Economist Podcasts

After Bondi: how to tackle extremism

·20 min·2 clips
A father and son trained in the Philippines before carrying out Australia's deadliest terrorist attack at a Hanukkah party.
The episode begins with hosts Rosie Bloor and Jason Palmer introducing The Intelligence. The first segment covers the Bondi Beach attack on December 14th, where two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration. Correspondent Su Lin Wong details that the father and son trained in Mindanao, Philippines, and had links to ISIS. Australian authorities found homemade Islamic State flags and explosives. The attack has sparked vigils, blood donations, and discussions on extremism. Jewish organizations report a spike in anti-Semitic incidents in Australia. A civilian hero tackled a gunman and was shot, leading to a viral GoFundMe. The segment examines Australia's gun laws, noting that despite strict controls post-1996, gun numbers have increased. The government plans to tighten laws with a national registry. The connection to ISIS is discussed, highlighting lone-wolf attacks inspired by extremist ideologies. The episode then shifts to book recommendations from Economist staff. Rachel Lloyd recommends Helen Garner's 'How to End a Story,' Andy Miller suggests 'The Traitor's Circle' about anti-Nazi activists, and others mention books on Huawei and Francis Crick. Finally, culture correspondent Caitlin Talbot discusses the advent calendar craze. She describes luxury beauty calendars costing £235 and niche products like pork scratchings or caviar. The trend is linked to the 'lipstick effect,' where small indulgences rise during economic downturns. Brands like Fortnum & Mason see high demand, and the market is expanding to non-Christmas countdowns.

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A clear, concise look at how governments can protect citizens from lone-wolf attacks.

After Bondi: how to tackle extremism takes up a hard public-policy question: how can governments protect citizens from lone-wolf attacks? Rosie Bloor introduces the episode with Jason Palmer for The Intelligence, The Economist's weekday programme on events shaping the world,…

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You want a serious route into the question Rosie Bloor puts to Su Lin: how governments can protect citizens from lone-wolf attacks.

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