Economist Podcasts

Set for life? Putin’s power-grab

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After Russia’s president proposed vast constitutional change, the whole government resigned. It seems to be another convoluted power-grab by Vladimi...

Going through a phase: US-China trade deal

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Negotiators will sign a “phase one” pact today—but the trickiest issues remain unresolved, and plenty of tariffs will stay in place. Will the de...

A Biden by their decision? Democrats debate

14 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The race for the Democratic nomination looks much like it did a year ago—but previous contests prove that once voting starts, momentum can reshuffle...

Tsai of the times: Taiwan’s defiant election

13 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

China has been getting more aggressive in its claims over the island, but voters have made it clear just how much they favour democracy. The relentles...

Scorched-earth policies: Australia and climate change

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Evacuations are expanding as fast as the flames, and worse may yet be to come. We visit the fiery extremes that climate change is making more likely. ...

Will you still feed me when I’m 62? Macron’s pension fight

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

He won a landslide victory campaigning on it, but like French presidents before him Emmanuel Macron is struggling to push through his grand pension re...

Return fire: Iran’s missile attacks

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Attacks on bases that house American troops seem a dramatic retaliation to the killing of Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani—yet both sides seem to ...

Two heads aren’t better than one: Venezuela

07 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

After chaotic scenes in the National Assembly, it seems the country’s legislature has two leaders. Has Juan Guaidó’s chance at regime change run ...

The general and specific threats: Iran

06 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Killing Iran’s top military commander does not seem likely to further America’s aims for the region. What should America and its allies expect now...

Negative feedback: reversing carbon emissions

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It is increasingly clear that putting less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will not be enough to combat climate change; we take a look at the effort ...

Made (entirely) in China: a tech behemoth rises

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

No longer content just to assemble devices, Chinese firms want to design them and the infrastructure around them—and in some sectors they look set t...

Lifesaver: meet a death-row detective

24 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Death sentences are occasionally overturned in America; we meet a private detective responsible for saving many of those lives. We scour our foreign d...

Lying in states: fibbing politicians

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lies and politics have always come as a pair, but the untruths keep getting bigger and more frequent; our correspondent digs into why. We speak with a...

Old China hands: ageing in the Middle Kingdom

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Next year, China’s median age will surpass America’s, but with just a quarter the median income; the government is nervous that China will get old...

Exclusionary rule: India’s citizenship law

19 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Hindu nationalist government’s latest move pointedly excludes Muslims from immigration reform. Protesters reckon that is an attack on the countr...

Marching orders: impeachment around the world

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

America’s impeachment battle falls along unhelpfully partisan lines—but the process has other shortcomings. We take some lessons from how the rest...

Majority rules: Britain’s new Parliament sits

17 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Now that the prime minister has a thumping parliamentary majority, Brexit is assured—but on what terms? And what other legislative shake-ups are in ...

COP out: the UN climate talks

16 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Again, the annual COP conference ran long and ended with disappointment. Why can’t countries agree on what so clearly must be done? One big contribu...

Bolt from the blue: Britain’s Conservatives triumph

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A thumping win for Boris Johnson’s Tory party is more complex than it seems; the returns cast a light on changes bubbling under the surface of the c...

Defending the indefensible: Aung San Suu Kyi

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Myanmar’s de facto leader appeared before the International Court of Justice to answer allegations of war crimes. We look at the stark turnaround of...

Articles of faith: charges laid against Trump

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

House Democrats have issued their narrowly focused articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. We look back on the history of impeachments...

Running into debt: Argentina’s new president

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in decades, a non-Peronist president will peacefully hand over power. But the new president—and his deputy, former president Cris...

Oil be going: Canada’s separatist west

09 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Long-simmering tensions in the oil-rich west of the country have boiled over, and now there’s an increasingly credible push for secession. Investors...

Writing on the Wall: a revealing British-election hike

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our correspondent walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall, in northern England, finding shifting party alliances and surprising views on Brexit. We take...

Not shy about retiring: strikes in France

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A massive, rolling, national strike begins today, in protest against proposed reforms of the sprawling pension system. But details of the changes have...

Inquiring minds: impeachment’s next stage

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The House Judiciary Committee will now take up the inquiry into President Donald Trump. But will any of it matter to uninterested voters? The probe in...

