Economist Podcasts

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest industrialist, joins Ọrẹ Ogunbiyi, an Africa correspondent, and Aryn Braun, a West Coast correspondent. They dig into Nigeria’s vast new refinery, its promise and monopoly risks, and what it means for African industry. Then they visit Los Angeles’s Iranian diaspora, where politics, identity and war fatigue collide. Finally, they explore research linking cancer diagnoses to crime.

Gregg Carlstrom, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, tracks how the Strait of Hormuz could turn the Iran conflict into a wider regional crisis. Don Weinland, China business and finance editor, explores China’s humanoid-robot boom and why the machines are still mostly showpieces. Harry Taunton, audience editor, dives into the science of power naps and the best timing for a midday snooze.

Anshel Pfeffer, Israeli journalist and author, tracks Israel’s widening fight with Iran and Hizbullah and the growing gap with America. Josh Roberts, markets correspondent, follows why battered junk stocks are suddenly in vogue as oil swings rattle markets. Ann Wroe, obituaries editor, celebrates Philippe Gaulier, the fearless clown teacher who turned cruelty into comic freedom.

Shashank Joshi, defence editor and military analyst, explains Iran’s reliance on Shahed-type drones and how they blur the line between missiles and UAVs. He discusses why Tehran uses mass drone strikes, the tactics for defending against them, and what lessons Ukraine’s battlefield experience offers the Gulf.

Andrew Miller, a cultural columnist who interviews filmmakers, talks with Jafar Panahi about making films under repression. Noah Sneider, an East Asia bureau chief, covers Japan’s restart of nuclear reactors after Fukushima. Rachana Shanbhogue, a business and finance editor, explains oil-market shocks from Iran, Strait of Hormuz risks and policy trade-offs. They discuss security, energy supply and artistic resilience.

Avantika Chilkoti, a retail and consumer trends reporter, traces Erewhon’s rise from hippie co-op to luxury wellness supermarket. Simon Rabinovitch, Beijing bureau chief, explains China’s cautious, pragmatic stance in the Middle East. Edward Carr, deputy editor and markets analyst, breaks down why soaring oil prices rattled markets and constrained political options.

Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent analyzing Iran’s new supreme leader and regional military and economic fallout. Daniella Raz, U.S. correspondent and data journalist on cuts to American science funding and threats to renewable and vaccine research. Joel Budd, Britain social affairs editor on the shrinking pool of tenor voices and how choirs are adapting.

Ann Wroe, obituaries editor who reflects on leaders; Shashank Joshi, defence editor who explains air-defence strain; Josie Delap, Middle East editor with on-the-ground insight into Iran; Edward Carr, deputy editor on US strategy. They discuss Iran’s week of escalation. Conversation covers missile salvos and interceptor shortages. They also review Khamenei’s life and the war’s uncertain objectives.

Shera Avi-Yonah, a business writer covering marketing trends, Sophie Pedder, Paris bureau chief with expertise in French defence, and Adam Roberts, foreign editor focused on international conflicts, discuss US strikes on Iran and the domestic political fallout for Trump. They cover European military moves, Macron’s nuclear posture shift, and the rise and limits of MAGA-branded businesses.

Attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure and Hormuz closures drive oil and gas prices higher, rattling traders and global markets. Rising fuel costs and geopolitical risk squeeze consumers, airlines and Gulf business hubs. Britain’s student loan system and repayment rules are examined for fairness and longer-term burdens. A surprise trend: line-dance nights are booming as a social, Gen Z-driven scene in New York.