Economist Podcasts

Riot-geared: the tensions behind France’s unrest

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The killing of a teenager in a Paris suburb has ignited national unrest. We ask what is driving the disquiet, and what it means for a president squeez...

Hot to trot: the up sides of climate migration

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mass movements of people expected as climate change progresses are often depicted as catastrophes-in-waiting. We visit Niger, where that shift has beg...

Antitrust, the process: America’s competition cops

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s court battle involving Microsoft and Activision, giants of tech and gaming, reflects a sea change under way in America’s trustbusting ...

Juan way, or another? Argentina’s election

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, leftist policies first espoused by Juan Perón have dominated the country’s politics. But as electioneering begins it is clear that ram...

Belarusian roulette: a mutiny’s aftermath

27 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner Group fighters are said to be welcome in safe-haven Belarus. We ask how Aleksandr Lukashenko, the country’s puppet ...

Putin’s chef spoils the broth: mutiny in Russia

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Yevgeny Prigozhin, nicknamed “Putin’s chef”, leads the Wagner Group of mercenaries fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine. He had lambaste...

Pro-life post-Dobbs: America’s anti-abortion campaigns

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the months since America’s Supreme Court gave states the power to ban abortions, those in support of the ruling have become more splintered. And ...

No guarantees: NATO members debate Ukraine’s future

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Members of the alliance are conflicted over the prospect of Ukraine’s membership. In particular, America has changed its mind, and this could affect...

Balancing of Powers: India’s foreign policy

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Narendra Modi is cosying up to America, but not at the expense of valuable relationships with Russia and China. Our correspondent speaks with the coun...

Abodes well? The housing crash that wasn’t

20 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Much to the chagrin of hopeful first-time buyers, property prices remain stubbornly high across the West. Our correspondent explains why housing is de...

More Blinken meetings: a diplomatic visit to China

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a first since 2018, America’s secretary of state is visiting China amid escalating tensions between both countries. Can diplomats successfully st...

I, of the tiger: India’s influential diaspora

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

They lead startups, giant corporations, even countries: people of Indian origin are finding great success outside their home country—and wielding mu...

Guilty party: Boris Johnson’s lies catch up with him

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The investigation into covid-lockdown-era parties during Boris Johnson’s premiership—and his denials of their impropriety—comes to damning concl...

Call of duties: the global costs of war

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conflict in Ukraine has cut short the “peace dividend” the world was reaping. We count the economic costs of a widespread return to a war footing....

Death of a salesman: Silvio Berlusconi

13 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Italy’s longest-serving prime minister has died aged 86. He inspired as much derision as devotion, and for all his gaffes and scandals he helped to ...

Gain, wait: Ukraine’s tentative push

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Hints of the long campaign ahead are emerging, but all the operations so far are just drawing the eventual, full-scale battle lines. Cheap vaccination...

Charged up: Trump’s latest indictment

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

He is expected to be charged for failing to return classified documents and obstructing justice. The former president denies wrongdoing, and any possi...

No Khan do: Pakistan’s meddling army

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The country’s military is renowned for political overreach. Now, its leaders are taking on former prime minister Imran Khan. Is violent unrest on th...

Not born yesterday: the world’s ageing population

07 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Fertility rates are falling to worrying levels, and an older, smaller, global population is bad news for economic growth. Apple’s new headset could ...

Dam and blast: Ukraine launches counter-offensive

06 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After months of waiting, probing attacks have begun. A destroyed dam in Kherson suggests that Russia is upping the ante in response. But what else is ...

Trouble in Shangri-La: Sino-American tensions escalate

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At a meeting of defence ministers from the Asia-Pacific region, heightened tensions between Beijing and Washington were all too apparent. A naval spat...

League of her own: Sheikh Hasina’s grip on Bangladesh

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over two decades in office, the prime minister and her Awami League party have overseen impressive growth and reforms in a notoriously corrupt country...

On pain of death: Uganda’s anti-LGBT law

01 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The country’s homophobes claim that homosexuality is a malign foreign import; in reality it was anti-LGBT groups from abroad who helped lay the grou...

Debtors’ prism: mounting crises of Africa’s loans

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many of the continent’s economies are hamstrung by debt—much of it held internationally. We look at the growing need for closer co-operation betwe...

Cash out: the digital-payments revolution

30 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashlessness push in different economies and potential eff...

