Pregnant pause: India’s slumping fertility

There Xi goes: visiting North Korea

Xi Jinping’s first visit to North Korea [https://www.economist.com/china/2026/06/07/china-and-russia-are-competing-for-influence-over-north-korea?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 seven years has been marked by pomp and shows of friendship. But what does the Chinese leader really want from the trip? Our correspondent visits Goma in Congo [https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/05/10/a-congolese-militia-wants-to-sell-critical-minerals-to-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] to see what life is like under Rwanda-backed rebel group M23. And why curry [https://www.economist.com/asia/2026/05/28/japans-beloved-indian-restaurants-are-under-threat?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] may soon be off the menu in Japan.  Guests and host: * Jeremy Page, chief China correspondent * John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent * Moeka Iida, Japan correspondent * Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Russia, nuclear proliferation * Congo, Goma, M23, Rwanda * Japan, India, immigration, curry   Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe 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.

Ceasefire alarm: Iran and Israel trade strikes

The fragile ceasefire between America and Iran is threatened by an exchange of ballistic missiles [https://www.economist.com/topics/war-in-the-middle-east?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] overnight between Iran and Israel. Our correspondent examines the consequences. China’s BYD cars [https://www.economist.com/business/2026/06/03/byd-is-losing-its-spark?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] are losing ground to other electric vehicles. And why hit TV shows inspire “companion podcasts [https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/05/14/companion-podcasts-are-the-latest-hit-format?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: * Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent * Don Weinland, China business editor * Elizabeth Peet, researcher * Rosie Blau, co-host of “The intelligence” * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence” Topics covered:  * Iran, Israel, Lebanon, ceasefire, Trump * BYD, EVs, Tesla, Xpeng, Li Auto * Podcasts, Beef, The Pitt, HBO Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe 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.

Pregnant pause: India’s slumping fertility

After decades of overpopulation worries, the country now has the opposite concern. We examine India’s unusual demographic turn [https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/04/indias-surprise-baby-bust-is-a-warning-to-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], and why it is a wider warning to the world. Vegan substitutes have broadly improved in recent years—so why is there no good vegan cheese [https://www.economist.com/interactive/1843/2026/05/08/grate-expectations-the-troubled-quest-for-tasty-vegan-cheese?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 remembering Sonny Rollins [https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/06/04/sonny-rollins-believed-that-jazz-was-all-there-was?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], an absolute colossus of the saxophone.  Watch extended clips from Insider here [https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi]. Guests and host: * Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief * Sam Colbert, senior series producer, Economist Podcasts * Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * India, fertility rates, global population * vegan cheese * Sonny Rollins, jazz 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.

A murder exploited: Britain’s George Floyd moment that wasn’t

Nigel Farage, leader of the populist-right Reform UK party, wants Britons to be enraged by a killing in the street. We ask why his tone has changed [https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/06/03/was-this-britains-george-floyd-moment?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] from “colour-blind” to race-baiting. NATO must now take seriously the idea that America is pulling back; we ask how it is adjusting [https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/05/21/why-nato-needs-a-plan-b?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 skipping title sequences is forgoing some of television’s magic [https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/06/01/why-you-should-never-skip-a-tv-intro?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: * Hugo Gye, British political correspondent * Jonathan Rosenthal, international correspondent * Andrew Miller, “Back Story” columnist * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * British politics, race relations * NATO, American foreign policy * television, media 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.

Focused group: Ukraine is now Europe’s war

Now that America has stepped back, Europe is at last stepping up. We examine the bloc’s tactics [https://www.economist.com/europe/2026/06/01/ukraine-is-now-europes-war-survival-cant-be-the-only-aim?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] (if not yet a strategy) and how steady its support is likely to be. With the coming public listings of SpaceX and Anthropic, we ask whether stockmarkets can handle a string of “giga-IPOs [https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/06/01/can-the-stockmarket-swallow-anthropic-spacex-and-openai?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 our World Cup series looks at Iran’s side. Guests and host: * Tom Nuttall, chief Germany correspondent * Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent * Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent * Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered:  * Europe, security, Ukraine war * IPOs, investment, stockmarkets, SpaceX, Anthropic, OpenAI * World Cup, Iran Visit education.economist.com [https://education.economist.com/] and use code 5YEARS to save 15% on courses developed by our editors and correspondents. 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.