• Good moos: cows could help the climate
    Dec 24 2024

    Cows produce far more milk in rich countries than in poor ones. Our correspondent explains how beefing up bovine productivity could feed more people and reduce planet-heating emissions. Why Spain is the best-performing rich-world economy of 2024 (11:28). And remembering Harold Palmer, the Northumbrian hermit (17:12).


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    24 mins
  • The club rules? India’s RSS
    Dec 23 2024

    Is it a community-minded boys’ club, like the Scouts? A breeding ground for seething Hindu nationalism? A paramilitary puppetmaster of India’s governing elite? Our correspondent attends the annual bash of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. As Gulf countries diversify away from oil, their leaders are shifting their focus to science and innovation (11:03). And introducing our word of the year for 2024 (17:01).


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    24 mins
  • Country of the year: The Economist picks
    Dec 20 2024

    In the past 12 months, there has been no lack of news. Editors at The Economist have picked their way through the rubble to uncover some optimism: which country has seen the greatest improvement this year? After fierce debate, the decision is conclusive. And our correspondent joins an unusual rescue mission: the pet railroad to a new life (17:00).


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    28 mins
  • Between Estonia and a hard place: NATO meets
    Dec 19 2024

    At the icy border between Russia and Estonia, the anxieties of NATO member states are clear, our correspondent reports. Leaders there have been debating defence spending and worrying about America shifting its support. Young people are seeking out spirituality on their phones (9:43). And why the iconic Californian condor is under threat (16:47).


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    24 mins
  • Mass graves: revealing Syria’s horror
    Dec 18 2024

    Ten days after the fall of Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, the full brutality of his rule is being uncovered. Our correspondent travels to a site near Damascus, thought to be a giant mass grave. Will France’s new prime minister restore stability (14:37)? And The Economist’s guide to the best films of 2024 (21:28).


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    29 mins
  • Scholz fired: Germany calls snap election
    Dec 17 2024

    After Olaf Scholz, Germany’s chancellor, lost a confidence vote in parliament yesterday, Germany is preparing for a snap election. Urban waste is a growing problem in India; our trash-talking correspondent visits one of the few cities that have tackled it (9:49). And Fortnum & Mason’s festive fancies help it buck the trend of failing department stores (17:06).


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    22 mins
  • Off-side: Georgians reject new president
    Dec 16 2024

    This weekend, the ruling Georgian Dream party elected a new president – but only one name was on the ballot. That sparked further street protests, as our correspondent reports. Why a new US administration will find it hard to cut costs at NASA (12:22). And the enduring appeal of the martini (19:44).


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    27 mins
  • Minds blown: are we getting dumber?
    Dec 13 2024

    Many adults perform worse in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar (14:00).


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    22 mins