Economist Podcasts

The Economist’s editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes met Sir Keir Starmer for “ The Insider ”, our new video offering. We bring you the analysis. Why executions in America are surging, despite declining support for the death penalty. And Tom Stoppard , one of Britain’s most challenging playwrights, is remembered by his Russian translator. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and...

As Vladimir Putin begins a two-day visit to India, our correspondent explains why Donald Trump’s policies have pushed India and Russia closer together. How AI models could learn to take shortcuts––and accidentally become evil . And the curious case of the newly- Malaysian footballers . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist...

America’s attacks on possible drug boats in the Caribbean is already controversial. Now critics are questioning the legality of one particular strike in September. What does this mean for the US secretary of war, Pete Hegseth? Why American firms are raising funding to explore gene-editing babies . And women in Japan face a long fight to play the national sport: sumo .  In “ Babbage ” earlier...

Once derided as a copycat nation, China is now leading the world in innovation , from driverless cars to pharmaceuticals. Our correspondent explains what others can learn from it. Britain looks abroad for policy ideas, but which country is most like it? And why the capybara is a creature of comfort for our troubled age.    Listen to what matters most, from global politics and busine...

Our correspondents get a feel for today’s Tehran: no morality police but still much fear of speaking out. And the foreign minister indicates a desire to return to nuclear dealmaking . Who has bought into whom in AI makes the whole industry look pretty circular; we ask what that means for competition . And the first European country to scrap letter delivery. Get a world of insights by subscribing t...

Chef Gary Thomas has a lot on his plate. That’s because he’s in the business of feeding thousands of people a day on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Not just any ship – the Star of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world.  The Weekend Intelligence’s senior producer Barclay Bram braved a trip to the Bahamas to try to figure out the secret behind one of the most impressive food operat...

The dead are still being found; the displaced huddle in public spaces. Who or what will be blamed, and what policies will change after the tragedy ? We visit Georgia, where protests have now lasted a year , probing the differences between popular uprisings that succeed and those that fail. And remembering He Yanxin , last natural inheritor of China’s ancient women-only language.  Additional a...

The tax-and-spend plan was fine-tuned to avoid immediate political jeopardy. But it will do little to help Britain’s chronic growth problem, and is likely to erode further the political centre. We meet with Yogi Adityanath, the leader of India’s most populous state and a harbinger of the country’s possible political future. And readers’ best—or most discombobulating— job-interview questions . Get...

The country’s Communist Party leadership continues to cling to old ideals amid on-again, off-again diplomacy with America—and the people’s suffering only deepens . Britain is making the most of its advantages in the burgeoning industry of quantum technology. And why conservationists’ concern about a wood beloved of classical musicians may be misplaced .   Get a world of insights by subsc...

Gain a deeper understanding of China with Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu. The Economist ’s China correspondents report from across the country and the places it influences beyond its borders. Jiehao Chen joins the discussion from London. This award-winning podcast takes on everything from the CCP to EVs and from ageing to AI. Published every Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

For decades governments have found minimum-wage rises a politically expedient means of redistribution. But the onward economic distortions have at last become clear. Of course AI can write a faster cover letter — perhaps even a better one. But there are knock-on costs when everyone is doing it. And a look at Florida’s bold experiment in the free choice of unbundled education . Get a world of insig...

It is telling and troubling that the annual climate talking-shop’s outcome did not even mention fossil fuels. We ask whether the COP process is still fit for purpose. Cryptocurrencies could be heading for an almighty fall : what would they take down with them? And the revealing vowels and diphthongs of whale communications . (Hear much more on animal communication in our series on “Babbage”: part...

Britain’s home secretary Shabana Mahmood proposed a big shift in immigration policy this week. Our correspondent explains Labour’s reforms – and the reasoning behind them. Why military spy balloons are making a comeback. And celebrating historian Gillian Tindall , who illuminated ordinary lives to bring the past to life. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to scienc...

Pentagon officials are meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss a Russia-US peace proposal Ukraine had no part in writing. That merely adds pressure as a giant corruption crisis is already embroiling top officials. Fifty years on from the death of Franco , our correspondent assesses how much Spain has changed. And should you date your boss ?  Listen to what matters most, from g...

Muhammad bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in seven years earned the Saudi crown prince new weapons, giant tech deals and a burnished reputation. Our correspondent explains Trump’s warm welcome. Why gay rights in Hong Kong are going backwards. And how snail farms help Britons dodge tax. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to...

Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s former prime minister, has been sentenced to death for  crimes against humanity. The country is at a pivotal moment as it heads towards parliamentary elections next year. Donald Trump hopes tariffs will return furniture making to America. And why English speakers use their alphabet so oddly. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science...

This weekend, thousands of people protested in Mexico City about violent crime. But our correspondent notes that the government has had some success in confronting drug gangs and cutting homicides. Three years ago Japan’s former prime minister Abe Shinzo was assassinated. Now his killer is on trial . And celebrating the life of the bomb-disposal mastermind Peter Gurney . For “The Weekend Intellige...

After two years of war, over 80% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed. Our correspondent assesses various plans for reconstruction . Do large lay-offs in American firms mean AI is coming for white-collar jobs ? And remembering James Watson , the controversial scientist who discovered the structure of DNA.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and t...

Last night Donald Trump finally managed to end the longest federal government shutdown in history. But, amid a new release of emails relating to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the political storm continues. Why Airbnb is searching for new beds in new markets. And the amazing role of lead poisoning in humanity’s success.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to...

America has boycotted this week’s COP climate talks, but China has sent a giant delegation. The world’s biggest polluter is increasingly pivotal to tackling global warming . Why young protesters around the world brandish a pirate flag. And since sports leagues cannot stamp out pirate broadcasters , they are monetising their viewers. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to...

People are spurning marriage and any other kind of romantic relationship in record numbers. Our correspondents explore the non-dating market. The rise of AI companions could also have profound implications for society. And why tobacco companies are thriving.  Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more inf...

The BBC’s director-general and head of news have resigned amid accusations of institutional bias. Can the broadcaster recover its reputation? Ukrainian prisoners-of-war speak of torture and beatings in Russian detention. And celebrating the life of Kanchha Sherpa , the last surviving member of the first Everest ascent. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and t...

Jordan Bardella, the leader of the National Rally party, has a stonking lead in voting-intention polls. His plans , our correspondent says, would put France on a collision course with the rest of Europe. We examine a new conservation-finance mechanism being trialled in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And reflecting on the life of Dick Cheney , a remarkably consequential American vice-president....

Just as soon as President Donald Trump started applying sweeping tariffs on trading partners, legal challenges to them started piling up. We listen in on the Supreme Court proceedings that might end them . America’s gender gap in labour-force participation is growing for the first time; we ask why. And the “ dark patterns ” that nudge—or trick, or bully—online buyers. Get a world of insights by su...

In the first electoral test of Donald Trump’s second term, Democrat supporters voted in a socialist mayor of New York and governors to New York and Virginia. What does this mean for next year’s midterms? Democracy in Turkey is being eviscerated . And the world may be becoming less grumpy . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Econom...