Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance — as well as science and technology.
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more
Our correspondent meets Iraq’s prime minister Muhammad al-Sudani to discuss the country’s construction boom, its future aspirations and the obstacles that must still be overcome. Visit America’s YIMBY iest neighbourhood: the place where Americans actually want to increase the local population. And how superstition in Hong Kong can haunt the economy. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information abou...
This episode delves into China's increasing global influence, highlighted by a military parade and a diplomatic summit showcasing new alliances and a challenge to the US-led order. It also explores how AI is revolutionizing cybercrime, making sophisticated attacks cheaper and more frequent, costing businesses billions. Finally, the discussion covers the struggles and regulatory challenges faced by Britain's declining strip club industry.
America’s health secretary, RFK Jr, is known for his opposition to vaccines, particularly mRNA jabs , that have the potential to treat a large swathe of diseases. Slashing funding will have long term implications beyond America. Our correspondent visits Britain’s biggest and newest supercomputer . And why Mexicans love Japanese and Korean culture. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about ...
Indonesia faces a major crisis with widespread protests ignited by political corruption and economic inequality, testing President Prabowo's populist rule. Meanwhile, scientists warn of a looming climate catastrophe: the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), which could drastically alter Europe's climate and trigger global knock-on effects. The episode also highlights a unique cultural phenomenon in China, where "facekinis" have evolved from beachwear to a popular streetwear item, fueling a multi-billion dollar sun protection industry.
Prime minister Bibi Netanyahu is focused on his own political survival. Our correspondent explains how strategic differences within Israel have shaped the war in Gaza. As the new college sports season kicks off in America, players will be paid for the first time, upending the industry’s economics. And remembering Sen Genshitsu , 15th master of the Urasenke tea ceremony. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For ...
Yesterday Donald Trump imposed a 50% tariff on Indian imports to America, among the highest in the world. How will Narendra Modi respond? Why Palantir could be the most overvalued firm of all time. And film, vinyl and print media make a comeback. 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 Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link...
What does Donald Trump’s attempt to sack Lisa Cook , a Federal Reserve governor, mean for the institution’s independence? Uruguay may soon legalise assisted dying . And why shooting clubs – and other community associations – are thriving in Germany. 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 Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to l...
Car and phone theft were once the preserve of petty crooks in London. Now they underpin a vast and spreading international criminal network . Why you should consider consulting a new oracle for making big life decisions: an economist . And the cult of the private chef . 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 Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our vide...
As temperatures climb, mosquitoes will migrate to places where natural resistance to malaria is lower. More and more severe natural disasters will make for more breeding grounds. How to stop a deadly disease getting deadlier ? In China’s cut-throat food-delivery war, absolutely no one wins . And Florida gamifies its efforts to cull pythons . 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 ...
Less than nine months after Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled, the honeymoon is over. How is the new regime responding to rising dissent ? Introducing Britain’s revolutionary retirees : why pensioners increasingly dominate political protest. And celebrating the life of on-screen villain, Terence Stamp . 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 Economist Podcasts+,...
Intel was once synonymous with chip-making, but in recent years it has fallen behind. Now the Trump administration may become its biggest shareholder. A political assassination in Colombia raises fears about a return to violence. And what an annual snail race tells us about rural England. 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 Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs pag...
With China as its new rival, America is reviving old wartime facilities across the Pacific. Our correspondent visits an abandoned airfield that has been given new life. The outlook for climate technology is surprisingly bright. And why the universe of Hello Kitty keeps expanding. 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 Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watc...
As the world’s biggest gaming fair gets underway, our correspondent looks at the surprising success of Britain, the world’s third-largest exporter of video games . Europeans are giving up their vices, so the public takings from sin taxes are falling. And the rise of “ Bangla Teslas ”: battery-powered rickshaws in Bangladesh. 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 Economist...
After an inconclusive summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the stakes are high for Volodymyr Zelensky’s meeting with the US president in Washington today. Enter the “solopreneur” : why AI is allowing entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses on their own. And a 400-year-old Chinese cough syrup is enjoying new-found popularity. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more informa...
Opinions of Hamas are shifting—among its international backers, in Gaza, even within its affiliates’ ranks. If it opts to disarm, what would happen next ? A new analysis suggests using a sense of risk to explain markets’ movements might be focusing on the wrong emotion . And our final “ Archive 1945 ” instalment relives VJ day through The Economist ’s coverage at the time. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+...
In Norway’s north, a geopolitical quirk may yet transform into a geopolitical conflict. We visit Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that contains a Russian company town complete with a bust of Lenin . Ahead of the high-stakes, high-north summit in Alaska , our correspondents lay out why—perhaps even more than the Baltic states—the Arctic might be the flashpoint for Russia’s next bout of expansionism. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to a...
