logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
25m 26s

Soldiers’ fortune: Ukraine’s prisoner sw...

The Economist
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Today
Latin lessons: the Donroe-doctrine boost
For all the Trumpian chaos in Latin America, no other developing-world regional economy has done so well in the past year. We examine the Donroe dividend. The cost to make jollof rice, a staple dish in Nigeria and Ghana, is a window into the countries’ economies. And the BBC wave ... Show More
17 m
Jun 26
Far Crimea: war comes to Russia’s door
Ukraine is intensifying cross-border attacks in a strategic and psychological effort to make ordinary Russians take notice of the war. We have been collecting reports from the ground on shifting attitudes as occupied Crimea comes under fire. Why the valuation of Elon Musk’s Space ... Show More
27m 35s
Jun 25
Fear-jerker: America’s AI backlash
Americans are becoming more anxious about how artificial intelligence will affect jobs, society and even human existence. Republican and Democrat voters are unusually united in their concerns. Divorce rates are rising in China and the Communist party cannot stop them. And the pol ... Show More
21m 11s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
Soldiers’ fortune: Ukraine’s prisoner swap
No one knows which soldiers will be on the buses; many families simply come in hope. As the wider war grinds on, our correspondent witnesses a mix of joy, confusion and disappointment. Big American brands once had it easy in the global marketplace. Now they bear the brunt of anti ... Show More
25m 26s
Jan 2025
Don’t mention the war: Russia’s internal tensions
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 ... Show More
22m 9s
Sep 2024
Beyond the bullets: we go to Ukraine
We take a look at the grim conditions in and prospects for the frontlines in the country’s east and north. But not all of the fighting is military in nature. We examine a far wider cultural revival going on (10:59), in music and fashion and long-forgotten ingredients and methods ... Show More
27m 30s
Mar 2025
Buck off: US pauses Ukraine aid
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: ... Show More
22m 36s
Oct 2025
Space invaders: Russia’s NATO nose-thumbing
Russia’s dark-fleet maritime operations and brazen incursions into NATO airspace appear to be precision-engineered to test Western resolve. We ask how this new phase of aggression may end. Our correspondent reports from Madagascar, where young people are leading unprecedented ant ... Show More
24m 45s
Sep 2025
Home truths: Ukraine’s internal strains
A snapshot of the country reveals deepening military and economic problems—and, perhaps above all, political ones. America’s efforts to clamp down on skilled-worker visas will have far-reaching unintended consequences. And globally, more children today are obese than underweight. ... Show More
21m 15s
Sep 2025
Fortunes of war: is Russia’s economy slowing?
The collapse of Russia’s wartime economy has long been foretold, yet massive fiscal stimulus has compensated for the effect of sanctions. Though the pinch is now being felt, the labour market is surprisingly resilient. Protesters in China are getting more creative. And why car to ... Show More
23m 30s
Apr 2025
Trump’s fickle, Xi’s pickle: the dynamic driving US-China tensions
President Xi Jinping’s style of negotiating is staid, distanced, a quiet projection of power. President Donald Trump’s is not. That dynamic is complicating their gargantuan standoff. Spain ends up with more and more remains of migrants who die on their journeys—and its morgues ca ... Show More
24m 57s
Nov 2025
British Broadcasting Capitulation: BBC bosses fall
The BBC’s director-general and head of news have resigned amid accusations of institutional bias. Can the broadcaster recover its reputation? Ukrainian prisoners-of-war speak of torture and beatings in Russian detention. And celebrating the life of Kanchha Sherpa, the last surviv ... Show More
24m 33s
Aug 2025
Inflation Rundown
<p>It was a week headlined by crucial inflation data. The Inside Economics crew is joined by colleague Matt Colyar to dig into July’s consumer price index. July’s CPI was unsurprising, but that doesn’t mean it was good. The group discusses why markets might have been too cheery a ... Show More
1h 19m