Linkeum

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, we explore a wide range of topics as we delve into our mailbag

Demonstrations show no signs of abating with unrest expected in other parts of England this weekend

Others with a stake in Ukraine’s security and relations with Russia must stay engaged too, argues the Nobel Peace Prize winner

They’re good drone-killers

His diplomats hope it will make peace more likely. America and Israel say it emboldens Hamas

Treatment is improving, even for the most dangerous

The nationalist ideologue shapes the Russian president’s version of history

The move comes after the IMF suggested the change would reduce pressure for "overly-frequent changes to policy".

Jonathan Reynolds rules out targeting assets of the rich to plug growing hole in public finances

Our choices show how power is wielded and abused

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: a rapprochement of necessity for Britain and Argentina and the rise and rise of women’s sports

Supermarkets sold more drinks and fuel sales were up as people "ventured out", the UK statistics body says.

Our polling shows a majority would like the church to change with the times

Modern warfare at ancient temples

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, is TSMC the most dangerous chokepoint in the global economy?

Its ruling that burning fossil fuels can be “internationally wrongful” risks provoking a backlash

Two new books look at the heyday of Vanity Fair, Vogue and their ilk

The conservative Babylon Bee is finding it easier than the Onion

A tech bro created a viral reservation-trading website. The industry wants to shut it down

A rumoured merger may be scuppered by Indonesia’s government

A tie-up between Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern would be messy but powerful

Although many of their investments have a commercial logic, the result looks increasingly unwieldy

But it has only staved off a coming plunge

American funding cuts are a catalyst for fresh thinking

Or so the government hopes

China will approve their sale. But there’s a huge catch

But they are not quite the havens its elites had in mind

The takhi has never been tamed

Amid monetary mayhem in Venezuela digital finance is booming and may threaten the regime

MAGA bullying is backfiring, boosting Lula’s government

Its generals think the war against Hamas has become pointless, but a ceasefire remains elusive

It may also cement Rwanda’s hold over its neighbour

The West has all but given up on it

The presidents of both countries have limited time to rein in vicious militias

One in five people in New Mexico receive the benefit

The Epstein uproar has revealed an unexpected danger—for the president—of a Justice Department that seems partisan

Fed up with the traditional joints, these businesswomen are shooting their shot

While temperature changes threaten the coffee belt, some countries sense opportunity 

But what if people give up their sinful ways?

They are both suspicious of Israeli aims in the region

Crime has become more complex. The police have not kept up

But France lacks the means to pay for much of it

Our survey finds that Britons are pessimistic about the country’s cohesion

The police are better; the politicians are worse

Also this week, artificial intelligence and consulting, the British and hot weather, conference panels

A deal with the Kurds is welcome. Erdogan’s authoritarianism is not

It no longer has a military justification

Also on the daily podcast: London’s electric bikes plug transport gaps and a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

E-rickshaws are overrunning Bangladeshi cities

In oligarchic aviation China has just fallen behind India

The world’s oldest marathon runner died on July 14th, probably aged 114

Hegemons should care about even puny countries

A fierce battle is under way in China

With the right rules, innovation could flourish

If Silicon Valley’s predictions are even close to being accurate, expect unprecedented upheaval

Markets for goods, services and financial assets, as well as labour, would be upended

They have ideas about how to restrain wayward models, but worry that doing so will disadvantage them

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Data shows a slump in car and van production as the industry trade body hopes a UK-US tariff deal will bring "confidence".

South Africa’s government blockaded hundreds underground. The results were deadly

Thirty million Indians want a job on the railways, but a fiendish general-knowledge test stands in their way

How Anthropic’s missionary zeal is fuelling its commercial success

Our podcast on science and technology. The second episode of our four-part series on the past, present and future of nuclear weapons

The LIBOR saga reflects badly on the courts

Here are five of the best tracks by heavy metal’s “prince of darkness” 

To maintain the bombs, and build new ones, scientists are pushing the frontiers of physics

The more useful stablecoins and tokens prove to be, the greater the risk

A new model is finding connections spanning the Roman world

There are advantages to the old-fashioned working day

A new law jeopardises Ukraine’s progress against corruption—and erodes the Western support it needs

That will benefit not only bona fide refugees but countries receiving numbers of economic migrants

Introducing “The Bomb”, our new four-part podcast series on the past, present and future of America’s nuclear stockpile

Compromise rarely leads to contentment. But it nearly always leads to costs

Chances are you have come across a “Strix” cushion or a “Rinnig” tea towel

The system is worth defending, argues Eric Fripp

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: what is taking a bite out of Big Food and politics invades the pitch for Germany’s lawmakers

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

America is sick of policing the world. More nuclear-armed states will not help

President Zelensky tightens his control 

What happens when a president sues a press baron?

