Raise the roof? America’s debt-ceiling debacle

So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by ...

26 Dec 202540min

Join our editors and correspondents in a gripping test of recall and reflexes. There are questions on business and politics of course—but also news noises to identify, one saucy limerick and quotes fr...

24 Dec 202528min

Recessions are, in their way, bad news. But so, paradoxically, is a lasting dearth of them. We explain the dangers that lie beneath the current run of continuous growth. Our correspondent looks into t...

23 Dec 202521min

In a world of infinite content, who wins and who loses? Our correspondent explains what the proliferation of AI-generated art means for human artists. What the prevalence of male-female friendships te...

22 Dec 202520min

Each year, The Economist tries to identify which country has improved the most, whether economically, politically or in other ways. In a turbulent year, the choice was tricky. We unveil the result. An...

19 Dec 202523min

Since Novo Nordisk launched Wegovy in 2021, it has dominated the fast-growing market for slimming drugs. Now a new jab is eating into the Danish firm’s success. Why a slang expert thinks the first wor...

18 Dec 202521min

The European Union had promised to ban the sale of new diesel and petrol vehicles by 2035, as part of its environmental ambitions. Yesterday it watered down that commitment. Our correspondent explains...

17 Dec 202520min

As the Australian authorities continue their investigation into Sunday’s deadly attack on a Hannukah party in Sydney, investigators have uncovered a possible link with Islamic State. Our journalists r...

16 Dec 202520min