Intelligence Squared

2025 has been an unprecedented year. Donald Trump’s tariff war, conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine, and breakneck innovation in AI have put enormous pressure on the existing world order. Now 2026 is set to be another test of resilience for the global economy.

All eyes are on Rachel Reeves to deliver growth; how will the new Budget, anticipated to contain cuts and tax raises, shape the nation for the year to come? What does the rising wave of populism from left and right mean for the economic policies of incumbent parties in the UK, Europe, US and beyond? And how will the United States and China’s battle for supremacy continue to impact us all?

In February 2026, Chief Economics Commentator for the Financial Times Martin Wolf joined us to explore how these tensions will shape the world economy in the year ahead, and what new threats and opportunities could be on the horizon.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential writers on the global economy and a multi-award-winning financial journalist, Wolf has been chronicling and analysing geopolitical and economic upheaval for nearly 40 years. He has written five bestselling books. His latest, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, maps out the implications of globalisation, technological development and the impact of democratic decline on the global economy.

⁠In partnership with Guinness Global Investors.⁠

This recording is part of The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series of events made in partnership with Guinness Global Investors, an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals.

To find out more visit: https://www.guinnessgi.com/
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2025 has been an unprecedented year. Donald Trump’s tariff war, conflicts in the Middle East, Sudan and Ukraine, and breakneck innovation in AI have put enormous pressure on the existing world order. Now 2026 is set to be another test of resilience for the global economy.

All eyes are on Rachel Reeves to deliver growth; how will the new Budget, anticipated to contain cuts and tax raises, shape the nation for the year to come? What does the rising wave of populism from left and right mean for the economic policies of incumbent parties in the UK, Europe, US and beyond? And how will the United States and China’s battle for supremacy continue to impact us all?

In February 2026, Chief Economics Commentator for the Financial Times Martin Wolf joined us to explore how these tensions will shape the world economy in the year ahead, and what new threats and opportunities could be on the horizon.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential writers on the global economy and a multi-award-winning financial journalist, Wolf has been chronicling and analysing geopolitical and economic upheaval for nearly 40 years. He has written five bestselling books. His latest, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, maps out the implications of globalisation, technological development and the impact of democratic decline on the global economy.

In partnership with Guinness Global Investors.

This recording is part of The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook series of events made in partnership with Guinness Global Investors, an independent British fund manager that helps both individuals and institutions harness the future drivers of growth to achieve their investment goals.

To find out more visit: https://www.guinnessgi.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does it mean to belong when the very idea of home is under threat?

In this episode we’re joined by award-winning author and political thinker Ece Temelkuran. Forced into exile for her critical views of President Erdoğan, Temelkuran has long signalled the alarm that fascism threatens not only her home country Türkiye, but the whole democratic world. Her first book in English, How to Lose a Country, received international praise. Her second, Together, offers ‘a way out from the political and moral insanity’ that is ushered by the global rise of fascism. 

Now Temelkuran joins host Mythili Rao to discuss her new book, Nation of Strangers, a powerful and personal reappraisal of the concept of exile, migration and rebuilding home in the 21st century.

Increasingly, oppression seems to be spreading, institutions crumbling, and certainties dissolving. Across the world, the number of refugees and exiles, the dispossessed and displaced, the politically homeless and economically excluded is growing. In response, Nation of Strangers takes the form of intimate, urgent letters written from one stranger to another, exploring alienation, resistance, solidarity and hope.
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Each of us takes on average 25,000 breaths a day. Yet, as a species we have lost the ability to breathe correctly – and this has consequences for our health. That’s the argument of bestselling author James Nestor who has travelled the world to explore how ancient cultures used breathing as a medicine to help heal the body and calm the mind..

In February 2026 we were joined by Nestor for an eye-opening talk, as he explained the science and traditions of how the simple act of breathing can transform our health and wellbeing.

Drawing from his bestselling book Breath Nestor showed how the way we breathe affects everything, from sleep to allergies, mental health and athletic performance. He also shared the remarkable stories of others who have changed their lives through the power of breath.

Nestor challenged our understanding of our most basic biological function, and explained where we have gone wrong and how we fix it.

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Our attention is under attack. A handful of powerful tech companies are extracting and monetising our focus, reshaping our inner lives and threatening the foundations of democracy. Many proposed solutions rely on individual willpower but can we really outsmart supercomputers on our own?

In this episode, we’re joined by Peter Schmidt of the Strother School of Radical Attention and D. Graham Burnett, Professor of the History of Science at Princeton University, two of the authors of Attensity! A Manifesto of the Attention Liberation Movement.

Written collectively by 25 academics, activists, and artists known as the Friends of Attention, all royalties from Attensity! Are donated to charity. In this episode, they speak with Conor Boyle, Head of Programming at Intelligence Squared, to explore the origins of the trillion-dollar battle for our attention and how we might begin to reclaim our minds.

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This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.

For £4.99 per month you'll also receive:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

- 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events 

... 

Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99:

- Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts

- Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series

…

Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access.

…

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