Poor more years! Erdogan triumphs in Turkey

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has again retained the presidency. We ask how the best chance in a generation to unseat him came unstuck—and what to expect fro...

Russian lessons: new and improved war tactics

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From infantry to air defences and even electronic warfare, improved strategies and engineering could threaten Ukraine’s counter-offensive plans. How...

A Ron turn: DeSantis’s disastrous announcement

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a glitchy announcement on Twitter, the Florida governor’s campaign is off to a shaky start. And despite strong donor backing, he will struggle...

Still the one that I want: Greece’s prime minister wins again

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Although Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ party fell short of a majority in parliament, meaning there will be a second vote, the incumbent prime minister did mu...

Narcos and avocados: Mexico’s diversifying drug cartels

23 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In attempts to amass more wealth, these organisations are dabbling in newer narcotics and even taking on the mining sector. The result is taking a tol...

Raise the roof? America’s debt-ceiling debacle

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Today, the president will meet with the Republican leader in the house of representatives to try and prevent the country from defaulting. But what if ...

The Economist: Kissinger on avoiding world war

20 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Henry Kissinger was one of the most influential and controversial diplomats of the 20th century. He was National Security Advisor and Secretary of Sta...

Shining armour: China’s new fleet

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last couple of decades, the state has been making significant investments into its armed forces in an attempt to challenge America’s domina...

In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic redemption

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in Jeddah. Is this the dictator’s first step in a ...

Better call Kissinger: an interview with the renowned diplomat

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a conversation that lasted eight hours over two days, the statesman discussed paths to peace in Ukraine, his evolving view on their NATO membership...

New school Thais: a military establishment voted out

16 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Largely thanks to young, liberal citizens, a reformist third party won the most seats in Thailand’s general election. But a powerful army and influe...

Changing the Guard? Turkey’s inconclusive election

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the opposition’s lead in the pre-election polls, the incumbent president seems to have performed better than expected. What does a run-off m...

Suck in the middle: the hole in America’s consumer base

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The past few years have proved tumultuous both for American consumers and for retailers selling to them. The end result is a curious slump for middle-...

Autocrat v bureaucrat: Turkey’s crucial vote

11 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It is probably this year’s most important election—and for the first time in a long time, the country’s strongman leader has a plausible adversa...

A scratch in the Teflon: Trump’s sexual-battery loss

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A jury unanimously found Donald Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation. We examine his first major legal loss. Thailand’s opposition looks s...

Ukraine 2.0: a revealing visit to Kyiv

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Our Russia and defence editors travelled to the capital, finding a city largely back to normal. They ask both civilians and the country’s top brass ...

Good, bad and ugly: the Taliban and Afghanistan

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Their return to rule is unequivocally bad for the country’s women and girls. But wholesale collapse has not come and some aspects of government have...

Another season of the crown: the coronation of Charles III

05 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

He has been king since September; now it is time for the pomp. We examine the modern monarchy—and the ancient frippery of coronations. Despite prior...

Difference between right and Ron: DeSantis miscalculates

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Florida’s governor has made a headline-grabbing rightward lurch as part of a presumed bid for the White House. But both Mr DeSantis’s critics and ...

Another think coming? An AI pioneer steps down

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Geoffrey Hinton, a legend of artificial-intelligence research, wants to be able to speak his mind about the technology’s risks. We ask whether those...

Re-route of all evil: transnational crime and Ukraine’s war

02 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Criminal networks have had to reorganise since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with knock-on effects from Afghanistan to the Andes. We take a look at ...

Long shots: the complex nature of civil wars

01 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Climate change is stirring up internecine conflicts, criminality is making them longer, and cross-border contagion is complicating matters further. We...

Without reserves: Bolivia faces an economic crisis

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

AS A GAS // As a gas producer, the state was able to build up enormous reserves. But failing to pivot when global prices fell has created debt, a doll...

Rising Starmer: An interview with Britain’s opposition leader

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As the country prepares to go to the polls next year, The Economist sits down with the leader of the Labour Party. Could Sir Keir Starmer’s agenda r...

One Good Term Deserves Another: Biden Declares

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

He made the same announcement on the same day four years ago and went on to win. But this time, the President is older and less popular. Could he be e...

Brazilian balancing act: Lula’s foreign policy plans

25 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ATTEMPTS TO MAINTAIN // Attempts to maintain a neutral stance on the invasion of Ukraine, while also buddying up with China, are sending confusing sig...