With allies like these: NATO’s bickering leaders hold a summit

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It will be all smiles at the NATO summit today in London--but many of them will be forced. Behind the scenes, the alliance’s leaders are arguing abo...

Terrorist on parole: A jihadist killer fools Britain’s justice system

02 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Islamic militant who killed two people in London last week was supposedly being monitored by the authorities. That revelation has prompted a fierc...

AMLO and behold: Mexico’s president tries to tackle corruption

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Mexico’s president, is wildly popular, in part because of his determination to wipe out corruption. But is his crusad...

Presidential SEAL: Donald Trump puts his stamp on military discipline

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump used to lionise generals, but this week he had a falling out with the top brass. Are the armed forces becoming as politicised as America’...

Global warning: The UN sounds the alarm on climate change

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The UN has just released its annual report on how well the fight to slow climate change is going. It finds that efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emiss...

Start spreading the cash: Michael Bloomberg runs for president

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York, has announced he is running for president. But he is late to join the race and not very p...

Protest vote: Hong Kongers send a message to Beijing

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After almost six months of protests and street battles, Hong Kongers have had a chance to vote in local elections. They sent a clear message of suppor...

Bibi in the corner: Binyamin Netanyahu’s indictment

22 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After years of investigations, Israel’s prime minister has been indicted. A fraught legal case will complicate the already messy business of cobblin...

Fuel to the fire: growing unrest in Iran

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After petrol subsidies were slashed, protests of surprising ferocity have flared up across the country—and neither the government nor the demonstrat...

Settling in: Israel-Palestine policy

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The American administration’s shifting position on Israeli settlements in the West Bank will have little immediate effect—but may end up sharply c...

Bits in pieces: a fragmenting internet

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The early vision for a borderless, unregulated internet has not panned out as its pioneers hoped. How to handle the “splinternet”? Doug Jones is A...

Head for the Hill: this week’s impeachment hearings

18 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats have a hard task as the hearings’ public stage proceeds: not uncovering new evidence, but building a robust public case for impeachment. T...

Better the devil they know? Sri Lanka’s election

15 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After multiple suicide bombings in April, much campaigning has been about security. Will Sri Lankans vote tomorrow for the authoritarian-but-effective...

Language barrier: Cameroon’s forgotten conflict

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There is widespread terror in the largely Francophone country’s English-speaking region. Both hardline separatists and the army target civilians wit...

Umbrellas to firebombs: Hong Kong’s escalating protests

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Molotov cocktails are flying and live rounds have been fired. Once-peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations are transforming into violent confrontations—...

The American Dreamer: DACA in the Supreme Court

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump administration has long wanted to scrap the “Dreamers” scheme, which allowed illegal immigrants who came as youths to stay in America. T...

Unpresidented: Bolivia’s leader resigns

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

After weeks of protests following a disputed election, Evo Morales has stood down. Who is in charge, and how can the country escape its gridlock? On a...

Persistence of division: after the Berlin Wall

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend marks three decades since the wall fell, yet stark divides remain between East and West. We revisit that moment of hope that remains unfu...

Allez, Europe! Macron’s diplomatic push

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week our correspondent joined Emmanuel Macron on his visit to China. The French president is stretching his diplomatic wings, and has some striki...

Demonstrative: a global wave of protest

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s public-sector demonstrations in Zimbabwe are just the latest in a wave of protests around the world. We look into why there are so many, and...

Stone unturned? Trump’s adviser on trial

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today Roger Stone, a colourful associate of President Donald Trump for 40 years, goes on trial facing seven charges; he denies them. Could his testimo...

Facebooklets: breaking up Big Tech

04 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Few politicians are as ambitious about dismantling the tech behemoths as Elizabeth Warren, one of America’s Democratic presidential contenders. What...

Impeach-y keen: Trump investigation goes public

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

America’s House of Representatives took its first vote on how to proceed with impeachment proceedings against the president. Republicans will now st...

Iraq in a hard place: deadly protests continue

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Demonstrations have been growing for a month and show no signs of abating. But would the reforms that the protesters are demanding actually work? We e...

