Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Trading criminality for autocracy: El Salvador
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A country that was not long ago gripped by gang violence and crime is slowly emerging from fear, tha...
With a grain assault: a deal abandoned
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s axeing of the Black Sea grain deal reveals a war machine running out of options. We explo...
Forewarned before armed: how to predict war
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Military types need not wait until mass movements of troops to know a conflict is coming. We examine...
Squash court: Israel’s controversial law reform
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A seemingly small change to the Supreme Court’s powers to adjudicate “reasonableness” represen...
Small-Vox symptoms: Spain’s elections
24 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After no party won a majority, forming a government may take weeks—or another election. But predic...
Palace intrigue: the Kremlin after the mutiny
21 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a month since the head of the Wagner group led a march on Moscow. Although it failed, Pu...
Runaway soldier: American detained in North Korea
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Little is known about why he fled across the border into the hermit kingdom, but securing his releas...
Model growth: Tesla’s ambitious plans
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The carmaker, which reports results today, is still celebrating impressive growth and its boss has e...
Charming the prince: Biden seeks a deal with Saudi Arabia
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
America is keen to mend the relationship between the Gulf state and Israel, but Muhammad bin Salman ...
Cruel summer: heatwaves rage across the world
17 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Europe, America and Asia are all enduring scorching heatwaves, air temperatures are repeatedly break...
Mass destruction: is the Ethiopian government covering up war crimes?
14 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The burning of burial grounds in the northern region of the country suggests that authorities are de...
Second thoughts: Donald Trump’s policy plans
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When he was last elected, many were surprised, even in his own camp. This time around, his backers a...
AI-pocalypse: predicting the threat from artificial intelligence
12 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Wiping out a tenth of the world? Possible. Wiping out all of humanity? Less likely, but not entirely...
Rutte, damn: the Dutch prime minister steps down
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Rutte is stepping down after leading the Netherlands for 13 years. Despite his renowned politic...
States, disunited: the controversy around cluster bombs
10 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite considerable opposition from allies in NATO, America has agreed to send them to Ukraine. The...
I spy: meeting Ukraine’s intelligence chief
07 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We sit down with Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s youngest-ever spymaster. He is intense, resolute—and ...
Clone wars: Meta’s Threads takes on Twitter
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If there is one thing Facebook’s parent company does well, it is aping other social-media features...
Group dynamics: Wagner in Africa
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Its leader is in exile and its future is uncertain. But the Wagner Group will be loth to abandon the...
Break camp: Israel’s West Bank raids
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The so-called refugee camp in the city of Jenin has been subject to raids for months—and a hotspot...
Riot-geared: the tensions behind France’s unrest
03 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The killing of a teenager in a Paris suburb has ignited national unrest. We ask what is driving the ...
Hot to trot: the up sides of climate migration
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mass movements of people expected as climate change progresses are often depicted as catastrophes-in...
Antitrust, the process: America’s competition cops
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a...
Juan way, or another? Argentina’s election
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For decades, leftist policies first espoused by Juan Perón have dominated the country’s politics....
Belarusian roulette: a mutiny’s aftermath
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters are said to be welcome in safe-haven Belarus. We ask...
Putin’s chef spoils the broth: mutiny in Russia
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s chef”, leads the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting al...
Pro-life post-Dobbs: America’s anti-abortion campaigns
23 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the months since America’s Supreme Court gave states the power to ban abortions, those in suppo...
No guarantees: NATO members debate Ukraine’s future
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Members of the alliance are conflicted over the prospect of Ukraine’s membership. In particular, A...
Balancing of Powers: India’s foreign policy
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Narendra Modi is cosying up to America, but not at the expense of valuable relationships with Russia...
Abodes well? The housing crash that wasn’t
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Much to the chagrin of hopeful first-time buyers, property prices remain stubbornly high across the ...
More Blinken meetings: a diplomatic visit to China
19 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a first since 2018, America’s secretary of state is visiting China amid escalating tensions bet...
I, of the tiger: India’s influential diaspora
16 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They lead startups, giant corporations, even countries: people of Indian origin are finding great su...
Guilty party: Boris Johnson’s lies catch up with him
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The investigation into covid-lockdown-era parties during Boris Johnson’s premiership—and his den...
Call of duties: the global costs of war
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Conflict in Ukraine has cut short the “peace dividend” the world was reaping. We count the econo...