Matthew Holehouse, our British political correspondent, asks what might happen if Britain made voting compulsory

This year’s apparent lull may be the calm before another storm

Our analysis shows that some carriers have started charging more for solo travellers

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, why the country needs to get better at end-of-life care

Their main union has become a platform for activists’ causes

A big increase in debt interest payments meant government borrowing was higher than expected last month.

America’s cooling labour market is bad news for those who move about

These days you can find Canto-Western food in several countries

The monthly cost of renting rose just as fast as mortgage increases over the last three years, figures show.

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: whether AI is making humans dumber and an American obsession with testosterone injections

The state borrows to fund day-to-day spending as well as long-term infrastructure projects.

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

The cost of replacing ageing ICBMs is soaring as a new arms race looms

Having conquered carmaking, Xiaomi now has its sights set on world domination

Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, examines the blind spots of the intelligence services

An overdue overhaul of an unloved industry

New political forces are gaining ground

Also on the daily podcast: Iceland considers raising an army and how working from home affects company culture

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

There are many problems with the present arrangements

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Recent attacks in the Red Sea show how feeble Europe is

His leadership is entering a new but no less powerful stage

Yes. How badly will become clear in the next crisis

Experts have questioned Rachel Reeves' plan to encourage investors with a campaign in the style of "Tell Sid".

Lost in Syria

The energetic leader is tapping into young people’s frustration and shaking up the country’s politics

They should try being efficient and effective first

Our annual ranking compares economies in three different ways

A vast right-wing conspiracy comes for the president

The college drop-out fighting to preserve Donald Trump’s youth vote

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, we examine whether Donald Trump will damage the resoundingly resilient economy.

For a healthy microbiome, eating your greens is a surer bet

Really out-of-the-way places can slip through the financial-reporting cracks

Our picks ask why people believe in religion, ideology or conspiracy theories 

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: the first “climate visas” and remembering agronomist Simon Groot

How a decades-long deception saw an innocent man end up in jail

Our polling shows why it is so hard to set alcohol limits 

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, lessons for the West on how to re-arm without re-industrialising

The seedsman from Enkhuizen died on July 6th, aged 90

For decades the country’s officials turned international adoption into a money-making racket

Kits encode all sorts of information, Joey D’Urso argues

It is not just vinyl. Film cameras and print publications are trendy again, too

Three new books look at the blind spots of the intelligence services

The AI-talent scramble raises an old question

Nvidia’s boss is proving to be a canny diplomat

The industry is grappling with slowing demand, rising competition and new regulations

Challenging China’s dominance will be a tall order

Duties on the red metal will undermine the president’s wider economic agenda

How long can they continue to do so?

Outrage mounts over a tryst between a Chinese student and a Ukrainian gamer

Why female athletes need to leave the men behind

There is more to Singapore’s sister city than a stroll down memory lane

Penny Wong speaks with The Economist

Jovenel Moïse was gunned down in his bedroom four years ago

Rotting seaweed is stinking up Caribbean beaches

The populist party has made unconditional cash transfers central to its rule. That creates weaknesses

The fruits of promising reforms are under threat from waste, graft and conflict

The lack of response illustrates how difficult it is to stop them by force

And why that is his greatest strength

Gazans keep dying at the centres. Israel says they are working as intended

Researchers estimate the Big Beautiful Bill could result in 42,500 excess deaths a year

Alarmed voters worry it will limit their tradition of direct democracy

For many locals it is straining water supplies

Atonement for the Holocaust has sometimes become unquestioning support for Israel

Russia is grinding ahead but paying an excruciating price

Start with a proper look at what caused the problem

The two countries hope it will alleviate a set of mutual ailments 

They have failed to focus on efficiency for the mass market

Also this week, prediction markets, the Democrats, Wimbledon, the Shipping Forecast, bed-ins, sex work

Artificial intelligence has undermined the internet’s central bargain

A data breach, a gag order, a stampede to duck responsibility

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: China’s amateur footballers and the politics of Superman

It has a China-size population with a UAE-size room supply

And there are more improvements to come

Progress has been remarkable. Death rates are down substantially, and are likely to fall further

Businesses are ignoring the street of hundred-dollar bills

At least farming subsidies are getting cut down to size

Which countries would be hit hardest by levies on electronics and pharmaceuticals?

