Economist Podcasts
Episodes
Moving stories: the UN’s refugee report
19 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The worldwide count of people forced from their homelands has increased sharply, again. What’s driving these movements, and what are governments doi...
Florida Man: Trump’s re-election campaign
18 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
America’s president heads back to the Sunshine State today to announce his candidacy. What to expect this time around? Muhammad Morsi, Egypt’s fir...
Lam to the slaughter: Hong Kong’s shocking U-turn
17 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Calls for the resignation of Carrie Lam, the territory’s leader, are intensifying. Hong Kongers may have put a recent freedom-crimping bill on ice, ...
What’s yours has mines: the Gulf of Oman attack
14 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
America has blamed Iran for yesterday’s tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman. If that’s true, Iran is playing a dangerous game that involves the who...
Vlad the un-jailer: the Ivan Golunov case
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
An investigative journalist’s release may look like a press-freedom win in Russia—but it represents much more than that. Democratic presidential h...
Once more, with felines: half the world gets online
12 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Half of humanity is now online. What will the second half do when it logs on? The same as the first: friendly chat, personal expression and a lot of c...
Independence say: Hong Kong’s ongoing protests
11 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A proposed change to the judicial system is just the latest sign that mainland China is exerting pressure on Hong Kong’s autonomy. Authorities seem ...
No way to tweet a friend: Trump’s Mexico tariffs
10 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the end, President Donald Trump’s tariff threat did what he had hoped: Mexico has pledged to tighten immigration flows. But such weaponisation of...
Tory story: Britain’s next prime minister
07 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today Theresa May stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party, and would-be replacements are already lining up. There’s little hope that any wo...
Basta! The EU challenges Italy’s finances
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
European officials have threatened a substantial fine if Italy doesn’t shrink its debt and budget deficit. Whether or not it follows through, market...
Same as the old boss? Crackdown in Sudan
05 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly two months after staging a coup, military leaders have brutally cracked down on protesters in Sudan. Talks with the opposition have fallen apar...
Thirty years of forgetting: Tiananmen
04 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
On the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square tragedy, our correspondents reflect on a dark and confusing day—and the Chinese government’s effor...
Get pomped up: Trump’s British visit
03 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump kicks off his state visit to Britain with some opening shots at London's mayor Sadiq Khan. But larger issues will take center s...
Protectionist racket: trade-war rhetoric
31 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As President Donald Trump threatens new tariffs on Mexican goods, retaliatory ones between China and America are starting to bite. That puts China’s...
Likudn’t: Israel’s political crisis
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time since Israel’s founding, efforts to form a government have failed. What will the resulting snap election mean for Prime Minister ...
Baba Go Slow: Nigeria’s President gets another term
29 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Muhammadu Buhari earned the nickname “Baba Go Slow” for a lackadaisical approach to reform as Nigeria’s president. He mismanaged the economy, fa...
Continental breakfast: European elections
28 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Europe’s voters have shown they are not happy with traditional parties. But even as the Brexit Party surged in Britain, populists across the contine...
This May hurt: British politics
24 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Britain’s prime minister Theresa May has at last revealed the date she will step down. She had the unenviable task of trying to deliver Brexit, whic...
Repeat performance: India’s election
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Narendra Modi’s BJP appears to have won a convincing re-election victory. What will that mean for India and the region? We look back on the life of ...
Ibiza remix: Austria and the European fringe
22 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As a scandal involving Austria’s hard-right Freedom party causes the government to unravel, we examine the fringe parties of Europe and their chance...
In a heartbeat: abortion in America
21 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The strict anti-abortion bills cropping up in multiple American states aren’t expected to become the law of the land—but proponents want them to c...
Battle for legitimacy: Afghanistan v the Taliban
20 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After 18 years and almost a trillion dollars to fight the Taliban, Afghanistan’s government still struggles for legitimacy; we ask why. A list of th...
Private iniquity? The Abraaj case
17 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Not long ago, Abraaj was one of the world’s highest-profile private-equity firms. We take a look at its spectacular downfall, and the fate of its ch...
May, EU live in interesting times: Brexit
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As party leaders grill Britain’s prime minister—and with a looming European election the country was due to avoid—we examine how the Brexit mess...