Death of a salesman: Silvio Berlusconi
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Italy’s longest-serving prime minister has died aged 86. He inspired as much derision as devotion,...
Gain, wait: Ukraine’s tentative push
12 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hints of the long campaign ahead are emerging, but all the operations so far are just drawing the ev...
Charged up: Trump’s latest indictment
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He is expected to be charged for failing to return classified documents and obstructing justice. The...
No Khan do: Pakistan’s meddling army
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The country’s military is renowned for political overreach. Now, its leaders are taking on former ...
Not born yesterday: the world’s ageing population
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fertility rates are falling to worrying levels, and an older, smaller, global population is bad news...
Dam and blast: Ukraine launches counter-offensive
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After months of waiting, probing attacks have begun. A destroyed dam in Kherson suggests that Russia...
Trouble in Shangri-La: Sino-American tensions escalate
05 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At a meeting of defence ministers from the Asia-Pacific region, heightened tensions between Beijing ...
League of her own: Sheikh Hasina’s grip on Bangladesh
02 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over two decades in office, the prime minister and her Awami League party have overseen impressive g...
On pain of death: Uganda’s anti-LGBT law
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The country’s homophobes claim that homosexuality is a malign foreign import; in reality it was an...
Debtors’ prism: mounting crises of Africa’s loans
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the continent’s economies are hamstrung by debt—much of it held internationally. We look...
Cash out: the digital-payments revolution
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashless...
Poor more years! Erdogan triumphs in Turkey
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again retained the presidency. We ask how the best chance in a generation t...
Russian lessons: new and improved war tactics
26 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From infantry to air defences and even electronic warfare, improved strategies and engineering could...
A Ron turn: DeSantis’s disastrous announcement
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a glitchy announcement on Twitter, the Florida governor’s campaign is off to a shaky start. ...
Still the one that I want: Greece’s prime minister wins again
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Although Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party fell short of a majority in parliament, meaning there will be ...
Narcos and avocados: Mexico’s diversifying drug cartels
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In attempts to amass more wealth, these organisations are dabbling in newer narcotics and even takin...
Raise the roof? America’s debt-ceiling debacle
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today, the president will meet with the Republican leader in the house of representatives to try and...
The Economist: Kissinger on avoiding world war
20 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Henry Kissinger was one of the most influential and controversial diplomats of the 20th century. He ...
Shining armour: China’s new fleet
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the last couple of decades, the state has been making significant investments into its armed fo...
In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic redemption
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in...
Better call Kissinger: an interview with the renowned diplomat
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a conversation that lasted eight hours over two days, the statesman discussed paths to peace in U...
New school Thais: a military establishment voted out
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Largely thanks to young, liberal citizens, a reformist third party won the most seats in Thailand’...
Changing the Guard? Turkey’s inconclusive election
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite the opposition’s lead in the pre-election polls, the incumbent president seems to have per...
Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base
12 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to t...
Autocrat v bureaucrat: Turkey’s crucial vote
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is probably this year’s most important election—and for the first time in a long time, the co...
A scratch in the Teflon: Trump’s sexual-battery loss
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A jury unanimously found Donald Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. We examine his first...
Ukraine 2.0: a revealing visit to Kyiv
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our Russia and defence editors travelled to the capital, finding a city largely back to normal. They...
Good, bad and ugly: the Taliban and Afghanistan
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Their return to rule is unequivocally bad for the country’s women and girls. But wholesale collaps...
Another season of the crown: the coronation of Charles III
05 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He has been king since September; now it is time for the pomp. We examine the modern monarchy—and ...
Difference between right and Ron: DeSantis miscalculates
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Florida’s governor has made a headline-grabbing rightward lurch as part of a presumed bid for the ...
Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind ab...
Re-route of all evil: transnational crime and Ukraine’s war
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Criminal networks have had to reorganise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with knock-on effects...
Long shots: the complex nature of civil wars
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is stirring up internecine conflicts, criminality is making them longer, and cross-bo...
Without reserves: Bolivia faces an economic crisis
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
AS A GAS // As a gas producer, the state was able to build up enormous reserves. But failing to pivo...
Rising Starmer: An interview with Britain’s opposition leader
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As the country prepares to go to the polls next year, The Economist sits down with the leader of the...
