Labour markets are changing in all kinds of ways, thanks to ageing societies, hot-running economies and technological boosts. It all adds up to a golden age for workers . As part of our series on democracy around the world, we examine the coming election in Britain (09:35). And India steps into the single-malt-whisky game with success (17:17). 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...
Jan 04, 2024•24 min
Saleh al-Arouri has long been a high-priority target for Israel and his death could weaken the Palestinian militant group. However, it could also draw neighbouring Lebanon into the war in Gaza. As South Africa heads to the polls, the lack of alternatives to the ruling party are jeopardising the health of its democracy (09:32). And why French women are walking away from the high heel (17:16). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll ...
Jan 03, 2024•22 min
As Vladimir Putin promises to intensify Russia’s attacks, Mr Zelensky is frustrated at the wavering support from the West. Speaking to The Economist from his situation room, Ukraine’s wartime leader is defiantly optimistic, urging partners to remember that the country faces a terroristic, existential threat. 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 information ...
Jan 02, 2024•26 min
Citizens across more than 70 countries will be heading to the polls over the next twelve months. It’s a record year for voting, but how democratic will the processes be? One of the year’s most significant elections will take place in Mexico , where the incumbent president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will loom large. (10:35). And, how ambient music can help you block out the noise. (17:44). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll ...
Jan 01, 2024•24 min
Only at the end of the year can a full appraisal be made of the figures—and landmarks—that the world has lost. From Harry Belafonte to Henry Kissinger , from Silvio Berlusconi to the Sycamore Gap tree , we review the lives and legacies laid bare in our obituaries. 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 information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, plea...
Dec 29, 2023•27 min
What can A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke tell us about AI? Does Shakespeare's Othello contain a warning for the 2024 US presidential election? Our journalists (and our listeners, too) recommend books that might help us better understand our times. 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 information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our F...
Dec 28, 2023•36 min
On our website and in our app, “The Economist explains” is one of the best-read features. Today we invite a few of their authors to keep explaining. What is tranq dope ? Why did France get so het up about bedbugs (06:48)? Can superstars’ stadium shows actually affect inflation (11:50)? And, having at last seen Donald Trump’s, what is the back story of the mugshot (17:39)? Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to ...
Dec 27, 2023•25 min
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 information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video ex...
Dec 26, 2023•27 min
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/gift to redeem 30% off gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions Sign up for a free trial ...
Dec 22, 2023•30 min
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 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions Sign up for a free trial of Economis...
Dec 21, 2023•24 min
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 limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and dig...
Dec 20, 2023•22 min
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 of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to ...
Dec 19, 2023•28 min
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 Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information abou...
Dec 18, 2023•20 min
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 justice. Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economis...
Dec 16, 2023•48 min
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 Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more informat...
Dec 15, 2023•25 min
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). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you...
Dec 14, 2023•22 min
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 Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more informati...
Dec 13, 2023•24 min
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 automobile age (17:32) Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber...
Dec 12, 2023•25 min
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 free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full...
Dec 11, 2023•23 min
In the American West, grizzly bears are spreading—and fights over protecting them under the Endangered Species Act test the frontiers between science and politics. Vaping is tremendous business in Britain, but the largely unregulated industry is now, curiously, asking for more oversight (10:57). And our language columnist explains our word of the year for 2023 (17:47). 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...
Dec 08, 2023•25 min
Even before America’s tussle over funding Ukraine’s war effort, it seemed as if Russia was gaining the upper hand —by exploiting Ukraine’s widening political cracks. A drought-induced traffic jam in the Panama Canal will only get worse in the coming dry season, and consumer-price rises look inevitable (10:42). And to save Britain’s heritage pig breeds, consumers should eat more of them (17:48). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’...
Dec 07, 2023•24 min
By the numbers, the outcome seems clear: Venezuelans voted to annex much of newly minted petrostate Guyana. But our correspondent says the referendum was mere electioneering by President Nicolás Maduro, with unimpressive results. Our obituaries editor remembers Saleemul Huq , who campaigned relentlessly on behalf of the most vulnerable countries (9:52). And just how much lighter the paycheques are for heavier workers (17:03). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a s...
Dec 06, 2023•23 min
The cradle of American technology was once known for its libertarian values—but as law-enforcement agencies seek more means of surveillance, Silicon Valley companies are piling in . Mounting cases in America’s courts reveal a trend of progressives arguing for their religious right to abortion (9:09). And how tourism gone wrong is killing the Dark Hedges that appeared in “Game of Thrones” (16:28). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, yo...
Dec 05, 2023•21 min
As its ground offensive appears to be expanding, Israel is acutely aware that time and international support will run out; we examine its impossible set of aims to achieve before then. Europe has not yet faced the kind of fentanyl crisis that has plagued America—but there are risks that it may soon (10:53). And the power-napping prowess of penguins (18:26). 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 a...
Dec 04, 2023•24 min
The Economist 's editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, and our Russia and Eastern Europe editor, Arkady Ostrovsky, return to Kyiv to to find out if cracks are beginning to emerge in the iron shield of Ukrainian unity and to ask how the war with Russia is reshaping a nation living on a knife’s edge. The Weekend Intelligence is a subscriber-only episode. For the next month you can sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+ If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access...
Dec 02, 2023•47 min
Olena Zelenska foresees a time when her family can regain a quiet life. Our editor-in-chief sits down with her to discuss her mental-health campaign and life in an unexpected spotlight. President Xi Jinping wants to improve China’s toilets; we ask why that is proving so difficult (12:20). And why the superyacht industry is just sailing along (19:50). 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 ...
Dec 01, 2023•27 min
The doyen of diplomacy has died, leaving a complex legacy . Following extensive interviews with him earlier this year, our deputy editor examines what Dr Kissinger stood for and whether his ideas will outlast him. As the COP28 climate summit begins, we look at an approach that deserves more attention: carbon dioxide removal (13:16). And our annual cost-of-living survey ranks the world’s priciest cities (22:36). Sign up for a free trial of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to Th...
Nov 30, 2023•30 min
Drug-related shootings and bombings are on the rise. Policies are changing and law-enforcement budgets rising, but stemming the violence is proving politically tricky . Our columnist considers how China is using the war in Gaza to burnish its diplomatic credentials (9:36). And the teams vying to smash a long-standing sailing-speed record (18:27). 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 y...
Nov 29, 2023•25 min
The singular focus on the metaverse of Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s boss, fretted investors. But in the past year he has pulled off a spectacularly timely turnaround . We look at what is driving an illegal-gold rush in Venezuela as a lens on a wider, regional concern (9:48). And why North Korea’s women’s football team provides such good propaganda (16:48). 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...
Nov 28, 2023•23 min
Our correspondent speaks with the Africa head of the Red Cross who has borne witness to the war, famine and genocide that continue—unrelenting and largely ignored —in Sudan. As Ukraine’s men are sent off to war, the country’s women are upending its labour market ; we meet some newly minted miners (10:07). And how the age at which careers peak is changing (18:34). Today is the last day of our Black Friday sale: sign up to Economist Podcasts+ for half price—just two dollars, pounds or euros a mont...
Nov 27, 2023•25 min