At a time of high interest rates, there are bargains to be found

Growth has held up astonishingly, given geopolitics. But it can’t last for ever

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

UK Inflation has fallen from record highs but remains above the Bank of England's 2% target.

Violence against Druze in Syria prompts intervention by its powerful neighbour

Our podcast on science and technology. The first episode of our four-part series on the past, present and future of nuclear weapons

A rotten episode over Afghan refugees implicates much of the British state

The Trump administration will take any help it can get

New clues suggest Indian errors and Chinese arms may both be to blame

Experiments on fruit flies suggest tiredness could be caused by damaged neurons

Republicans bring the biggest changes to health care in 15 years

His pivot on supplying arms could help Ukraine defend itself

Higher inflation could give the Bank of England pause for thought over cutting interest rates.

Creativity and critical thinking might take a hit. But there are ways to soften the blow

Trump’s tariffs have brought a double serving of pain

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: Austria’s accidental chancellor and North Korea’s beach resort

Food and clothing prices rose more quickly while fuel fell only slightly, boosting the overall rate of inflation.

The interest rate set by the Bank of England affects mortgage, loan and savings rates for millions.

The race for broad adoption is just as important as the one for artificial general intelligence

Chancellor tells the financial industry to change the narrative around consumer investment to encourage growth.

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

It says the president is making hard choices and reshaping Kenya’s future through bold, necessary reforms

India has done brilliantly by balancing America, China and Russia. Can that last?

If Congress approves, the cuts would save less than Americans think—and risk countless lives

Tensions are high ahead of a big summit next week

Patrick Lane, our senior digital editor, on the finance minister’s speech at Mansion House

A new form of capitalism may explain its success

Pricey visas might scupper its chances

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, how linguistic differences can lead to misunderstandings—or smooth diplomacy—between the two powers

Television, TikTok and travel are to blame

Energy and housing costs were the major drivers of inflation, but consumers are starting to feel the impact of tariffs on basic goods.

Why dressing up is now an essential part of the live music experience

Also on the daily podcast: perfume oligopoly and the bilingual brain

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Ola Källenius on how to fix the problems under the continent’s bonnet

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

America will supply air-defence missiles and may punish countries that trade with Russia

A dictator, then a democratic president, he died on July 13th, aged 82

The rise of ChatGPT and its rivals is undermining the economic bargain of the internet

People move to the sunbelt for affordable homes. But it is getting harder to build there 

Ahead of the Upper House elections, bond markets shudder

Oversize tumblers reveal more about fashion than wellness

In this Americast episode, Anthony Zurcher, BBC's North America correspondent, discusses how Trump may start to feel pressure from his own supporters if prices continue to rise at home.

We’re looking for writers to cover politics and public policy

Also on the daily podcast: Celebrity brands and secrets of a sea slug

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Chris Wright argues that most green energy policies bring only exclusion and scarcity

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

Andrew Bailey tells the Times he believes "the path is downward" on interest rates.

The US is accusing its southern neighbour of breaking a long-held water sharing agreement.

Politicians are warming to the idea

Heat, drone attacks and recruitment drives are shrinking harvests

The Shia militias that Iran used as proxies sat out the war with Israel and America 

A journey into Syria’s deep state

Repeatedly borrowing more is not a long-term solution to rising day-to-day spending pressures.

Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, will a massive budget increase at the Department of Homeland Security allow Trump to carry out his mass deportation plans?

They have few friends, but powerful lawyers

The president of football’s governing body is close to Donald Trump

The nationalisation of politics finally comes for America’s least-populous state

The performance-enhancing drug is legal, safe—and may have benefits beyond sport

Also on the daily podcast: our investigation into Austin Tice’s disappearance and a tribute to Jimmy Swaggart

The economy contracted in May for the second month in a row, adding to pressure on the chancellor.

“Socialist ideals always emerge when income inequality is on the rise”

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

This week’s selections will transport you to Provence, Tijuana and hell

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has shelved plans to alter Isa rules, but what are they and how do they work?

