PodcastThe World in Brief from The EconomistOctober 18, 2026

Zelensky claims Starlink restrictions were deliberate; Protests flare up across France, and more

AI-debt fears and Mideast/Ukraine escalation are jointly driving a tech selloff and an oil price spike toward $110/barrel.

Starlink dispute escalates: Zelensky alleges restrictions on Ukraine's military use of SpaceX's Starlink were a deliberate operation to weaken defenses against Russian drones; Trump and Musk deny responsibility.
France unrest widens: Nationwide protests over living costs and education standards led to 160+ arrests, a breached Marseille city hall, and an arson at a Lyon tourism office.

The full card is a free trial away.

The full summary and the deep dive on this episode, plus a brief every morning on the shows and companies you follow.

Read free — start your trial

14-day free trial

Themes, sentiment and reasons are AI-written paraphrases, checked so they never quote an episode. They may contain errors. Not investment advice. Episodes remain the property of their creators.