Khartoum is burning: fighting continues in Sudan

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ceasefires have failed, civilians are fleeing, and there is no end in sight to the fighting. We bring you an update on the escalating conflict. A Ukra...

Tick, Tick, Boom: SpaceX launches Starship

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a historic first, the largest rocket ever assembled managed to get off the ground. But then it exploded midair. We ask if this launch can still be ...

Revolution Song: Myanmar’s unending war

20 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deep in the mountains along the Thai border, a bloody civil war rages. Our correspondent gives us rare insight into one of the world’s oldest insurg...

Fighting chance: Ukraine prepares for counter-offensive

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The top-secret plan to pierce Russia’s defenses and reclaim territory could unfold any day now. We ask why this moment, in particular, could prove c...

A cut above the West: America’s astounding economy

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Contrary to the groaning of both Republicans and Democrats, the economy is still the world’s largest. How has this success been sustained? We ask wh...

A tough transition: unrest in Sudan

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Clashes in Khartoum have turned deadly as two rival military factions fight for power. As the conflict escalates, a transition to civilian rule could ...

Never-ending storeys: rebuilding Turkey

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It will be years until the country recovers from February’s devastating earthquakes—but progress toward that goal will determine whether President...

Make the world’s money go ‘round: a bunged-up IMF

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The International Monetary Fund is sitting on oodles of cash, but failing to disburse it. We examine why China’s lending practices are putting the I...

File-sharing: America’s huge intelligence leak

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A trove of once-secret documents is proving an embarrassment to both America and its allies, and a danger to Ukraine’s planned counter-offensive. Th...

Hard pact to follow: the Good Friday Agreement at 25

11 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The famed power-sharing deal did its work of sharply reducing sectarian violence, but a quarter-century on it has led to depressingly dysfunctional po...

Home economics: housing markets’ future

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many people think that with inflation and interest-rate rises abating, the worst effects on housing markets might be over. Not so fast. A study that r...

Space invaded: video games’ stunning growth

07 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

These days the gaming industry takes in much more than the global cinema box office. We ask how things are changing, from gamers’ demographics to th...

Situation reporter: Evan Gershkovich’s detention

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Russia’s arrest of a Wall Street Journal correspondent is heading toward a diplomatic crisis—and will certainly chill foreign reporting in the cou...

Arraigning on his parade: the charges against Donald Trump

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Perhaps the only surprising thing about the former president’s arraignment was that it was not followed by big demonstrations—but he did take to t...

What he wants, what Xi wants: Macron in China

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On his visit to Beijing Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, has much to balance: his peacemaking ways, a more hawkish travel partner and the commer...

Get-rich-quick scheming: India and Indonesia

03 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are similarities between the two economies set to be the fastest-growing this year—but their paths to greater prosperity will not look like th...

Charge d’affair: Donald Trump indicted

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

For the first time in history, a former American president faces arrest. Mr. Trump denies the charges, but what could this mean for the 2024 president...

Time’s up: America debates TikTok’s future

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Links with China and allegations of surveillance have highlighted the threat that the social-media app may pose to national security. There is biparti...

The Gulf narrows: Iran-Saudi relations

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The two regional rivals have negotiated a deal, ending a seven-year lapse in diplomatic ties. Elsewhere, though, Iran remains aggressive. We ask what ...

Over the Finnish line: NATO set to grow

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After ten months of haggling, the military alliance is gaining a new member: Finland. We ask why a historically neutral country has switched tack...

Bibi bump: Israel’s unrest flares

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Protests against proposed judicial reforms have intensified. Could Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu succumb to the pressure at last? Pregnant Russian...

Iraq, a hard place: 20 years after the invasion

24 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

America invaded Iraq 20 years ago this week. Today Baghdad is bustling, violence across the country is less frequent, but these gains have come at a h...

A bit Fed up: central banks’ dilemma

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Central banks face a painful tradeoff: raise rates too quickly and risk banking-sector instability. Raise them too slowly and risk continued high infl...

Not shy and not retiring: pension reform in France

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emmanuel Macron narrowly survived two no-confidence votes, sparked by his pushing a pension-reform package through the legislature without bringing it...

Stopping the spread: how to fix the banks

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Silicon Valley Bank. Signature Bank. Credit Suisse. The world’s banks look wobbly, leading to fears of broader economic pain. Our economics editor e...

