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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast 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•Transcript available on Metacast In the past 12 months, there has been no lack of news. Editors at The Economist have picked their way through the rubble to uncover some optimism: which country has seen the greatest improvement this year? After fierce debate, the decision is conclusive. And our correspondent joins an unusual rescue mission: the pet railroad to a new life (17:00). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information ...
Dec 20, 2024•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast At the icy border between Russia and Estonia, the anxieties of NATO member states are clear, our correspondent reports. Leaders there have been debating defence spending and worrying about America shifting its support. Young people are seeking out spirituality on their phones (9:43). And why the iconic Californian condor is under threat (16:47). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about ho...
Dec 19, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ten days after the fall of Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Assad, the full brutality of his rule is being uncovered. Our correspondent travels to a site near Damascus, thought to be a giant mass grave. Will France’s new prime minister restore stability (14:37)? And The Economist ’s guide to the best films of 2024 (21:28). 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 Economist Podcast...
Dec 18, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast After Olaf Scholz , Germany’s chancellor, lost a confidence vote in parliament yesterday, Germany is preparing for a snap election. Urban waste is a growing problem in India; our trash-talking correspondent visits one of the few cities that have tackled it (9:49). And Fortnum & Mason’s festive fancies help it buck the trend of failing department stores (17:06). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more info...
Dec 17, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast This weekend, the ruling Georgian Dream party elected a new president – but only one name was on the ballot. That sparked further street protests, as our correspondent reports. Why a new US administration will find it hard to cut costs at NASA (12:19). And the enduring appeal of the martini (19:42). 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 o...
Dec 16, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many adults perform worse in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar (14:00). 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 ou...
Dec 13, 2024•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Layoffs, suspended dividends, a share price in free fall, a chief executive hustled out the door: Intel is in a bad way . But America needs a chipmaking champion, so what will save it? We examine a legally pioneering International Criminal Court case alleging cross-border crimes against humanity (10:31). And how the internet is changing the way people think about food and cooking (19:40). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Eco...
Dec 12, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast As Syrians awoke to a new era, thousands rushed to fling open the dark, filthy prisons where Bashar al-Assad locked up dissenters. Our correspondent followed along. The first of our two-part series on spirituality reveals a lucrative nexus of DIY enlightenment and tourism (9:13). And the stumbles of Manchester City, a once-invincible side in England’s Premier League (15:27). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcast...
Dec 11, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast For five years the prospect of a criminal prosecution has loomed over Binyamin Netanyahu. Today he becomes the first Israeli prime minister to testify as a defendant. A shocking fraction of master’s degrees confer no financial benefit—and may even leave degree-holders worse off (10:43). And our staff share their picks for the best books of 2024 (16:58). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our F...
Dec 10, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Bashar al-Assad has been run out, his regime in tatters. As Syrians awaken to a new era, how can they put their broken country back together peacefully? Australia has passed a law that will ban under-16s from social media: a bold move , but a tricky one to implement (10:21). And how “Dungeons & Dragons” jumped from nerd culture to popular culture (19:38). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please...
Dec 09, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Many thought a five-year timeline was too ambitious. But even as France’s politics falls apart, it has managed to put the cathedral back together with aplomb . As an election takes place in Ghana, its status as a leading light of African democracy is looking shaky (10:11). And remembering John Kinsel , among the last of the second world war’s Navajo code-talkers (17.44). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, ...
Dec 06, 2024•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast An alliance of the far right and the left has sacked Prime Minister Michel Barnier; out goes his budget and the government. Can President Emmanuel Macron find a stable path between the political extremes? We ask why employees seem so much more comfortable using generative artificial intelligence than their employers do (8:25). And Britain’s giant craft-gin industry hits headwinds (14:33). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Eco...
Dec 05, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast The country’s increasingly unpopular president, Yoon Suk Yeol, backed down six hours after his shocking move of imposing martial law. South Korea’s democracy has held firm —so far. Brazil’s gangsters have found a neat way to launder assets through the legal economy: by getting involved with politics (7:26). And the hefty computations going into the design of breeze-free badminton arenas (15:17). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to acc...
Dec 04, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast The country has been turning increasingly away from Europe and towards Russia—but a halt to EU-accession talks has sparked enormous demonstrations . Researchers know unequivocally that ultra-processed foods are bad for you; we look into the persistent question of why (10.26). And fatherhood in East Asia is undergoing a quiet revolution as gender roles shift (18.22). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, pleas...
Dec 03, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast The country’s civil war never ended—it became a fragile stalemate that fell out of the news. A surprise rebel advance reveals how the war’s international players are busy facing their own challenges. Our correspondent found it so difficult to disappear from the internet that she gave up (10:30). And who were the stockmarket winners as “Trump trades” fired up again (16:54)? Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+ . For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+...
Dec 02, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast In an interview with Javier Milei , our correspondent probes how far the “anarcho-capitalist” president plans to push his promise to slash spending and reform the state. Can seaweed and other fibrous packaging replace plastic (11:51)? And remembering Celeste Caeiro , who named the carnation revolution in Portugal in 1974 (18:20). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to...
Nov 29, 2024•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast As civil war rages in the country , millions of people have been displaced and famine is widespread. Why won’t the warring parties join talks to end it? Accusations of assassination plots and an attempted coup swirl in Brazil (9:28). And why Chinese bubble tea shops are conquering your local shopping street (17:33). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how to access Economist Po...
Nov 28, 2024•24 min•Transcript available on Metacast This morning, a deal halting fighting between Israel and Lebanon for 60 days came into effect. Our correspondent considers if that can hold, and what it means for Gaza. What do Northvolt’s financial troubles mean for European hopes to produce batteries for electric vehicles (10:06)? And why the French are realising that women can still be sexy at 60 (16:08). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more informa...
Nov 27, 2024•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Donald Trump had been facing a swathe of lawsuits this year. Now he has won a second term in office, the cases against him are falling away. Why wellness trends may be contributing to iodine deficiency (8:02). And the secrets of elevator etiquette (13:58). 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 h...
Nov 26, 2024•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gautam Adani is one of India’s richest men, whose fortunes are closely aligned to those of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. What will the political ramifications be of bribery charges against him? China’s property crisis has left a truly staggering number of new homes empty (9:01). And why Jordan Peterson is so contrarian, yet so popular (17:09). Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology— Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+ For more information about how ...
Nov 25, 2024•23 min•Transcript available on Metacast