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Economist Podcasts

The Economist

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location:

London, United Kingdom

Networks:

The Economist

Description:

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language:

English


Episodes
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You spin me right round: Europe’s populists reckon with Trumpism

3/27/2025
For Europe’s hard-right politicians, Donald Trump’s second White House bid looked like validation and opportunity. Now that he is in it, the tensions and trade-offs are becoming clear. The Houthis’ grip over Yemen and the Red Sea is only strengthening, even as other Iranian proxies are waning (10:03). And a look at the boom in Christian entertainment (15:51). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:21:30

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Canuck of the draw: Canada’s election campaigns

3/26/2025
The Conservative Party, led by a Trump-tinged populist, once had the polls locked up. That is changing radically now that Donald Trump is seen as a threat to the nation. Amid America’s foreign-policy misfires, China might choose to smooth diplomatic feathers and make friends; instead it, too, is muscle-flexing (8:14). And an unsettling new book typifies a rise in dystopian fiction (13:45). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:18:45

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The chat is out of the bag: a stunning leak

3/25/2025
Put aside for the moment the outrageous security breach of a journalist being brought in on classified military planning: a leaked group chat reveals much about the Trump administration’s transactional, anti-European ethos. The story of a Nigerian senator shows how vile politics can be for the country’s women (10:23). And why not to be too bothered by colleagues stealing your ideas (16:26). Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:26

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Bibi driver: battles led by and within Israel

3/24/2025
The ceasefire in Gaza is in tatters; the campaign against Hizbullah is flaring up again. Yet the most telling battles are those happening inside Israel. Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s president, is coolly dealing with the fitful aggression of her northern neighbour (10:25). And our obituaries editor pays tribute to Richard Fortey, a fossil obsessive who spent a career telling the world about trilobites (16:50). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:23:00

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Spy-fall: Trump imperils intelligence pact

3/21/2025
America’s international intelligence-sharing relationships have been decades in the making and rely not on a treaty but trust. Could Donald Trump damage the powerful spy alliance? Why we may soon be buying cutting-edge medicines developed in China (11:00). And introducing a new regular feature, “What to watch this weekend” (17:39). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:37

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Not so delightful: Erdogan arrests rival

3/20/2025
Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested just days before he was likely to be elected leader of Turkey’s opposition. Where does this leave Turkish democracy? What Panama’s concessions teach us about how to deal with Donald Trump (9:49). And why you should go to a zoo–not a hospital–to treat a poisonous snakebite (19:16). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:25:33

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Cold call: Putin thwarts Trump

3/19/2025
Donald Trump hoped Vladimir Putin would agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Instead he made marginal concessions, then launched a missile attack. Our correspondent assesses the implications. Tesla’s falling sales are not just down to Elon Musk’s politics (9:42). And a flowering of literary erotica (15:40). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:21:37

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Peace broken: war returns to Gaza

3/18/2025
After Israel launched dozens of missiles into Gaza overnight, what does this mean for the prospect of a lasting ceasefire? As two stranded astronauts are rescued from the International Space Station, our correspondent explains how private investment has changed space exploration (9:10). And a cutesy animation wins plaudits from the Chinese Communist Party (18:09). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:23:57

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In sickness and in stealth: threats to America’s CDC

3/17/2025
Donald Trump’s team has called the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “the most incompetent and arrogant agency” in the federal government. Our correspondent talks to staff who fear that jobs and crucial public-health projects are under threat. Is silver the new gold (10:56)? And why live albums are staging a comeback (15:50). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:12

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Wheels of justice: the ICC gets Duterte at last

3/14/2025
The International Criminal Court has arrested Rodrigo Duterte, a former president of the Philippines. The case highlights both the strengths and the weaknesses of international justice. We examine the spate of bombings plaguing Sweden—carried out by young people who are in it for the money (8:18). And remembering Athol Fugard, a playwright who spoke truth to power in South Africa’s apartheid era (17:04). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:48

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When the levy doesn’t break: a trade-war world adjusts

3/13/2025
The Trump administration’s dedication to tariffs now seems more fervent than the first time around. Markets are noticing. We ask what might temper the trade war. Europe’s once-fringe hard-right parties are now leading polls, even if not yet leading governments; we look at where things are headed (11:07). And tackling the mythology behind people’s very first and very last words (16:47). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:21:35

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Thirty-day trial? A Ukraine-ceasefire proposal