Don’t spend it all at once: Pakistan and the IMF
15 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The International Monetary Fund has struck another deal to bail out Pakistan—its 22nd. But how did the country’s economy end up in such a mess? Ne...
Supply demands: Yemen peace talks
14 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
UN negotiators are trying to salvage a ceasefire agreement surrounding the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The Arab world’s poorest country is sufferi...
Spare the Rodrigo: Philippine elections
13 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Personalities, not policies, will determine votes in today’s poll in the Philippines to fill some 18,000 government jobs. Loyalists of the firebrand...
Unbalance of trade: China-America talks
10 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Negotiations to end the trade war have been ruffled as the Trump administration again ramped up tariffs. But even if a deal is struck, that won’t ad...
Generals’ election: Thai politics
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The military junta that runs Thailand almost completely sewed up a momentous vote—almost. After further electoral meddling the generals will now lea...
Nuclear diffusion: Iran
08 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Exactly a year after President Donald Trump pulled America out of the Iran nuclear deal—and days after America moved warships into the Persian Gulf—...
Mayor may not: Turkey’s election re-run
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey’s ruling AK party never conceded defeat in Istanbul’s mayoral election in March. Now the result has been annulled, worrying the opposition ...
Everything in moderation: YouTube
06 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Susan Wojcicki, YouTube’s chief executive, tells our correspondent that moderating the streaming giant’s content is her biggest challenge. No wond...
Barr, none: the White House’s defiance
03 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The no-show of America’s attorney-general in Congress is just the latest example of the White House’s broad stonewalling policy; we look at the co...
Buy the bullet: global defence spending
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Governments the world over are beefing up defence spending—chief among them America’s and China’s. But some aggressive countries’ budgets are ...
Putsch comes to shove: Venezuela
01 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Juan Guaidó, the opposition figure widely viewed as the legitimate leader of Venezuela, has made a dramatic attempt to seize power from President Nic...
Inflationary pressure: Argentina’s strikes
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Patience runs thin amid rampant inflation and a devaluing currency; Argentines are taking to the streets for two days of strikes and protests. Taiwan’...
Crossing the “t”s: China-America trade talks
29 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
American negotiators will be in Beijing this week, for what appears to be the final stages of striking a trade deal. What’s left to be agreed, and w...
The strain in Spain: an election looms
26 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Ahead of this weekend’s general election, we examine Spain’s fractured political landscape. A much-needed bastion of stability in Europe looks set...
Five Eyes and 5G: the Huawei debate
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Leaked discussions reveal that Britain is going against the grain of its “Five Eyes” security partners by letting Huawei supply kit for coming 5G ...
Troubling: a death in Northern Ireland
24 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A young journalist will be buried today, after being accidentally shot by dissident republicans in Northern Ireland. The killing is a worrying reminde...
Worrying new threat: tragedy in Sri Lanka
23 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After co-ordinated bomb attacks that killed hundreds, Sri Lanka is reeling. But if the government was so consumed by internal struggles as to miss war...
Early to wed: child marriage in Africa
22 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Marrying too young has lifelong effects: on a girl’s body as much as on her education and career. We explore what is behind a sharp decline in child...
Planes, trains and automobiles: the travails of travel
19 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Easter weekend is a busy travel time for the many people who celebrate it. If you’re lucky, it means some time off work. But you might be unlucky, a...
[Redacted]: the Mueller report
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today the report by Robert Mueller, the special counsel who investigated Russian links to the Trump administration, will be released—mostly. What li...
Roads to success: Indonesia’s election
17 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Joko Widodo, the incumbent president, is expected to win today’s vote, after a people-pleasing term tackling the country’s infrastructure. But the...
And then, silence: a Paris icon burns
16 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, was already battling the flames of national protest when fire broke out at the Notre Dame cathedral. Will the t...
Modi’s operandi: India’s enormous election
15 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s largest democratic exercise is under way. Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks likely to win on a divisive platform about Hindu nationalis...
Bashir and present danger: Sudan’s coup
12 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A protest movement that began in December at last brought Sudan’s military brass on board. The country’s cycle of dictatorship and democracy may b...
Brussels’ doubts: another Brexit delay
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Britain now has a new Brexit deadline: the end of October. But those negotiations magnified divisions within the European Union that Brexit is reveali...
