logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
25m 30s

Debtors’ prism: mounting crises of Afric...

The Economist
About this episode

Many of the continent’s economies are hamstrung by debt—much of it held internationally. We look at the growing need for closer co-operation between China, Western creditors and multilateral institutions. A city on Ukraine’s front line has become an unlikely locus for love stories. And unpicking the link between workers’ productivity and their drugs of choice.


For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer



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

Up next
Yesterday
At your services: Britain’s economic bright spot
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice, a mi ... Show More
23m 14s
Jul 10
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Jul 9
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Recommended Episodes
May 2023
Debtors’ prism: mounting crises of Africa’s loans
Many of the continent’s economies are hamstrung by debt—much of it held internationally. We look at the growing need for closer co-operation between China, Western creditors and multilateral institutions. A city on Ukraine’s front line has become an unlikely locus for love storie ... Show More
25m 30s
May 2023
Cash out: the digital-payments revolution
The global digital-payments shift is more than just a matter of convenience. We examine the cashlessness push in different economies and potential effects on different currencies. The Golden Mile, a pioneering multi-purpose architectural experiment in Singapore, is crumbling. We ... Show More
27m 47s
Mar 2022
Money Talks: War of Interdependence
What impact will the war in Ukraine have on the world economy and globalisation? Will it reshape the existing economic order built over decades? Host Rachana Shanbhogue asks Gita Gopinath, the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. And how will geopoli ... Show More
31m 20s
May 2023
Ukraine 2.0: a revealing visit to Kyiv
Our Russia and defence editors travelled to the capital, finding a city largely back to normal. They ask both civilians and the country’s top brass about Ukraine's position—and its future. China’s population-control measures worked perhaps too well, yet even an incipient labour-m ... Show More
29m 48s
May 2023
Drum Tower: Cash into their chips
 Unicorns are becoming a common sight in China. In 2022 there were more than 300 private firms valued at more than $1bn—more than double the number from just five years ago. Alice Su, The Economist’s senior China correspondent, and Don Weinland, our China business and finance edi ... Show More
29m 2s
Aug 2023
Drum Tower: Hey, big spenders
The end of China’s zero-covid restrictions was meant to revitalise its economy. But the rebound has fizzled, resulting in weak growth and deflation. Chinese consumers are not spending—and that is a problem for policymakers. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief, and ... Show More
32m 54s
Sep 2023
Drum Tower: Inside Fortress China
Panzhihua used to be a state secret. The steel-making city, buried deep in the mountains of Sichuan, formed part of Mao Zedong’s Third Front, a covert plan to move core industries inland in case America or the Soviet Union attacked. David Rennie, The Economist’s Beijing bureau ch ... Show More
42m 1s
Dec 2019
Money talks: Political currency
How are markets pricing the various possible outcomes of the British election? And, central banks are starting to incorporate climate risk into their forecasts, but some wonder whether they are over-reaching. Also, the nuts of wrath—a tale of Italian Nutella. Helen Joyce hosts.  ... Show More
22m 13s
Dec 2021
Money Talks: Omicronomics
China’s economy is slowing while America’s overheats, prompting Jerome Powell to suggest this week that the Fed could act faster than planned. As the Omicron variant triggers a fresh wave of travel restrictions, is the world economy caught between a rock and a hard place? Host Pa ... Show More
31m 3s