Bear backed: Xi heads to Moscow

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The visit of Xi Jinping, China’s president, to Moscow may seem like the solidifying of a simple, anti-Western alliance. But China is walking a delic...

Felling through the cracks: rainforests in crisis

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The economics are clear-cut: the benefits of preserving the lungs of the world vastly outweigh those of felling trees. We travel to the Amazon and fin...

Puts Bibi in the corner: Israel’s protests

16 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Proposed legislation that would hobble the judiciary has led to relentless demonstrations—and exposed a rift in Israeli society that has become dang...

One Tory building: Rishi Sunak’s mission

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From today’s national budget to hardline immigration legislation to international defence pacts, Britain’s prime minister is working hard to extra...

Starched rival: Turkey’s opposition candidate

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After internecine drama, the opposition-party alliance has picked their man. The bookish, mild-mannered Kemal Kilicdaroglu may be the best possible pr...

End run: Silicon Valley Bank

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An old-fashioned bank run has caused American regulators to intervene in a big way to save the bank’s depositors. We ask what went wrong, and what r...

A vote for Ukraine: why Estonia’s election matters

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The world’s biggest military donor to Ukraine, relative to GDP, is Estonia. Kaja Kallas, its prime minister, just won a resounding victory in an ele...

Not so Pacific: the frightening prospect of war over Taiwan

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The risk of a Sino-American war over Taiwan appears to be growing. Our diplomatic editor assesses the frightening prospects and possible damage. Mexic...

Home affairs: America’s revealing property market

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Economists and politicians around the world are consumed with one question: is the world headed for a recession, or a relatively soft landing? We’ll...

Bakhmut point: Ukraine readies a counter-offensive

07 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine is using a torrent of Western arms and training to prepare for a spring offensive. We learn why being on a corporate board of directors—or r...

Hedge of allegiance: South Africa’s diplomatic shift

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A policy of ambiguity is swiftly shifting; the country is falling into a Sino-Russian orbit at just the time it needs the most help from Western allie...

Seed of doubt: venture capital tightens up

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A slump in tech is driving investors to rediscover old ways. Out are the cash-splashing long bets; in are smaller, profitable, strategic firms. Nigeri...

Losing the threads: Bangladesh

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Shifts in the garment industry, which powered development in the country, represent one risk; meagre currency reserves are another. Yet nothing so imp...

The belt buckles up: China’s grand plan slims

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Belt and Road initiative to encircle much of the world with Chinese-funded, Chinese-built infrastructure is growing leaner and more penny-wise. Bu...

Let’s remake a deal: Brexit and Northern Ireland (again)

28 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since Brexit’s earliest days, the trade status of Northern Ireland and its border with the Republic of Ireland have been a perilous sticking point. ...

Has Obi won, can Obi? Nigeria’s elections

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Excitement still surrounds the spoiler candidate Peter Obi, whose down-to-earth ways appeal to a large constituency of fed-up youths. We look at the e...

A year of war: a Ukraine special

24 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

After a year of a conflict that was predicted to last just days, we examine the battle lines—seeing an opportunity for Ukraine that may not come aro...

The prices fight: conflicting views on inflation

23 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Markets seem to think the worst is over; central bankers are not so sure. We ask why determining the trajectory of inflation is so difficult. Millions...

Fire and grim tone: Putin’s and Biden’s speeches

22 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Joe Biden’s riposte to the bellicose speech of his counterpart Vladimir Putin was a study in contrast. We examine their views on Ukraine a...

The air of their ways: South Asia’s crippling pollution

21 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Particulate matter is shortening lives and hobbling economies in the region. We ask how policy changes and international collaboration could mitigate ...

What it is in aid of: Syria’s earthquake response

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The country’s war-torn north-west has been getting far less aid than it needs in the earthquakes’ aftermath. We investigate the dilemma of lifting...

Give fast, spry young: the new philanthropists

17 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Charitable giving is being disrupted by the same youthful tech folk who got rich disrupting other sectors: these days it is fast, data-driven and bure...

Independence fray: Scotland’s leader steps down

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nicola Sturgeon is bowing out after shaping a party that has defined itself on the notion of Scottish independence. What now for Scotland and for Brit...

Haley to the chief? A long-shot candidacy begins

15 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nikki Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and UN ambassador, has declared her 2024 presidential candidacy. We assess her chances and survey the...