Economist Podcasts

Byte by byte: Iran and Israel’s escalating cyberwar

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While many people fear the risk of a wider war breaking out in the Middle East, a parallel battle is already ongoing – in the digital sphere. Can Ch...

Hail Harris: the Democratic convention begins

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Democrats convene in Chicago, polls suggest Kamala Harris is ahead by a whisker in the US presidential race. Can the party sustain the momentum? In...

Landing padded: the global-recession risk

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Inflation, interest rates and jobless numbers are on healthy trends; markets are gaining back ground. As the spectre of global recession fades we ask ...

One peace at a time: Gaza, Israel and Iran

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Peace talks in Doha have a chance at progress even in Hamas’s absence. The outcome could determine the scope of Iran’s promised retaliations again...

Bait the hook! Fishing in the global talent pool

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Skilled immigrants bring more than just their expertise to job markets. But governments miss opportunities to attract them—or make them feel entirel...

AIOU: what if the AI boom busts?

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Corporate investment in artificial-intelligence infrastructure reaches $1.4trn by some estimates. We ask what might threaten the expected windfalls th...

The boot is on the other foot: Ukraine’s surprise incursion

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part of Russia is under foreign control for the first time since the second world war. We ask about the strategy behind the surprise raid—which may ...

Expelling mistake: the costs of hardline immigration policy

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The rich world is experiencing record migrant flows—and the attendant social upheaval. Finding immigration policies that are not economically ruinou...

Arrivals haul: anti-tourism’s folly

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tourists are getting decidedly less-warm welcomes in popular spots, but blunt anti-tourism policies are self-defeating. We look at how to maintain ben...

Walz onto the stage: Kamala Harris’s VP pick

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Walz, a folksy Midwesterner who came late to politics, is on the Democratic ticket. We ask how he got there and whether he was the best tactical p...

More than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sheikh Hasina, who led the country for 20 of the past 28 years with an increasingly authoritarian grip, was ultimately undone by student protests that...

Enter staged right: misinformation feeds Britain’s riots

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Unrest across the country has been driven in part by the provably false claims of right-wing provocateurs. We examine the real concerns underlying the...

Tense exchange: Russia’s prisoner swap

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The biggest exchange of prisoners between Russia and the West since the Cold War included opposition leaders, journalists and prisoners of conscience....

Yuan direction: Chinese firms head south

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As domestic demand in China slows, and the West puts up trade and political barriers, Chinese firms are shifting their focus to poorer parts of the wo...

Struck out: A Hamas leader is assassinated

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the killing of Hamas’s political leader Ismail Haniyeh, what are the prospects for ceasefire talks in the region? In Venezuela Nicolas Maduro ...

Down to the wires: Africa’s digital lag

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The dearth of fixed-line infrastructure that allowed the continent to leapfrog into the mobile-phone age now holds it back. We ask how to ensure the e...

Warpath: Israel vows revenge on Hizbullah

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After an airstrike killed 12 children in Israel-controlled territory at the weekend, retaliation in Lebanon seems inevitable. The end result could be ...

Field of streams: sports viewing changes

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the Olympics begin, more people than ever will be watching via streaming services. We examine the changing viewing habits transforming sport’s ro...

Bibi talk: a speech light on detail

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anyone hoping to glean hints of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s plans for the Gaza war and its aftermath will have been disappointed: it was a p...

Destruction instruction: Western armies learn from Gaza

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From tunnels to tanks to drones, Gaza’s horrors provide object lessons in urban warfare. We ask what Western forces will be learning about their own...

Keep Kamala and carry on: Harris’s smooth route

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A day is a long time in American politics: Kamala Harris has reportedly already secured the votes to become Democrats’ presidential nominee, a pile ...

Joe of good faith: Biden bows out

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joe Biden has at last succumbed to the pressure to step aside and has endorsed his vice-president, Kamala Harris. We ask how things should progress fr...

Dicky birds: the next pandemic?

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The scars of the covid pandemic are still raw, but now a virus spreading among farm animals could leap to humans. Could bird flu become the next pande...