3/12/2025
The ceasefire proposal hatched by American negotiators and agreed by Ukraine is now a matter for Russia to consider. We ask how the not-yet-a-breakthrough will land in both countries. Our correspondents ask one of NATO’s very-top brass about Europe’s defence stance and how it should shift (10:44). And the shockingly life-shortening effects of loneliness (18:55). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:55

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Sects and balances: a violent flare-up in Syria

3/11/2025
Horrifying attacks on Alawites, the sect of deposed leader Bashar al-Assad, throw into question the power—or the will—of Ahmed al-Sharaa, the country’s leader, to maintain peace. For the first time in decades it now makes more sense to pay off a mortgage early (10:36). And high-end satellite data, once the preserve only of spies, could soon be available to all (16:19). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:36

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No question, Mark: Canada’s new PM

3/10/2025
The governing Liberal party is enjoying a stunning turnaround in the polls, and now it has a new leader. We ask how Mark Carney will tussle with Donald Trump’s tariffs and taunts. China has a vibrant new wintertime economic sector: skiing and snowy tourism (10:45). And a tribute to Rose Girone, knitter extraordinaire and the oldest known Holocaust survivor (17:22). 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 to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:12

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One week in the life of Volodymyr Zelensky

3/7/2025
After a turbulent seven days, how will President Volodymyr Zelensky tackle the domestic and international challenges ahead? Our correspondent attends “Ode to Resistance”, a concert of defiance in Ukraine (9:55). And how “The Economist” reported on the Allies’ advance across Europe in the second world war: a sample from our interactive archive (18:22). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:59

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Kurds in the right place: a truce nears

3/6/2025
The leader of Turkey’s Kurdish rebels has called on the group to disband. That could end one of the world’s longest running conflicts. How tariffs and political volatility may affect the American economy (10:16). And the craze for eating caviar… with chicken nuggets (18:33). 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 Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:25:15

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Pompcast: Trump rallies Congress

3/5/2025
American presidents often use their first meeting with Congress as a chance to lay out their agenda for the next four years. Donald Trump, by contrast, treated last night’s address like a campaign rally. Meet Ecuador’s tenacious anti-corruption champion (12:18). And co-host Jason Palmer plays an AI bot of Magnus Carlsen at chess (21:39). Jason Palmer v AI Magnus Carlsen: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 Qe7 5. Nxd4 d5 6. Bb5 Qxe4+ 7. Ne2 Qxg2 8. Rg1 Qe4 9. Nd2 Qe7 10. b3 Nf6 11. Ba3 Qxa3 12. Nb1 Qe7 13. Qd4 Bf5 14. Rg5 g6 15. Rg3 Bh6 16. Re3 Bxe3 17. Fxe3 18. Qf4 Ng4 19. h3 Nxe3 20. a4 Ng2+ 21. Kf2. Nxf4 22. Nxf4 Qh4+ 23. Kg2 Qxf4 24. Na3 Be4+ 25. Kg1 Qg3+ 26. Kf1 Qf3+ 27. Ke1 Qxc3+ 28. Kd1 Qxa1+ 29. Kd2 Qxa3 30. Ke3 Qxb3+ 31. Kf4 Qf3+ 32.Kg5 f6+ 33. Kh6 Qxh3# Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:28:18

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Buck off: US pauses Ukraine aid

3/4/2025
In an effort to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table, America has paused military help to the war-torn country. What will this mean on the ground? Our correspondent explores a new cryptocurrency craze, visiting Turkey’s bazaars to meet people trading goods using stablecoins (9:43). And why the Louvre is staging its first fashion gala (16:00). 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 our video explaining how to link your account. Runtime: 22 min Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:36

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Conversation peace: can Europe bargain with Russia?

3/3/2025
European leaders met in London this weekend after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s public row shattered hopes for a US-led truce in Ukraine. What did the summit achieve? Our correspondent visits Mexico’s border to find out if strengthened force will stem the flow of fentanyl to America (9:46). And remembering Muhsin Hendricks, the world’s first openly gay imam (17:37). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:45

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Ode to dread: Europe after Trump

2/28/2025
This week European leaders have lined up to charm Donald Trump. But the broad smiles belie a bigger fear: what would it mean for the continent’s security if America forsakes its security guarantees? What the pull-out of French forces will mean for Africa (10:56). And the Maha Kumbh Mela shows how piety became political in India (18:55). 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 your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:02