May as well: Boris Johnson’s electoral bet

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has at last secured a general election. Just as with his predecessor Theresa May, that may not result in easier Brexit ar...

Not fare enough: Chile’s protests

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The ongoing unrest is no longer about a rise in metro fares; Chileans have risen up to demand that the prosperity of their country be distributed more...

State of disarray: the killing of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

28 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The man who brought Islamic State to the world stage with visions of a brutal “caliphate” has been killed. But the jihadist movement, while weaken...

Poll dance: Boris Johnson’s election ploy

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s prime minister is making a risky move by calling for a general election in December. Will it succeed any more than it did for his predeces...

Calls to action: Lebanon’s continued protests

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What began as protests against a tax on WhatsApp calls has blossomed into surprisingly united and peaceful demands for wholesale government overhaul. ...

Putin, he’s back into it: Russia’s growing influence

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Vladimir Putin’s diplomacy regarding northern Syria is just one example of the Russian president’s widening influence. British Airways was once kn...

The course of Trudeau love: Canada’s election

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Justin Trudeau will remain prime minister, but will lead a minority government. He will probably be able to continue with his progressive push, but hi...

Going through the motion: more Brexit contortions

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It might have been a clarifying vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit motion; instead, more legislation and frustration. We dig through the ...

Irish ayes? A new Brexit deal

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s prime minister Boris Johnson has a newly struck European Union divorce deal in hand. He has defied the expectations of many, but he still ...

Antsy about ANC: reform in South Africa

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our journalists interview Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, about his efforts to clean up his country and his African National Congress par...

Back to Square one? Tiananmen veterans in Hong Kong

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amid the growing disquiet in Hong Kong are a few survivors of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. These once-moderate voices are changing their minds ...

Then there were 12: the Democrats’ fourth debate

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Twelve candidates take to the stage again tonight, with two clear front-runners. We ask how the winnowing field reflects the mood of the party. We als...

The enemy of their enemy: the Kurds ally with Syria

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Turkey’s violent strikes on north-eastern Syria came as swiftly as America’s withdrawal. The overwhelmed Kurds, once America’s staunch allies ag...

PiS prize: Poland’s crucial election

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It is at once a story of post-communist success and of populist threats to the rule of law by the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party. What directio...

Uncomfortable president: Trump’s stonewalling

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The White House is stonewalling the impeachment inquiry. Could that hinder the Democrats’ ability to build a strong public case? We look at this yea...

Sorry state: Kashmir on lockdown

09 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Two months after India’s Hindu-nationalist government stripped the state of Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy, 7m people are still in limbo. How wil...

Just a Kurd to him: Trump’s Syria withdrawal

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The president’s sudden talk of departure from a contested strip of the Turkey-Syria border betrays the Kurds who helped beat back Islamic State—an...

Trade disunion: America’s tariff wars

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese and American trade negotiators will again be trying to avoid more eye-watering tariffs this week; meanwhile a years-long dispute with the Euro...

Duty call: how Ukraine sees the Trump scandal

04 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A phone call between the presidents has sparked an impeachment inquiry in America. But how do the people of Ukraine view the kerfuffle? Massive studen...

Immunisation shot? The case against Binyamin Netanyahu

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Political deadlock in Israel is now inextricably intertwined with a case against the prime minister. An eventual coalition could provide him with immu...

Reform over function: Peru’s political crisis

02 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A long-running dispute between the president and the opposition-controlled Congress has spun out of control—and it’s not clear who will end up lea...

Party like it’s 1949: China’s National Day

01 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As at the founding of the People’s Republic, the 70th anniversary featured a tightly controlled parade bristling with the country’s latest militar...

Out-of-office messaging: Britain’s Tory conference

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Lawmakers are back in Parliament while the ruling party is elsewhere, laying out its legislative mission. The Tories are divided, more scandals are ar...

Spoiled ballot: Afghanistan’s election

27 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The country is set for another violent and disputed election. But the fact that Afghans will head to the polls anyway is an encouraging story. Insuran...

Call to account: Trump-Ukraine intrigues

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump’s call to his Ukrainian counterpart is under ever-greater scrutiny. An unexpected impeachment inquiry has started; how will i...