Veep show: America meets J.D. Vance

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

J.D. Vance was largely unknown in American politics until Donald Trump picked him as his running-mate for vice-president. Last night he gave his first...

Food for thought: raising the world’s IQ

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If you don’t have enough food in the first 1,000 days of your life, your brain may never reach its full potential. Our correspondent discusses what ...

Lost in stagnation? Japan’s economic paradox

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After decades of torpor, is Japan recovering its dynamism? Our correspondent turns to an ancient bento box merchant to test Japan’s economic future....

An assassination attempt: what next for America?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After the shocking attempt to kill former President Donald Trump, how will America respond? Though leaders have called for calm, the risk is that an a...

An officer and a gen AI: the future of war

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is already making a difference in the theatre of war, and more involvement will certainly come. That raises a host of thorny e...

Bidin’: will Joe go or no?

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Democrats’ worried murmurs have become public statements. Polls give Donald Trump a widening lead. Why won’t President Biden make way for a younge...

Change of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Masoud Pezeshkian rode to victory on a promise of reforms that Iran’s people seem desperately to want. Will the former heart surgeon be permitted to...

Holey alliance: NATO’s worries at 75

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was formed to unite the world’s strongest countries and preserve peace, but as NATO holds a celebration summit for its 75th anniversary, it faces...

Lurch in the left: France’s election shock

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A tactical ploy to diminish the chances for Marine Le Pen’s hard-right National Rally has worked—a surprise result that puts the left in front, bu...

Boom! Episode 1: 1968 - Born to be wild

07 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why are two old, unpopular men the main candidates for the world’s most demanding job?  It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US...

Starming victory: Labour sweeps to power

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Britain has elected a Labour government for the first time in 14 years. The party inherits a spattered legacy and a country that is often seen as a la...

1. 1968 - Born to be wild

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The generation born in the 1940s grew up in a land of endless growth and possibility, ruled by a confident, moderate elite. But just as they were emba...

Leader of the package: Amazon turns 30

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It has changed our lives and become one of the world’s most valuable companies. As Amazon turns 30, what comes next? Education is key to social mobi...

Trailer: Boom!

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? The answer lies in the peculiar politics of the generation born in t...

Degree programme: stopping heat deaths

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As heatwaves become more frequent and intense, they exacerbate existing inequalities. The poor, sick and elderly are particularly vulnerable. How shou...

Trailer: Boom!

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets...

Rule and divide: Donald Trump is judged immune

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The US Supreme Court has granted the former President immunity from prosecution for official acts committed while in office. We ask what that means fo...

Trailer: Boom!

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets...

Bet noir: Macron’s electoral gamble backfires

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marine Le Pen’s far-right party made great gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election. The left did too. We ask what this means f...

The Weekend Intelligence: The state of Britain

29 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On July 4th Britain will have a general election, one in which is widely expected to result in dramatic losses for the ruling Conservative party. If s...

Debate and switch? Biden’s stumble

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

America’s president had one primary task at last night’s debate: to close down speculation about his mental faculties. It went so poorly his whole...

Labour-saving: Britain’s probable next leader

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After 14 years in opposition, Britain’s Labour Party is on track for a comprehensive win in next week’s general election. We profile Keir Starmer,...

Pier pressure: a visit to Gaza’s aid platform

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our correspondents were the first media to see the American-built JLOTS pier, intended for aid deliveries into Gaza. Things have not at all gone to pl...

Spring a leaker: Assange goes free

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Julian Assange is released from prison our correspondent reflects on how the work of Wikileaks changed whistleblowing in the internet era, for good...

Rocketing science: China’s newest superpower

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After decades as a scientific also-ran, China is becoming a superpower particularly in the physical sciences. We examine the risks and opportunities t...

Argentina turning? Milei’s surprising political success

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since his election last year, President Javier Milei has enjoyed some economic and political wins in Argentina. But his toughest fight is yet to come....