First he came for the gangs; then, for his critics. Now Nayib Bukele has come for El Salvador’s constitution, and there is little to stop him staying in office indefinitely . America’s paltry fertility numbers show a counterintuitive pattern : births are falling fastest where they were once highest. And France’s Provence region becomes a brand unto itself . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit o...
This episode delves into the advancements of generative AI, focusing on OpenAI's GPT-5, its incremental progress, and the broader global AI race, including competition from Chinese labs and the path toward artificial general intelligence. It also examines the dramatic cultural shift in Japan from traditional savings to active investment, driven by new tax schemes and inflation, discussing its implications and criticisms. Finally, the episode explores the booming independent wrestling scene in America, contrasting it with major promotions and its connections to current social and political trends.
What is on the table for the meeting in Alaska ? What are the red lines? What chance Ukraine would accept what is agreed, especially if its president is not even in the room? Many world cities would like to become the Detroit of electric vehicles; our correspondent visits China’s contenders . And treatments improve for even the worst cases of allergies . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our ...
We take an expansive look at how much the Israeli justice system is holding its war machine to account. The results are so far unpromising . The idea, popular on social media, of “job-hopping” to ratchet up pay is looking ever less wise . And a look back on the life of Father Patrick Ryan , unrepentant improver of the IRA’s bombs. 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 v...
This episode delves into the economic impact of Donald Trump's new tariffs, explaining why American consumers will ultimately bear the costs and how these duties could persist. It then shifts focus to US Space Command's preparations for a new era of combat and competition in space, highlighting global threats and technological advancements. Finally, the discussion explores Gen Z's obsession with large, personalized water bottles, examining it as both a fashion statement and a consumer trend.
The country had been on the rise: beating back jihadists, strengthening its federal structure and gaining international stature. That has all reversed . In Britain levels of crime have fallen—but the changing nature of criminality has meant a smaller fraction of crooks getting caught . And 80 years on to the day our Archive 1945 project revisits the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podc...
The world’s biggest strategy consultant has smaller rivals nipping at its heels . As it nears 100 years old, we ask how it will navigate a tricky AI-inflected future. It is already hard enough to fiddle with travel plans to get the cheapest flight. A new thing to consider? Whether you’re flying solo . And in America, women’s-sports bars are proliferating. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our...
Donald Trump’s mission to bend higher education to his will maintains its sharpest focus on Harvard. Will the venerable university settle—and should it? Our correspondents meet with France’s top general , who believes Russia will threaten Europe sooner than many people think. And a look at how satire changes when politics is beyond parody and its practitioners cannot be shamed. Impressions courtesy of George Simpson Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more informa...
The aims of France, Britain and Canada in recognising a Palestinian state are laudable—but now is not the time to deploy what little leverage they have. AI optimists reckon the era of superintelligence will bring about explosive growth; we ask what that world would look like . And remembering Tom Lehrer , whose rare gift for satirical song skewered anything and anyone. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, pl...
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, to use its proper name, is led by Bernard Arnault, who is credited with creating today’s luxury industry. Can he turn the firm around after its missteps? Why do fluffy K-dramas tempt North Koreans to brave the firing squad? It is not the political messages. And our Big Mac index shows trade-tantrum effects on the dollar. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit o...
President Donald Trump’s animus towards his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is best seen as solidarity with Jair Bolsonaro, another ousted president who clung to power. India has surpassed China as Asia’s biggest private-jet buyer , but not only because of rising numbers of super-rich. And Hong Kong’s quirky fusion cafes bloom abroad as they thin out at home. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcast...
Localised “tactical pauses” in Gaza relieve international pressure on Israel more than they relieve the pressure of starvation on Gazans. We ask how the aid effort looks on the ground. Japan’s law on couples sharing surnames is coming under fire; repealing it might actually help with the birthrate. And how Bad Bunny brought Spanish to the top of the charts . Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit ...
The European Union will swallow 15% tariffs in exchange for promises to buy American. We examine the accord and ask what will stick. The English region of the Midlands is unjustly overlooked , our correspondent says; how can it get its due? And Fauja Singh ran his first marathon aged 88—or thereabouts. Our obituaries editor reflects on his relationship with running. Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, pleas...
The smartphone giant is now making strong inroads in the electric-vehicle market. But can its boss’s belovedness at home translate to success abroad? Britain and Argentina are putting past differences behind them as the South Atlantic becomes a strategic hotspot. And how women’s sports, already sharply on the rise , can get bigger still. 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 watc...
