Aug 22

Rule and divide: opposition grows in Syria

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 o ... Show More

23m 38s

Aug 21

Stake and chips: will America take 10% of Intel?

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 ... Show More

21m 2s

Aug 20

Trouble in paradise: US plans for Pacific war

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. ... Show More

22m 34s

Feb 2025

It could happen to you: introducing “Scam Inc”

Our new podcast series is a shocking look at transnational organised crime: nearly as big as the illegal-drug trade and far more sophisticated than you might think. Beware. After a week that started with bold tariff moves by the Trump administration, what can be gleaned from how ... Show More

24m 25s

Feb 2025

Scam Inc 1: Pigs in a barrel

You wouldn’t fall for a scam—would you? A small town in Kansas is left reeling after one of its best and brightest gets sucked in. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our show ... Show More

41m 31s

Feb 2025

Scam Inc 2: Opportunity of a lifetime

Who are the scammers? They aren't who you think. To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist ... Show More

36 m

May 23

Get rich, quick: Vietnam’s next revolution

The country’s leader is in a mad rush to transform his country into an upper-middle-income powerhouse before geopolitical forces stall its rise. America’s army is being thinned out; we examine the risks of putting both weapons and generals on the chopping block (10:12). And remem ... Show More

24m 59s

Sep 2024

Don wan: Harris keeps Trump tame

The vice-president turned in a confident if imperfect performance, leaving Donald Trump flustered. But will it change anything? A global shortfall of blood plasma is hampering the development of new medicines; we argue for some simple market forces that could plug the gap (11:40) ... Show More

23m 14s

Sep 2024

Mario druthers: Draghi’s plan for Europe

The EU’s unofficial chief technocrat issued a doorstop of a report outlining how the bloc can boost growth and keep up in a changing world. Is it all too ambitious? Mexico’s lame-duck president has one last project in mind: undermining the judiciary (10:44). And as the film “Figh ... Show More

24m 20s

Aug 7

Duty regime: America’s consumers will foot the tariff bill

As yet another tranche of Donald Trump’s tariffs takes effect, we look at why the duties might outlast him—and how American consumers will ultimately shoulder the trade war’s costs. Our correspondent visits US Space Command, which is preparing for a new age of combat in the heave ... Show More

22m 37s

Aug 5

Consultant management: McKinsey loses its shine

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 ... Show More

21m 10s

Apr 2025

The buck stops here? The threats to dollar primacy

Falling trust in the greenback is most apparent in bond-market moves. How close is the dollar to losing its status as the world’s go-to currency, and what could take its place? We take a look at Jordan Bardella, the young, polished, ever-rising star of France’s far right (11:56). ... Show More

23m 57s

Nov 2024

Turn up the PA: the last in our swing-state series

Our series concludes with an examination of the state with the most electoral-college votes: Pennsylvania. It is practically a must-win for either candidate—and it is on a knife-edge. As more and more people become influencers, fame is becoming more fickle and the entire economic ... Show More

23m 51s

It could happen to you: introducing “Sca...