Empire of the sun: a solar power revolution

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

No energy source has ever increased as fast as solar photovoltaics. The technology will transform humanity’s energy consumption–even when the sun ...

French fried: will the election lead to chaos?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Both the left and right are likely to do well in France’s upcoming parliamentary poll, with President Emmanuel Macron’s party squeezed in the midd...

Heir tight: why boomers are so stingy

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The post-war generation reaped the benefits of peace and prosperity. Yet rather than spend that bounty, retired boomers are hoarding their riches–an...

Sudan impact: the war the world forgot

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Much of Sudan has already collapsed into chaos. Now a crucial city may fall, the United Nations is belatedly scrambling to avert a bloodbath. Gary Lin...

Fight for his party to the right: Nigel Farage

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Britain’s pint-sipping rabble-rouser of the right has joined the campaigning ahead of a general election. Win or lose, he will make an impact. Ameri...

A real work of peace? An Israel-Hamas deal

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

America’s upbeat assessment of a ceasefire deal masks deep divides that may not, in fact, be bridgeable. There are nevertheless reasons for optimism...

America's next top-job model: our election forecast

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We have dusted off and tuned up our forecast model for America’s presidential race. So far it gives Donald Trump a marginally higher chance of a sec...

Doing their not-own thing: “generation rent”

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Across the rich world millions spend more than a third of their disposable income on rent. We ask why policymakers have such terrible ideas on easing ...

French anti-foreign legion: an EU-election shock

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hard-right parties did well in Europe's parliamentary elections—so well in France that President Emmanuel Macron called a risky snap election. Elsew...

The Modi Raj 1: The chaiwallah's son

08 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi has been chosen to lead India for the third time in a row. But after 10 years in power, he was humbled at the national election. What ki...

One dam thing after another? Ukraine and reconstruction

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Russia attacked the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine a year ago, lives were lost, families stranded and towns submerged. But from that devastation emerged...

Labour's pains: Britain’s growth problem

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As Britain’s general-election campaign heats up, party leaders are vague on their economic plans. With growth so slow, how could the victor energise...

Modi’s mess: a shock election result spells uncertainty for India

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi, the strongman of India, will have to compromise now his party has lost its majority. What does the surprise result mean for the country...

Trailer: The Modi Raj

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democra...

The big gag: Hong Kong’s crackdown on freedom

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been a slow strangling of freedom in the territory where pro-democracy activists have been convicted; an annual vigil for the victims of the...

I, Claudia: Mexico’s new leader

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected Mexico’s first female president. Now the real fight begins: crime is rocketing, corruption is rampant and the cou...

Trailer: The Modi Raj

01 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democra...

Choose this podcast: abortion and the election

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022 the Supreme Court gave control of abortion back to “the people and their elected representatives.” This November will be the greatest test...

Out on a ledger: Trump convicted

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The former president was found guilty on all 34 charges of falsifying business records. But his convictions leave lots of room for appeals, and for su...

Trailer: The Modi Raj

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democra...

The Intelligence: Rishi Sunak’s report card

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of a general election in July, we reflect on 14 years of Conservative rule. It’s not a great record, but will the prime minister be able to sp...

Trailer: The Modi Raj

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democra...

The Intelligence: Strikes on Rafah

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Horrific images of charred bodies being pulled from the rubble in Gaza drew outcry, and more countries are recognising the Palestinian state. Israel i...

The Intelligence: An interview with the director of the IAEA

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The IAEA is charged with promoting the peaceful use of atomic energy. But with uncertainty in Iran and a delicate situation in Ukraine, can the organi...

Stores of value: regulators lean on app vendors

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Apple and Alphabet operate what is in effect a smartphone-app duopoly. Governments want to curb their power, but it is not clear whether more competit...

The Weekend Intelligence: Georgia... the day after tomorrow

25 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The introduction laws cracking down on supposed foreign agents has become a common tactic for autocratic leaders. Activists in Georgia, who oppose the...

Trailer: The Modi Raj

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democra...

