crime? Nov 17, 2025

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This weekend, thousands of people protested in Mexico City about violent crime. But our correspondent notes that the government has had some success in confronting drug gangs and cutting homicides. Three years ago Japan’s former prime minister Abe Shinzo was assassinated. Now his killer is on trial. And celebrating the life of the bomb-disposal mastermind Peter Gurney.

For “The Weekend Intelligence”, our Mexico bureau chief Sarah Birke recently visited the Mexican city of Culiacán, capital of Sinaloa state, which is suffering a brutal “narco-pandemic”. Subscribers can listen here.

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Toil and rubble: who will rebuild Gaza? Nov 14, 2025

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After two years of war, over 80% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. Our correspondent assesses various plans for reconstruction. Do large lay-offs in American firms mean AI is coming for white-collar jobs? And remembering James Watson, the controversial scientist who discovered the structure of DNA.

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