Omer Shem Tov was kidnapped on October 7th. He survived by becoming his captors’ cook

Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, why the investors of Silicon Valley want to keep hold of startups for longer

America’s most popular hellfire preacher of the 1980s died on July 1st, aged 90

The Puerto Rican rapper has millions of fans beyond the Hispanophone world

Economics is a useful tool for understanding conflict, as a new book shows

Mental illnesses that do not respond to standard treatment could be hormone-driven

Found in fossils many millions of years old, they could help scientists study long-extinct species

America’s bosses are sharpening their axes

It is beset by fragmentation, overregulation and underinvestment

The AI superstar faces competition and an over-reliance on big tech

What could possibly go wrong?

The prospects of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia are weakening Russia’s influence

Xu Zewei was arrested in Milan on July 3rd

His vision for the country remains thankfully unrealised

Can provincial DOGE-ing help them avoid it?

The British food less so

What is the point of the country’s sponsorship deal with AC Milan?

In South Africa, contract murders are spreading from gangland into wider society

If there is another ceasefire in Gaza, it may not be able to regroup as before

Just about everything

Professional gamblers get beaten by the odds

A dispatch from the elevator bank of the 12th floor of 26 Federal Plaza

Building walls, one brick at a time

The NATO member is reconsidering its defences in the age of Trump

The idea of renting prisons may be catching on

Christian Stocker hopes competence will restore the centre-right’s popularity

Apart from Poland, central Europe’s Visegrad Four face a slowdown

Also a political adviser and Labour peer, he led the fullest of lives

Thank Brexit and stagnant wages

Liz Truss is, still, partly to thank. Labour hasn’t helped either

A cherished pension policy poses a hefty fiscal risk

What should replace it?

Also this week, imprisonment in Myanmar, the value of college degrees, getting lost in India

The kingdom is stagnating while its elites squabble

If they can be liberated from ignorance and hucksterism

The government is to become the biggest shareholder in the US's only operational rare earths mine.

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

They have won a respite from China, but face growing pressures in America

The country’s elites won’t like it

Rich countries need to separate asylum from labour migration

Workers and assets are on sale to the rest of the world for bargain-basement prices

Also on the daily podcast: the rise of superstar coders and a free London performance puts a spotlight on modern fame

The battle to reduce risk has shaped centuries of ventures

Around the world, marketmakers now face extra scrutiny

Will old folk catch the bug?

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

His administration cannot shake rumours of a cover-up—in part because MAGA types enthusiastically endorsed it

The top position at Elon Musk’s social-media platform is open once again

DOGE may not have been to blame but local politicians have a case to answer

Markets are supposed to look forward; plenty of investors look back instead

Their economic impact has been delayed but not averted

Its appearance puts a new branch of astronomy to the test

The nerd:jock ratio in government is askew

The generals would be mad to try

Our podcast on science and technology. Scientists can design and make novel proteins. One day they may even be able to build entire genomes

Our analysis of what it has cost both sides

What hope for the rest of Britain?

Congress is bulldozing environmental laws. Marina Silva wants to stop it

Should a man who can do anything choose to do nothing?

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Also on the daily podcast: Brazil’s broken football machine and England falls out of love with its lawns

The key will be to develop technologies at prices attractive to China and India

A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

The boss of the CBI says he would support cutting the allowance on cash ISAs to encourage more people to invest in shares.

A world carved up between Presidents Trump, Xi and Putin would be unstable and unsafe

The idea of the body count evolves

To appease the world’s biggest market, countries must anger the world’s biggest trader

Our weekly podcast on China. This week, we examine the role Chinese weapons played in the recent India-Pakistan conflict—and what it means for the future of warfare

What a meeting with five leaders says about his administration’s interest in the continent

An abandoned son, scorned lovers and dazzling, manipulative prose

A legion of new health clinics are serving it up

Also on the daily podcast: gangs infiltrate Latin America’s mining operations and the quaint utility of the Shipping Forecast

Our daily political update, featuring the stories that matter

Trump's 90-day pause on his sweeping tariffs plan is about to expire. But already some firms are radically changing how they work.

Restrictions to most traffic, except buses and push bikes, were introduced in 2017 after a cyclist died there.

A report by MPs says the product needs to be reformed and many savers who have been in touch tend to agree.