Rebels linked to Rwanda have occupied the city of Goma in eastern Congo. Our correspondent reports on the horrific scenes there, and warns that Rwanda’s belligerence may be part of a bigger plan to redraw the map of Africa. How microplastics may be affecting our health (10:43). And why Gen Z loves astrology apps (16:33). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to ac...
Jan 29, 2025•22 min
A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist ’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? Available now. To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist ...
Jan 28, 2025•4 min
Silicon Valley firms have poured billions of dollars into artificial intelligence. But a new cheap AI model from DeepSeek , a Chinese start-up, has sent shockwaves through the stockmarket. Our correspondent explains why investors are rattled. Canada’s remote indigenous communities are struggling to install solar power (9:37). And why you should lift weights (18:25). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more...
Jan 28, 2025•25 min
A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist ’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? Available now. To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist ...
Jan 27, 2025•4 min
Though thousands of Palestinians are going back to northern Gaza, rebuilding their lives and homes will take years. Just a week into the ceasefire , our correspondent says peace already looks fragile. Why Russian drones are being targeted at civilians in Kherson (9:44). And would game theory help you win “The Traitors” (15:28)? Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Econom...
Jan 27, 2025•24 min
A sophisticated, predatory, multi-billion dollar industry is emerging from the shadows. It already rivals the size of the illicit drug trade. And it’s about to get bigger and much more powerful. The Economist ’s Sue-Lin Wong follows a trail that starts with the collapse of a bank in rural Kansas to uncover a global, underground scam economy built around human trafficking, corruption and money laundering. Can it be stopped? To listen to the full series subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ . Hos...
Jan 24, 2025•4 min
Rachel Reeves has had a rocky start as chancellor of the exchequer. Our editor-in-chief meets her at Davos to dissect her plans for growth. Australia Day is coming up, but do not expect universal merriment: its date has become mired in a culture war (10:31). And our “ Archive 1945 ” project revisits the second world war through The Economist ’s contemporaneous coverage (17:11). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economis...
Jan 24, 2025•21 min
After the collapse of the governing “traffic light” coalition in December, the hard-right AfD has a renewed swagger . How long can other parties keep it from power? We speak with Syrian refugees heading home at last, following the defenestration of Bashar al-Assad (10:30). And remembering David Lynch , a bright-eyed director of unsettlingly dark films and television (19:34). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcast...
Jan 23, 2025•27 min
The procedure is simple—genial, even. Contact Houthi rebels in Yemen and pay up, and your freight can pass into the Red Sea unmolested. We examine how this extortion affects world trade . China is fast closing its gap with America on AI innovation, and doing so far more cheaply (7:22). And a trip to a Ghanaian rum distillery reveals a regional trend (15:44). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please ...
Jan 22, 2025•23 min
Donald Trump is back in office, this time with less pearl-clutching in Washington. We examine his inaugural address and his first executive orders as glimpses into what his second term holds—for America and the world (12:23). And why millennials and Gen Z are so besotted with expensive stuffed animals (18:37). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how t...
Jan 21, 2025•25 min
Quiet skies, returned Israeli hostages, Gazans going back home: there is much to celebrate , for the moment. We examine the path to a more robust and lasting peace. Britain’s minimum-wage rise is good news for those who earned less—but those who earned not much more are feeling more squeezed (9:45). And the medical merits of hypnosis are at last becoming recognised (16:50). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts...
Jan 20, 2025•24 min
This week Blue Origin , Jeff Bezos’s space-exploration company, successfully launched a rocket into orbit on its first attempt. That marks a new frontier in the private space industry. Donald Trump has threatened mass deportations of illegal immigrants. What will happen when he takes office (12:56)? And celebrating Peter Fenwick , a neuropsychiatrist and expert on near-death experiences (21:55). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subsc...
Jan 17, 2025•29 min
After 15 months of fighting, a ceasefire in Gaza may soon be agreed. What does the deal entail – and could it last? Our correspondent has uncovered new information about Donald Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard , and her relationship with Syria’s former dictator, Bashar al-Assad. And why Gen-Z has gone mad for matcha . Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more i...
Jan 16, 2025•26 min
After dramatic scenes in South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained on insurrection charges, stemming from his attempt to impose martial law in December. But, says our correspondent, the political and economic fallout is not over. The craze for plastic surgery reaches some surprising body parts (7:46). And a visit to the world’s most disciplined primary schools – in Japan (16:40). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe...
Jan 15, 2025•23 min
Though central banks have cut interest rates, uncertainty about the future has sent yields sky-high . Our correspondent explains why expectations diverge from the economic data, and the impact on borrowers. Donald Trump’s desire to control Greenland using economic or military force provoked outrage. But could America buy the country (9:01)? And why Singapore’s iconic hawker centres are under threat (17:41). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and techn...
Jan 14, 2025•23 min
Among the lessons emerging from California’s devastating fires is the idea that insurers cannot price risk on past data: the climate-change future is already here. Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for defence secretary, has some misguided notions about women on the battlefield (10:10). And examining children’s literature : should it be all sugar and spice—or more real-world, where not everything’s nice (19:28)? Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information...