Bibi got back: Israel’s election
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Binyamin Netanyahu looks set to win a fifth term as prime minister. How will his policies affect negotiations about some of the most contested land on...
The new mediocre: the world economy
09 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The International Monetary Fund releases its global-growth forecast today. Expect news of a downgrade, but not recession: low growth has become the st...
Tripoli threat: a warlord’s bid to take Libya
08 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As rebel forces advance on Tripoli and American troops withdraw, we look at the Libyan general leading the march, and at the country’s fractured pol...
Theresa looks left: Brexit negotiations
05 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Having seemingly exhausted options within her own party, Prime Minister Theresa May is now trying to strike an EU divorce deal with Jeremy Corbyn, the...
Resigned to it: Algeria’s president
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After two decades as president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika has resigned. But the cabal that’s been running the country doesn’t want to give up power and...
Fund while it lasted: the 1MDB scandal
03 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today Malaysia’s former prime minister faces his first of several trials, for alleged involvement in the disappearance of billions of dollars from 1...
Vote with pride: LGBT politicians
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Chicago votes for a new mayor today. Either way it will become the largest American city run by an African-American woman, but it may also get another...
AK, not quite OK: Turkey’s elections
01 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey’s ruling AK party made historic losses in local elections. Voters, it seems, are fed up with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s economic mism...
Comic’s relief? Ukraine’s presidential race
29 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A television show’s everyman character winds up as president: and now the actor who plays him leads the polls ahead of Ukraine’s election. Many mu...
Another dance ‘round the May poll: Brexit
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Britain’s prime minister has promised to step down if Parliament passes her deal with the European Union. That has sparked a leadership contest that...
Seeing the Lighthizer: China trade talks
27 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Another week, another round of negotiations between China and America. But as domestic and economic pressures on both sides have lifted, the path to r...
Loan behold: a global-economy danger
26 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The world has only just recovered from the last global financial shock. But a new trend has economists worried: the rising debt on companies’ balanc...
Collusion elusion: the Mueller report
25 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Mueller, the special counsel, has at last delivered his report on President Donald Trump’s campaign. Will it have disappointed or empowered t...
The never-ending saga: Brexit delayed
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
European leaders nixed Theresa May’s request to postpone Brexit for three months, but have given her a short-term reprieve - delaying it by a few we...
Not now, Theresa: Postponing Britain’s EU goodbye
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
With just eight days to go before Brexit, Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May wants to extend the leaving date. As an EU summit gathers, Donald Tus...
Alpha Beto: O’Rourke’s appeal
20 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Beto O’Rourke launched his bid for America’s presidency. Despite his relative lack of experience, he’s already been raking in donations. We look...
War and pestilence: Ebola makes a comeback
19 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Five years ago Ebola spread across West Africa, killing more than 10,000 people. In August a fresh outbreak hit the war-torn Democratic Republic of Co...
Replacement anxiety: White supremacist terrorism
18 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, has left 50 people dead and a lot of unanswered questions. How big a threat are violent white supre...
Can't deal with it: Brexit
15 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been another brutal week for Britain’s prime minister as her deal to leave Europe was swatted down comprehensively—again. As a delay to Bre...
Lights out: Venezuela’s blackout
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Power cuts in Caracas have endangered lives and deepened the misery of Venezuelans. It’s another sign of the corruption that pervades the Maduro reg...
Losing the plot: Brexit
13 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The second defeat of British Prime Minister’s plan for withdrawal from the EU has weakened her. But what does it mean for the risk of a no-deal outc...
Flying stop: Boeing
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Following a second fatal crash of Boeing’s 737-MAX, China was quick to ground its fleet of the newish airliner. What does this mean for the world’...
The sensitive month: Tibet
11 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
China’s party leaders get nervous in March—a month full of anniversaries that Tibetans hold dear. As the 60th anniversary of Tibet’s uprising ap...
Fifth time unlucky: Algeria’s protests
08 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Widespread protests will continue today against the re-election run of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who hasn’t been heard from since a stroke in ...
Guilt and association: Paul Manafort
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager can expect to have the book thrown at him at his sentencing today—the first for crimes revealed b...
Trudeau in trouble: a sunny leader in stormy times
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Canada’s fresh-faced leader has been a icon for embattled liberals. But now he faces damaging accusations of meddling in a judicial process. Will Ju...
