How did two old, unpopular men end up running for the world's most demanding job? It’s the question John Prideaux, The Economist’s US editor, gets asked the most. And the answer lies in the peculiar politics of the baby boomers.  Since 1992, every American president bar one has been a white man born in the 1940s. That run looks likely to span 36 years - not far off the age of the median American. This cohort was born with aces in their pockets. Their parents defeated Nazism and won the cold...

Narendra Modi is one of the most popular politicians on the planet. India’s prime minister is eyeing a third term atop the world’s biggest democracy.  A tea-seller’s son, Mr Modi began life an outsider. The man behind the political phenomenon remains hard to fathom. India has become an economic powerhouse during his ten years in charge. But he’s also the frontman for a chauvinistic Hindu nationalist dogma.  Can Mr Modi continue to balance both parts of his agenda and finish the job of turning...

For Russians opposed to Vladimir Putin, everything changed the moment they awoke to news of the invasion of Ukraine a year ago. They felt a range of emotions: pain, fury and shame. And they had to figure out what to do next.  The Economist’s Arkady Ostrovsky has been speaking to them, because their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end. Search for "Next Year in Moscow" on your podcast app for the rest of the series. For full access to print,...

When the shelling of Ukraine began a year ago, free-thinking Russians faced a fateful choice: lie low, resist or flee. Hundreds of thousands decided to leave. For them the war meant the future of Russia itself was now in doubt. The Economist's Arkady Ostrovsky finds out what happened to these exiles for a new podcast series. Their stories help solve the mystery of why this senseless war began – and how it might end. The first episode will be available on February 23rd 2023. Listen on: Apple...

Two of The Economist's China correspondents, Alice Su and David Rennie, analyse the stories at the heart of this vast country and examine its influence beyond its borders.  They’ll be joined by our global network of correspondents and expert guests to examine how everything from party politics to business, technology and culture is reshaping China and the world.   For almost seven centuries the beats of China’s most famous drum tower, or gulou, kept people in Beijing to time. The Economist’s...

Host Sue-Lin Wong dissects the unexpected and the foreseen from the Chinese Communist Party’s five-yearly meeting, with The Economist’s Beijing bureau chief David Rennie, who was there. How did Xi Jinping use the event to tighten his grip on power?  Listen to The Economist’s new weekly China podcast Drum Tower here Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Sue-Lin Wong talks to The Economist’s China correspondent Alice Su about the challenges of making The Prince and answers listeners’ questions. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years on, Xi’s tight grip on power risks another crisis—this one of his own making. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A young Xi Jinping visits Iowa and tries popcorn for the first time. But reconnecting with "old friends" in the Midwest years later fails to prevent relations with America from souring. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Uyghur language teacher is accused of spying for the CIA. An NBA player discovers the cost of criticising China. And Xi Jinping’s obsession with control reaches new and brutal extremes. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A censor at a Chinese social media company can't take it anymore after Xi Jinping’s rule brings harsh new restrictions. The Chinese internet becomes an alternate reality. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On taking power, Xi Jinping launches a ruthless series of purges and an unexpected ideological revival to cement his control—and mobilise the Chinese Communist Party behind him. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A villager’s campaign against corruption highlights the Chinese Communist Party’s weakening grip. As Xi Jinping stands on the brink of power, the emergence of a flamboyant rival deepens the crisis. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a modest provincial official in Fujian, Xi Jinping is outshone by his celebrity wife, while colleagues are caught up in a lurid corruption scandal. How does Xi survive?  Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xi Jinping is born into the top rung of China's elite. But his family is torn apart while he is still a child. The Economist's Sue-Lin Wong finds out why Xi kept faith in the Communist revolution. Subscribe to The Economist with the best offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xi Jinping is the most powerful person in the world. But the real story of China’s leader remains a mystery. The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong finds out how he rose to the top in a new podcast series launching on September 28th.  For more China coverage, subscribe to The Economist and find a special offer at economist.com/chinapod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.