Economist Podcasts

(Another) all-out war: Afghanistan and Pakistan

Air strikes and border raids have turned cross-border tensions into hot conflict [https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/03/19/a-deadly-strike-in-kabul-could-have-big-knock-on-effects?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]. We ask what raised the temperature, and whether the Iran war may act to lower it. Meanwhile that war’s oil shock brings with it fears of rising inflation; we examine how recent disruptions might inform policy decisions. And “listening parties [https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/03/03/how-to-hear-an-album-before-it-drops?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]”, once for music-industry insiders, are becoming the norm.  Guests and host: * Tom Sasse, south Asia bureau chief * Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent * Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Afghanistan, Taliban, Pakistan, TTP * Iran war, oil shock, inflation * music, albums, listening parties Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

From bad to awful: Trump’s four options in Iran

As the war in Iran progresses, none of the options available [https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/03/22/donald-trump-has-four-bad-options-for-the-war-in-iran?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] to Donald Trump looks good. We examine each of them. Thailand’s Buddhist monks are implicated in lots of lawless and dodgy behaviour—but clearing out the bad apples is more complicated [https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/01/08/can-thailand-rein-in-its-mafia-monks?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] than it seems. And gene-editing comes to the fruit bowl [https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/03/04/a-basket-of-new-fruit-varieties-is-coming-your-way?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]: we look at what science is serving up next. Guests and host: * Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent  * Alizée Jean-Baptiste, Asia senior podcasts producer * Maria Lisik, news editor * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Iran war, Donald Trump * Thailand, Buddhist monks * gene-editing, fruit Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Who will deal the final blow? Israel, Lebanon and Hizbullah

As attention has focused on war in Iran, Israel sees an opportunity to crush a weakened Hizbullah in Lebanon. Our correspondent says it would be far better [https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/03/19/lebanons-leaders-must-take-on-hizbullah?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] for the Lebanese state to do so. As south-east Asia is modernising, Islam is counterintuitively gaining greater primacy [https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/02/25/modernisation-is-making-south-east-asia-more-islamic?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] in civic life. And a tribute to Jürgen Habermas [https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/03/19/jurgen-habermas-hoped-rational-discussion-could-save-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners], Germany’s and perhaps Europe’s most prominent intellectual. Guests and host: * Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent * Sue-Lin Wong, Asia correspondent  * Ann Wroe, obituaries editor * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Lebanon, Hizbullah, Israel, Iran war * Islam, south-east Asia * Jürgen Habermas, obituaries Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

An act of self-harm: Trump’s latest war might be his undoing

A rash entry into a war of choice exposes President Donald Trump in a number of ways—and he may prove more dangerous as he becomes weaker [https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/03/18/how-the-iran-war-is-weakening-donald-trump?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]. Turkey’s foreign entanglements mask the democratic backsliding at home; that is bad news for an opposition figure whose trial just began [https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/03/12/as-war-rages-turkeys-strongman-puts-the-opposition-on-trial?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]. And Americans seem to be taking their anger out on food-delivery robots [https://www.economist.com/united-states/2026/02/16/americans-are-unleashing-their-anger-on-food-delivery-robots?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]. Guests and host: * Robert Guest, deputy editor * Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent * Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Donald Trump, war in Iran * Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ekrem Imamoglu * America, delivery robots Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Flagging carriers: war shuffles the Gulf-airline flight deck

Cancelled flights, longer routes, higher prices: the war in Iran is taking its toll on the airline industry. The conflict may force lasting change [https://www.economist.com/business/2026/03/16/war-may-bring-lasting-change-to-the-airline-business?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] on the big Gulf carriers. We ask why the once-frothy fake-meat industry is losing its bite [https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/26/the-fake-meat-industry-is-in-trouble?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners]. And why PDFs, one of technology’s most pervasive file types, may meet their end [https://www.economist.com/business/2026/02/24/the-war-against-pdfs-is-heating-up?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners] thanks to AI.  Guests and hosts: * Simon Wright, industry editor * Hollie Berman, news editor * Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * airline industry, Iran war * meat substitutes, plant-based meats * PDFs, AI Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ [https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus]. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page [https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts] or watch our video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gczo71bg1uY] explaining how to link your account. ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.