And the law won: Boris Johnson’s latest defeat

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Once again, Britain’s prime minister has been thwarted, this time for trying to stymie Parliament as the European departure looms. How will Boris pr...

Aid for abetting? Trump’s Ukraine call

24 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Donald Trump’s critics say a telephone call with his Ukrainian counterpart would reveal his most egregious offence yet. But it’s hard to...

Madurable: impasse in Venezuela

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

International sanctions have crimped the regime, and the country’s people. Yet President Nicolás Maduro is still in charge. The only way out is for...

To all, concern: a climate-change special

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As the Global Climate Strike gets under way, we look at all matters climatic. History shows that fervent debate—and self-interested misinformation—...

I can do that, Dave: AI and warfare

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is making its way into every aspect of life, including military conflict. We look at the thorny legal and ethical issues that ...

Ursa minor: Russia-China relations

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the 20th century Russia was the more powerful partner. Take a look at the flows of money and influence today, though, and it’s clear the situatio...

Always be my Bibi? Israel back at the polls

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The country has never had two elections in a year, and the second looks to be as close-run as the first. Could that at last spell the end of the Binya...

Pipe down: attacks on Saudi oil

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Strikes on the world’s largest refinery are bad news for the state oil firm ahead of a record-breaking stock listing—and worse news for the proxy ...

To Viktor, more spoils: Hungary’s autocracy

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

He was once a liberal reformer, but now no institution is safe from Viktor Orban’s iron grip. His transformation into an autocrat is a troubling les...

Trust issues: Huawei’s radical plan

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The tech giant finds itself enmeshed in a broad battle between China and America. But Huawei’s boss has an idea that might extricate it: selling off...

Scapegoating: xenophobia in South Africa

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Migrants have become a convenient scapegoat for South Africans frustrated by a slumping economy and rampant unemployment—and for the politicians who...

Things fall apart: Britain’s fading centre-right

10 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Parliament is suspended for weeks. The Conservative party has been hollowed out. The prime minister’s hopes for an election have been dashed, twice....

Tali-banned: Trump calls off Afghan peace talks

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Trump has abruptly cancelled talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, raising fears of renewed internal strife. Wales dabbles in nationalism, ...

Disunited Russia party? Moscow’s elections

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This weekend’s vote will fill some fairly inconsequential city positions. But how it plays out will indicate the strength of a rapidly broadening, n...

Age-old problem: reforming France

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

President Emmanuel Macron embarks on a serious policy challenge today over pensions. Will his efforts at reform re-ignite the protests that have dogge...

This is revolting: Britain’s parliament rebels

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson has lost his parliamentary majority. Conservative party rebels will now help push for a bill precluding a no-deal Brexit, making an earl...

No safety in numbers: America’s immigration raids

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Workplace raids catch many undocumented migrants in one place. But they do nothing to tackle the criminal element that the Trump administration has so...

Until blue in the face: Hong Kong’s protests

02 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The territory’s authorities have used live rounds, pepper spray and water cannon with blue dye to mark participants in ever-growing protests. What e...

Out to launch: American nuclear policy

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

There is a push in America to subscribe to a “no first use” policy on nukes, in a bid to reduce risks and anxiety. But could that actually make th...

Suspend, disbelief: Parliament and Brexit

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, sparked widespread outrage by suspending Parliament in the run-up to Brexit. What recourse do lawmakers sti...

Ex-Seoul-mate: Japan-South Korea spat escalates

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Century-old discord is never far from the surface for the two countries, but the latest flare-up risks disrupting stability in the region. We estimate...

Emmanuel transmission: outcomes of the G7

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The weekend summit hosted by France’s President Emmanuel Macron resulted in few concrete actions; mostly the diplomatic dance was intended to keep P...

A friend of mines: Asia’s coal habit

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The region accounts for three-quarters of the world’s coal consumption—even as giants such as China and India consider its environmental effects a...

Fight or flight: Cathay Pacific

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

China’s central government has made an example of the huge, Hong Kong-based carrier. Will the ploy work to quell protests in the territory, or just ...

Pull out all the backstops: Boris Johnson in Europe

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s prime minister is on the continent ahead of this weekend’s G7 meeting. We ask whether he’ll be able to ditch the Irish “backstop” ...