Centre punch: Germany’s state-election shocker

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1. 

   24 Sep 2026 · 23 min

   Home disadvantage: risks in housing markets

   Rich-world house prices survived the last fit of interest-rate rises; our correspondent lays out why they may not this time . Nine months after Australia banned social media for under-16s, we ask if anything has changed . And a critical look at Israel’s hit show “Fauda” as it tackles the atrocities of October 7th. Guests and host: Callum Williams, senior economics writer Josh Spencer, Asia news editor Andrew Miller, special correspondent Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: housing markets, bond yields, interest rates Australia, social media bans “Fauda”, October 7th…

2. 

   23 Sep 2026 · 20 min

   National front-runner: who can beat Le Pen?

   Marine Le Pen, party leader of France’s populist-right National Rally, starts her fourth presidential bid with a commanding lead. The country’s political centre is broad, fragmented—and flagging . A buffer zone against so-called infiltrators in India’s West Bengal state is making life miserable also for Indian citizens. And how Argentina’s supply of horses and cowboys led to world dominance in polo. Guests and host: Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief Kira Huju, Asia correspondent Hamish Clayton, culture writer Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason Palmer, co-host of “The…

3. 

   22 Sep 2026 · 21 min

   The mob rule: criminality consumes South Africa

   An illicit shadow economy, rampant extortion and the capture of the criminal justice system: mafia members and tactics are eating away at the state. Oura seems to have captured the market for smart rings; we ask whether it can keep its lead finger-tight. And our correspondent finds convention upended, for good and bad , at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Guests and host: John McDermott, chief Africa correspondent Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: South Africa, organised crime, criminal…

4. 

   18 Sep 2026 · 26 min

   Drone truth: Russia has the upper hand

   After a visit to Ukraine last week, our defence editor reports on a new phase of the war as Kyiv and other civilian targets are bombarded by Russian missiles. He also visits an elite Ukrainian drone unit. Why alcohol companies are scrambling to innovate. And remembering the life of feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem . Watch extended clips from Insider Guests and host: Alex Turner, defence editor Avantika Chilkoti, global business writer Ann Wroe, obituaries editor Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: Ukraine, drones, Shahed, Kyiv Alcohol, beer, aperol Gloria Steinem,…

5. 

   17 Sep 2026 · 22 min

   Rise and shine: Warsh’s Fed rate test

   The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the first time since July 2023. For the central bank’s new chair Kevin Warsh, that decision was a test both of monetary policy and politics. A governor’s election in Okinawa is a boon to Japan’s military ambitions. And why summer is a casualty of climate change. Guests and host: Archie Hall, acting economics editor Moeka Iida, East Asia reporter Andrew Miller, special correspondent Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, interest rates, inflation Okinawa, Japan Summer, climate change, heatwave…

6. 

   16 Sep 2026 · 24 min

   The end of the world is AI? An existential threat

   Is artificial intelligence becoming uncontrollably powerful? Our correspondent analyses whether a pause to breakneck development is possible or feasible. We have entered the new age of the orator . And why cheese is getting more popular in India. Guests and host: Alex Hern, AI writer Tom Wainwright, culture correspondent Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: Human extinction, AI, Sam Altman, Dario Amodei Oral culture, literacy, James Marriott, Walter Ong Cheese, India, kalimpong Listen to what…

7. 

   8 Oct 2026 · 22 minNew

   Valley of the shadow of debt: bond-market jitters

   Bond yields across the rich world keep ticking up. We take a global look at where the risks are mounting most, and just how much worry is warranted. What might have once seemed fanciful is becoming real: delivering daylight to dark parts of the world using mirrors in space . And the fatal earnestness of “The Social Reckoning”. Guests and host: Alex Domash, economics correspondent Tim Cross, senior science writer Tom Wainwright, culture correspondent Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: bond yields, monetary policy, animal…

8. 

   7 Oct 2026 · 20 minNew

   Gilets jeunes? France’s school protests

   What started as a small protest about conditions of a school and of schooling has mushroomed , and tapped into national anxieties that may prove hard to tame. In the context of the “Cornell 7” case we examine Title IX, the statute that should protect students—but that is failing. And how peddling superstitions to financiers is big business in India. Guests and host: Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief Stevie Hertz, US policy correspondent Abhishek Kumar, India writer Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence” Topics covered: France protests, French politics Cornell 7, Title IX, sexual assault…

9. 

   6 Oct 2026 · 23 minNew

   House call: Spain’s snap election

   Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is gambling that anger about housing might solidify his mandate in a snap poll . Most probably it will instead add to the rightward shift in European politics. America’s beef prices have never been higher, so why is it that the meatpackers have it so tough ? And the battery technology to improve medical diagnostics you can swallow. Listen to our episode of “Babbage” on edible electronics here . Guests and host: Michael Reid, Spain correspondent and writer at large Bella King, news editor David Adam, science writer Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason…

10. 

    5 Oct 2026 · 23 min

    Here comes the son? Brazil’s election tips rightward

    Flávio Bolsonaro, populist-right son of the imprisoned coup architect Jair, received the most votes in the presidential first round. We ask why Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent, fell behind—and what is at stake when they go head-to-head. We examine Americans’ growing anger at automatic number-plate-reading cameras. And the demanding but lucrative business of nannying the children of the super-rich. Guests and host: Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief Hollie Berman, news editor Alice Fulwood, US business editor Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence” Jason Palmer, co-host of “The…

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