Jan 13, 2025•26 min
Elon Musk has taken an abiding interest in Britain, and a hard line against its prime minister. It reveals a division within British politics that may hold lessons for elsewhere. Our series The World Ahead concludes by assessing Europe’s security challenges in 2025 (11:14). And remembering Chiung Yao , whose many novels taught the Chinese all about romantic love (19:25). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, ...
Jan 10, 2025•27 min
The world’s most populous country is at the front line of climate change. Our deputy editor explores the many ways it is adapting —because it must. Our series The World Ahead continues by examining the plausibility of the incoming Trump administration’s policy promises (10:26). And the robots that can at last help with grape harvesting (18:26). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page ...
Jan 09, 2025•25 min
A once-fringe far-right party looks close to power—and serves as another sign of a broad and worrying pro-Russia trend in central European politics. Meanwhile Jean-Marie Le Pen , who established the far-right party now close to power in France, has died; our correspondent reflects on his legacy (10:05). And our series The World Ahead examines financial inclusion in Latin America (16:07). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to...
Jan 08, 2025•22 min
In the end Justin Trudeau could not resist the internal pressure. We ask why the liberal standard-bearer got pushed out , and what comes next. Ten years after terrorists raided the offices of Charlie Hebdo , a satirical French newspaper, our correspondent speaks with its unbowed editor (10:10). And our series The World Ahead examines the nexus of AI and the pharmaceutical industry (19:08). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how ...
Jan 07, 2025•25 min
Israel continued to pound Gaza, even as ceasefire negotiations began in Qatar. The familiar dynamic will soon be interrupted by a new American administration. Our analysis shows that Nordic firms have markedly better fundamentals than the European average; we examine what’s behind all that success (10:18). And our series The World Ahead considers how democracy will fare in Asia in 2025 (18:37). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how t...
Jan 06, 2025•25 min
There are three types of economics-minded people in Donald Trump’s incoming administration. We ask whether they are likely to collaborate or to compete. Tourism clearly adds to emissions, but new numbers show just how fast that fraction is rising (9:58). And the next in our The World Ahead series reveals a familiar planetary phenomenon that will disappear in 2025 (17:07). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Ec...
Jan 03, 2025•26 min
The country is on its third president in as many weeks—a deep political crisis only made worse by the most deadly air disaster in South Korean history. A change to how Brazil’s football teams are run has lured investment galore , making for a potential rival to England’s top league (9:49). And why movie studios are so keen on plumbing video-game franchises (16:59). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please...
Jan 02, 2025•22 min
There is no simplistic split of sentiment about Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. But what most Russians want is a return to normal that now seems impossible . Our The World Ahead series continues with a look at what is to come in British politics (9:16). And the delicate business of handing out nicknames —for people and for brands (17:30). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or wa...
Jan 01, 2025•22 min
In some places, votes resulted in political chaos; in others they showed a promising shift away from identity politics. Our deputy editor looks back on 2024’s pile of polls. Looking ahead, we examine the Chinese cities that will come into their own in 2025 (11:36). And the changing economics of Poland’s traditional “milk bars” (16:29). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or ...
Dec 31, 2024•23 min
After a single term and a landslide loss to Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter’s presidency was judged unduly harshly. What matters, though, are the principles he held dear for all his 100 years. The first of our series The World Ahead outlines the big trends coming in 2025 (11:39). And a reading list for those who want to know how Elon Musk thinks (20:42). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ou...
Dec 30, 2024•28 min
From a legendary baseball slugger to a beloved comic actor , from Scottish politicians to America’s sex therapist to the leader of Russia’s resistance : our shows have marked the deaths of many noteworthy figures throughout 2024. Our obituaries editor and correspondents reflect on lives that changed the world—not all of them in good ways. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page ...
Dec 27, 2024•23 min
Some people read books to escape. Others turn to them for instruction. As the new year looms, our correspondents – and listeners – consider which titles can help forecast what’s coming next. Picks include “Rainbows End” by Vernor Vinge, “Nuclear War” by Annie Jacobsen, “Not the End of the World” by Hannah Richie and “Orbital” by Samantha Harvey. This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show: “Rainbow’s End, A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire upon the Deep” by Vernor Vinge “Ageless” ...
Dec 26, 2024•36 min
Cows produce far more milk in rich countries than in poor ones. Our correspondent explains how beefing up bovine productivity could feed more people and reduce planet-heating emissions. Why Spain is the best-performing rich-world economy of 2024 (11:28). And remembering Harold Palmer, the Northumbrian hermit (17:12). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explainin...
Dec 24, 2024•24 min
Is it a community-minded boys’ club, like the Scouts? A breeding ground for seething Hindu nationalism? A paramilitary puppetmaster of India’s governing elite? Our correspondent attends the annual bash of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. As Gulf countries diversify away from oil, their leaders are shifting their focus to science and innovation (11:03). And introducing our word of the year for 2024 (17:01). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how...
Dec 23, 2024•24 min