Xi’ll meet again: China’s People’s Congress opens
05 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The National People's Congress of China gathers today for ten days of deliberations. Tensions with the West over the trade war and disagreement about ...
A thirsty world: the future of water
04 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Fresh water is becoming increasingly scarce, as climate change and population growth puts greater pressure on resources. But the problem is one of mis...
Bibi one more time? Binyamin Netanyahu
01 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Israel’s prime minister has been indicted, pending a hearing, just weeks before an election. We look at the charges he faces, and how he has already...
Line of control: India-Pakistan
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Air strikes by India and Pakistan this week represent a worrying flare-up of tensions that have simmered for years. We examine the forces and politics...
Chaos and calculation: Brexit
27 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Grand fissures have opened in Britain’s politics; the two main parties’ leaders are struggling to keep control. What does it all mean for Brexit, ...
Two for the show: Trump meets Kim
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As Kim Jong Un arrives in Vietnam ahead of a second summit with President Donald Trump, we ask about the real prospects for a nuclear-free Korean peni...
It’s bean difficult: the China-America trade war
25 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As President Donald Trump delays further tariffs on $200bn-worth of Chinese goods, there are hints of an end to the trade war. We assess the damage al...
Alms held up: Venezuela
22 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Venezuela is in dire need of humanitarian aid, and Juan Guaidó, the interim president, has pledged to deliver it tomorrow. Will Nicolás Maduro, the ...
Sins of the fathers: the Vatican and child abuse
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
The Vatican is hosting a high-profile meeting on child abuse by the clergy. It’s a topic that has been woefully overlooked, and one that threatens t...
Prince on tour: Muhammad bin Salman
20 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Muhammad bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince, is on a tour of Asia, striking deals and trying to polish his image. What kind of influence will he have ...
Labour’s love lost: British politics
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Seven parliamentarians have split from Britain’s opposition Labour party. That could change the calculus of Brexit, and just might be the nucleus of...
State of the unionising: Amazon
18 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We examine the aftermath of the online behemoth’s withdrawal of its New York expansion plans, and speak with its Midwestern workers about growing ta...
Emergency measures: America’s border deal
15 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
President Donald Trump is expected to declare a national emergency today, to fund his southern-border wall. We ask why that would be an uncomfortable ...
IS this the end? Islamic State’s last stand
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In Syria the few remaining Islamic State fighters are hemmed in. The caliphate’s territory may be diminished, but the idea will live on. A Valentine...
It’s not easy: the Green New Deal
13 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As America’s Senate majority leader pledges a vote on the Green New Deal, a sweeping set of policies around climate and much more, we examine just w...
Independents’ day: Catalans on trial
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today 12 leaders of Spain’s Catalonia region go on trial, accused of rebellion. The proceedings will lay bare long-running tensions about democracy ...
You say you want: Revisiting Iran’s revolution
11 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
We examine how the echoes of Iran’s revolution, 40 years ago, still influence how the Islamic Republic deals with the West today. Harley Davidson ha...
Princess unbridled: Thai politics
08 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
A Thai princess enters the running for prime minister—a development that reshuffles the country’s centres of power completely. Our obituaries edit...
The Intelligence: Weapons redrawn
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
After America and Russia pull out out of a cold war-era weapons treaty, we examine the picture of global stability without it. Our China columnist vis...
The Intelligence: Credible, but critical
06 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Today the Trump administration is expected to announce its nomination for head of the World Bank today. He’s a Treasury official with a sharply crit...
The Intelligence: Don’t despair, America
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Tonight President Trump will deliver his State of the Union address; we ask what he’ll be saying, and what the state of the union really is. Yesterd...
The Intelligence: A despot’s calculation
04 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Internal and international pressure on President Nicolás Maduro brings Venezuela to the brink of change. As Facebook turns 15, it’s lurching from c...
The Intelligence: Be careful on the way out
01 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As progress appears to have been made in peace talks between America and the Taliban, the Senate urges the Trump administration not to rush for the do...
The Intelligence: Down and out in “iPhone City”
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
As trade talks with China continue in Washington, our correspondent takes a trip to China’s “iPhone City” to see how the country’s slowdown is...
The Intelligence: This is not a coup
30 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
International pressure is mounting on the dictatorial regime of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. As he hints at negotiations with a resurgent opposition...