Podcasts

China’s messy options for ending zero-Covid

1 Dec 2022

Protests broke out across the People’s Republic this week as authorities tightened lockdowns to contain the virus. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the difficulties of walking back a policy that leader Xi Jinping has convinced the country is necessary.

Consumer spending anomalies are the new norm

29 Nov 2022

High inflation and glum sentiment are changing how people use their money. In this edition of The Exchange podcast, Brookings Institution economist Wendy Edelberg explains what shoppers are loath to give up during times of duress and why strange patterns will persist.

FTX collapse consigns crypto to fringes of finance

24 Nov 2022

Sam Bankman-Fried’s failed crypto exchange is a huge blow to the ailing sector. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how firewalls helped protect banks, how the saga will embolden regulators, and what the future looks like for digital currencies.

Energy crises speed up the green transition

22 Nov 2022

In 2022, war and power shortages have led to more fossil fuel use. But they also act as a catalyst for the rollout of renewable energy. In this edition of The Exchange podcast, ex-Snam boss Marco Alverà tells George Hay how Europe’s leaders can capitalise on this dynamic.

COP28 may make up for COP27’s shortcomings

17 Nov 2022

The global climate meeting has mostly failed to lure the same corporate big hitters as Glasgow did last year. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss how even if the gathering in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh yields little progress, 2023 in the UAE could be better.

Crypto readies itself for a post-FTX hose-down

15 Nov 2022

The collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried’s empire exposed the vulnerabilities of a vast, unregulated world of digital finance. Rivals like Circle CEO Jeremy Allaire hope to prove there’s a safer side of crypto worth saving. He presents his case in this episode of The Exchange podcast.

How Credit Suisse’s turnaround could work

10 Nov 2022

CEO Ulrich Körner is raising $4 bln of fresh equity and shrinking the Zurich-based group’s trading business to put it on a steadier footing. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists debate the merits of the plan and what’s at stake if it fails.

The politics and economics of superpower rivalries

8 Nov 2022

Are America and China heading for a showdown, and what does it mean for the world order? In this edition of the Exchange podcast Paul Tucker, former deputy governor of the Bank of England, discusses the financial and foreign policy fallout and his new book, “Global Discord”.

Elon Musk’s $44 bln Twitter challenge begins

3 Nov 2022

The Tesla boss is now the proud owner of the social media platform. In this Viewsroom podcast, Breakingviews columnists discuss the billionaire’s plans to boost revenue, the implications for the electric carmaker’s shareholders, and what the saga tells us about mega-deals.

Climate fight’s main event battles sophomore slump

1 Nov 2022

COP26 put climate change centre stage in 2021, but this year war and energy crises have distracted attention. In this episode of The Exchange, the United Nations’ key COP27 players Mahmoud Mohieldin and Nigel Topping tell George Hay why the event could still make a splash.