One Good Term Deserves Another: Biden Declares
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
He made the same announcement on the same day four years ago and went on to win. But this time, the ...
Brazilian balancing act: Lula’s foreign policy plans
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN // Attempts to maintain a neutral stance on the invasion of Ukraine, while also...
Khartoum is burning: fighting continues in Sudan
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ceasefires have failed, civilians are fleeing, and there is no end in sight to the fighting. We brin...
Tick, Tick, Boom: SpaceX launches Starship
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a historic first, the largest rocket ever assembled managed to get off the ground. But then it ex...
Revolution Song: Myanmar’s unending war
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Deep in the mountains along the Thai border, a bloody civil war rages. Our correspondent gives us ra...
Fighting chance: Ukraine prepares for counter-offensive
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The top-secret plan to pierce Russia’s defenses and reclaim territory could unfold any day now. We...
A cut above the West: America’s astounding economy
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Contrary to the groaning of both Republicans and Democrats, the economy is still the world’s large...
A tough transition: unrest in Sudan
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Clashes in Khartoum have turned deadly as two rival military factions fight for power. As the confli...
Never-ending storeys: rebuilding Turkey
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It will be years until the country recovers from February’s devastating earthquakes—but progress...
Make the world’s money go ‘round: a bunged-up IMF
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The International Monetary Fund is sitting on oodles of cash, but failing to disburse it. We examine...
File-sharing: America’s huge intelligence leak
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A trove of once-secret documents is proving an embarrassment to both America and its allies, and a d...
Hard pact to follow: the Good Friday Agreement at 25
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The famed power-sharing deal did its work of sharply reducing sectarian violence, but a quarter-cent...
Home economics: housing markets’ future
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Many people think that with inflation and interest-rate rises abating, the worst effects on housing ...
Space invaded: video games’ stunning growth
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
These days the gaming industry takes in much more than the global cinema box office. We ask how thin...
Situation reporter: Evan Gershkovich’s detention
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s arrest of a Wall Street Journal correspondent is heading toward a diplomatic crisis—and...
Arraigning on his parade: the charges against Donald Trump
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps the only surprising thing about the former president’s arraignment was that it was not fol...
What he wants, what Xi wants: Macron in China
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On his visit to Beijing Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, has much to balance: his peacemaking ...
Get-rich-quick scheming: India and Indonesia
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There are similarities between the two economies set to be the fastest-growing this year—but their...
Charge d’affair: Donald Trump indicted
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in history, a former American president faces arrest. Mr. Trump denies the charge...
Time’s up: America debates TikTok’s future
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Links with China and allegations of surveillance have highlighted the threat that the social-media a...
The Gulf narrows: Iran-Saudi relations
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The two regional rivals have negotiated a deal, ending a seven-year lapse in diplomatic ties. Elsewh...
Over the Finnish line: NATO set to grow
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After ten months of haggling, the military alliance is gaining a new member: Finland. We ask wh...
Bibi bump: Israel’s unrest flares
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Protests against proposed judicial reforms have intensified. Could Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu...
Iraq, a hard place: 20 years after the invasion
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
America invaded Iraq 20 years ago this week. Today Baghdad is bustling, violence across the country ...
A bit Fed up: central banks’ dilemma
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Central banks face a painful tradeoff: raise rates too quickly and risk banking-sector instability. ...
Not shy and not retiring: pension reform in France
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emmanuel Macron narrowly survived two no-confidence votes, sparked by his pushing a pension-reform p...
Stopping the spread: how to fix the banks
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Silicon Valley Bank. Signature Bank. Credit Suisse. The world’s banks look wobbly, leading to fear...
Bear backed: Xi heads to Moscow
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The visit of Xi Jinping, China’s president, to Moscow may seem like the solidifying of a simple, a...
Felling through the cracks: rainforests in crisis
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The economics are clear-cut: the benefits of preserving the lungs of the world vastly outweigh those...
Puts Bibi in the corner: Israel’s protests
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Proposed legislation that would hobble the judiciary has led to relentless demonstrations—and expo...
One Tory building: Rishi Sunak’s mission
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
From today’s national budget to hardline immigration legislation to international defence pacts, B...
Starched rival: Turkey’s opposition candidate
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After internecine drama, the opposition-party alliance has picked their man. The bookish, mild-manne...