Bibi blues: Israel’s fraying consensus

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our editor-in-chief and Jerusalem correspondent pay a visit to Israel’s halls of power, finding that long-whispered dissent is spilling into the ope...

Chip shots: breaking Nvidia’s AI grip

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to the chips used in artificial intelligence, one firm has the market locked up. We look at the rivals minded to steal Nvidia’s crown....

AI and health part one: DrGPT will see you now

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Artificial intelligence is already making its mark in health care—but new, bigger, models promise to improve how patients access services, help doct...

See how the Lai lands: Taiwan’s new president

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Domestic divisions are already complicating the daunting task William Lai Ching-te has set himself: strengthening Taiwan while maintaining its ambiguo...

Crimes seen: The ICC chases Israel and Hamas

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court has caused outrage by requesting arrest warrants for both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ...

Succession unplanned: Iran’s president killed

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The death of Ebrahim Raisi will spark succession battles both for the presidency and for supreme leader-in-waiting. What kind of Iran will result? Acc...

The Weekend Intelligence: Bombay, open city?

18 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mumbai is famously an open city, known for welcoming all comers, regardless of colour, caste, or creed. But as the city goes about building its f...

Swat off the press: Meta v Canada’s news ploy

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A bid to squeeze money from social-media platforms that link to news content has backfired: what was intended to help publishers is instead harming th...

Boiling over: an attempt on the Slovakian PM’s life

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An attempt on Robert Fico’s life comes at a time of deep-running polarisation in his country—much of which is his own doing. A vote today among au...

Expenses claims: Trump’s hush-money trial

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Cohen has been testifying in Donald Trump’s hush-money trial. Did the former president’s fixer provide what the prosecution had hoped for?...

Run part one: Why are Chinese people running to Japan?

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the height of China’s zero-covid restrictions, a Chinese character that sounds like the English word “run” became a coded way of talking abou...

The morale of the story: Ukraine’s front lines

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At a hidden command centre our correspondent finds deflated but defiant soldiers. Fight against Russia now, they say, or fight for Russia against Euro...

Fear on draft: Ukraine’s fraught mobilisation

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A chat with the deputy boss of Ukraine’s military intelligence reveals concerns about a dearth of weapons—but the struggle to get new recruits is ...

The Weekend Intelligence: Baseball at the border

11 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Birke and Aryn Braun report frequently on tensions at the border between America and Mexico—even more so during a year in which both countries...

The Intelligence: The next stage of the tech wars

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The battles for supremacy in chipmaking and green technology industries are raging on. Re-electing Donald Trump will likely make America’s approach ...

The Intelligence: Singapore’s “4G” era

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lawrence Wong will only be the city-state’s fourth leader since its independence. Our foreign editor asks him how he hopes to balance diplomatic rel...

The Intelligence: Supercharging India’s economy

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi’s reputation for prosperity is likely to propel him to a third term. But for India’s economic successes to last, the country needs a...

The Intelligence: Truce talk

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The ceasefire deal, which Hamas has agreed to, prompted celebrations in Gaza. But Binyamin Netanyahu isn’t satisfied and the fighting continues. Vid...

The Intelligence: Mandela’s vision, tested

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Thirty years of democracy have not led to uniform prosperity, and nearly everyone disagrees about the equality of opportunity. How will the disenchant...

The Intelligence: Our meeting with Macron

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

France’s president is known for pronouncements of grand scope with one eye toward history. But when our journalists visited him at his residence his...

The Intelligence: The kids are alright, turns out

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When you look around the world, and at a wider set of measures, Generation Z are far better off than the popular narrative would have you believe. We ...

Babbage: Teens and their screens

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever since there have been smartphones and social media, there have been concerns about how they might be affecting children. Over the past decade, do...

The Intelligence: Going back to raid school

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A dramatic overnight raid in New York City was just one sign that protests at American universities are set to continue—a clear historical echo in a...

The Intelligence: Dengue’s grip on Latin America

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The dengue-fever case counts now break regional records every year—and the structural reasons behind the spike suggest this sometimes-deadly virus w...