Mohamed Guhaad's podcast

Which country improved the most this year? Nominations poured in from across the editorial department, and the competition was tough, but who came out on top? And our correspondent takes us on a train ride through Europe Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more i...

Scientists are making considerable progress in the race to slow the ageing process of our cells, and in turn, our bodies. But what would living for longer actually mean for the world? How government legislation and impatient consumers are forcing the advertising industry to adapt (13:19). And, the story behind a famous, 200-year-old Christmas poem (21:29).  For a limited time, visit economist.com/...

A New York Times/Siena College poll has found that voters disapprove of President Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza, though voters are split on U.S. policy toward the conflict and whether or not Israel’s military campaign should continue. Jonathan Weisman, a political correspondent for The Times, breaks down the poll and what it means for U.S.-Israeli relations and Biden’s 2024 campaign. Guest:...

We raise the curtain on the business of New York’s iconic theatre district. Broadway has been struggling with rising costs and falling sales since the pandemic, but its financial drama started much earlier. The economic plot just doesn’t make sense. Will the lights go out on the Great White Way? Hosts: Alice Fulwood, Tom Lee-Devlin and Mike Bird. Guests: The Economist’s Stevie Hertz; actor Leanna...

Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the Alternative for Germany , the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties. How viable are her policy plans? The startup behind a reusable missile that could change American warfare (10:08). And, the quirkiest segments we have run in 2023 (18:31). For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem...

The accidental killing of three hostages by Israel’s military has shocked Israelis and is raising new questions about the way Israel is conducting its war against Hamas. Afterward, Israel’s defense minister appeared to announce a shift in strategy, giving the clearest indication to date that Israel may slow down its military operation in Gaza after weeks of pressure. Patrick Kingsley, Jerusalem bu...

Books are the original medium for communicating science to the masses. In a holiday special, producer Kunal Patel asks Babbage’s family of correspondents about the books that have inspired them in their careers as science journalists. Host: Alok Jha, The Economist’s science and technology editor. Contributors: Rachel Dobbs, The Economist’s climate correspondent; Kenneth Cukier, our deputy executiv...

The state’s supreme court has ruled that he cannot appear on the Republican primary ballot, citing insurrection and a constitutional amendment. It’s an extraordinary decision, but it will only matter if it sticks. In the Netherlands, far-right Geerts Wilders is hard-pressed to form a coalition government after his November victory (09:05). And, regulating riotous rickshaws in London (16:28). For a...

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that former President Donald J. Trump is barred from holding office under the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies those who engage in insurrection, and directed Mr. Trump’s name to be excluded from the state’s 2024 Republican primary ballot. Adam Liptak, who covers the court for The Times, explains the ruling and why the case is likely headed to the U.S....

After a dubious win in 2018, Felix Tshisekedi is running for office again in the Democratic Republic of Congo – and an incumbency bias could work in his favour. Is there any hope for a fair election ? 2023 has brought a flurry of news on the developments of artificial intelligence , so let’s take stock (13:45). And, why New York is introducing a congestion charge (21:50). Sign up for a free trial...

Warning: this episode contains mentions of suicide. A recently released study from researchers at Boston University examined the brains of 152 contact-sport athletes who died before turning 30. They found that more than 40 percent of them had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease associated with repeated hits to the head. Most of those athletes played football...

In response to the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Houthi militants are attacking vessels along the key shipping route . If it continues, the consequences could upend global trade. Why do so many young Americans think that the Holocaust is a myth (09:51)? And, how museums are finding some value in NFTs (14:40).  Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Econom...

Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence In 2023, the unrelenting epidemic of gun violence in the United States has claimed the lives of more than 41,000 people. Throughout the year, each and every one of those shootings was chronicled by a website that has become the most authoritative and widely-cited source of data about gun deaths in the country: the Gun Violence Archive. Mark B...

Last fall, Alexandra Duarte, who is now 16, went to see her endocrinologist at Texas Children’s Hospital, outside Houston. From age 10, she had been living with polycystic ovary syndrome and, more recently, prediabetes. After Alexandra described her recent quinceañera, the doctor brought up an operation that might benefit her, one that might help her lose weight and, as a result, improve these obe...

For almost a decade The Economist’s Noah Sneider has been following the story of MH17, the passenger plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014. All 298 people on board died. No group, or country, has ever admitted responsibility, leaving the victim's families searching for answers. In this episode Noah, who was at the scene of the crash that day, reports on the ten year battle for jus...

Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to secure more aid from Washington. But the decision rests with a divided Congress. What does this mean for the next phase of war? India’s aviation industry is really taking off and this boom looks much more promising than the last (10:59). And, the riotous origins of eggnog (18:42). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The...

Taylor Swift grabbed many headlines in 2023. Her widely popular Eras Tour, which proved too much for Ticketmaster to handle, has been both a business and a cultural juggernaut. And Time magazine named her as its person of the year. Taffy Brodesser-Akner, a staff writer for The New York Times, explains why, for her, 2023 was the year of Taylor Swift. Guest: Taffy Brodesser-Akner , a staff writer fo...

News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too left-leaning . Our data show there might be something to that, but the reasons why are more complicated than you think. As a NATO frontline state, the war in Ukraine is prompting Poland to ramp up its military spending – and double the size of its armed forces (08:42). And, what a hit property show reveals about the British dream (15:25). S...

A major case in Texas this week drew attention to the question of who can get exempted from an abortion ban. Most states that have banned the procedure allow for rare exceptions, but while that might seem clear on paper, in practice, it’s far more ambiguous. Kate Cox, the woman at the center of the case in Texas; and Kate Zernike, a national correspondent for The New York Times, talk about the leg...

In a landmark agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. However, that is not the same as phasing them out. Has the deal done enough? For the young trying to invest, the markets look bleak. But they could make better choices (10:42). And, the allure of cookery books (17:18). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The...

Warning: this episode contains strong language. Universities across the country strained under pressure to take a public position on the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Nicholas Confessore, a political and investigative reporter for The Times, explains the story behind a congressional hearing that ended the career of one university president, jeopardized the jobs of two others, and kicked off an...

Since the Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, debate at America’s top academic institutions has turned sour. Now, the issue has reignited an age-old argument about freedom of speech on campuses. Today Britain’s parliament will vote on whether to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – they aren’t the only ones thinking about outsourcing responsibility (07:54). And books about the twilight of the au...

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is making a rare trip to Washington this week, pleading his case for American military aid, something which has long been a lifeline for his country but is now increasingly in doubt. Julian Barnes, who covers international security for The Times, explains what has brought Ukraine to the most perilous point since the war began nearly two years ago. Guest: Ju...

Our correspondent joins the French air force on a mission in the Baltics, seeing increasing support for NATO just as the country draws down in Africa. Drones have by now become a standard feature of warfare, but in Gaza the demands are different —and Israel has much expertise to draw upon (09:36). And artificial intelligence predicts the structures of 2m brand-new materials (16:38). Sign up for a...

Warning: this episode contains strong language. With Argentina again in the midst of an economic crisis, Argentine voters turned to Javier Milei, a far-right libertarian who has drawn comparisons to Donald J. Trump. Jack Nicas, who covers South America for The New York Times, discusses Argentina’s incoming president, and his radical plan to remake the country’s economy. Guest: Jack Nicas , the Bra...