The Intelligence from The Economist

<p>In one of this year’s largest votes, Indonesia will elect a new president in one week’s time; this time the sanctity and future of its democracy <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/01/11/the-favourite-in-indonesias-presidential-election-has-a-sordid-past?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are at stake</a>. In Germany prominent people—even Jews—who question Israel’s war in Gaza <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/01/04/some-german-jews-say-their-country-goes-too-far-defending-israel?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are being cancelled</a> (10:45). And <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/12/22/how-many-books-will-you-read-before-you-die?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how many books</a> are you likely to read in what is left of your life (17:25)? </p><br><p><em>Get a world of insights for </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a></p><br><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Macky Sall, Senegal’s president, has said he would not stand again. So what to make of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/02/04/senegals-democracy-hangs-by-a-thread?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">move to delay</a> the election until December? Our correspondent says that many artificial-intelligence researchers think fakes will soon become <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/01/17/many-ai-researchers-think-fakes-will-become-undetectable?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">entirely undetectable</a> (10:11). And as football manager Jürgen Klopp steps down at Liverpool, we ask why being a leader is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/29/jurgen-klopp-and-the-importance-of-energy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so very tiring</a> (18:03). <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Dozens of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/02/03/shock-and-awe-as-america-strikes-irans-proxies?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">air strikes</a> in Iraq, Syria and Yemen were designed to show American resolve without themselves provoking a deeper conflict. We ask what happens next. Philanthropists are increasingly doing things differently: handing over the cash and <a href="https://www.economist.com/special-report/2024-01-13?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">getting out of the way</a> (11:01). And cuteness has wriggled into <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/02/02/small-but-mighty-how-cuteness-has-taken-over-the-world?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">every facet of culture</a>—and along the way became a serious subject of study (18:47).</p><br><p><em>Get a world of insights for </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a>.</p><br><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Last month, Microsoft briefly overtook the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/24/what-could-bring-apple-down?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iPhone maker</a> as the world’s most valuable company. As Apple’s core business slows, could the launch of its new augmented reality headset provide much-needed uplift? The Chinese Communist Party loves a <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/11/a-guide-to-the-chinese-communist-partys-economic-jargon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slogan</a>, but what does its new one actually mean? Why we may never know (09:17). And a tribute to the double act of <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/02/01/peter-schickele-and-pdq-bach-were-sides-of-the-same-coin?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Schickele</a> and P.D.Q. Bach (16:05)</p><br><p><em>Get a world of insights for </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em> </em></p><br><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The populous South-East Asian country is uniquely <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/01/23/few-countries-are-better-placed-than-vietnam-to-get-rich?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">well-positioned to benefit</a> from the deepening rift between America and China, so what’s stopping it? How a breakaway party on <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/01/11/germanys-new-party-on-the-far-left-may-eat-into-the-far-right?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Germany’s far left</a> is appealing to voters in the east (08:13). And, why <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/19/var-makes-fans-pine-for-the-days-of-wayne-rooney?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VAR</a> is frustrating football fans (16:11). </p><br><p><em>Get a world of insights for </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>50% off—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em> </em></p><br><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Campaigning for a coming election in the world’s fourth-most-populous country has been almost entirely policy-free: a good social-media presence is nearly all candidates need. As the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/01/09/the-dwindling-of-the-panama-canal-boosts-rival-trade-routes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Panama Canal</a> dries out, neighbouring countries spy an opportunity—but how much of that trade can they expect to siphon off (09:11)? And, the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/01/18/wild-boar-hybrids-are-raising-hell-on-the-canadian-prairies?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wild boar hybrids</a> causing havoc on Canada’s prairies (15:56). </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>One of the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/29/evergrandes-liquidation-is-a-new-low-in-chinas-property-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">biggest property companies</a>, Evergrande, has been crippled by its debt. What does a new court order mean for prospective homebuyers, and the firm’s creditors? Is there a way for Joe Biden to be <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/12/15/could-the-democrats-replace-joe-biden-as-their-presidential-candidate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">replaced</a> by the Democrats’ presidential candidate (09:45)? And the story of the life of a<a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/01/25/zvi-zamir-oversaw-a-programme-of-israeli-assassinations?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> Mossad chief</a> (15:57).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Iran-backed proxies have killed three American soldiers and injured dozens of others in their weekend <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/01/28/violence-spirals-as-irans-proxies-kill-american-soldiers?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strike</a>. A response from the Pentagon seems inevitable, but what might it look like? If Britain wants to decarbonise, it is going to need to <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/04/britain-needs-an-unprecedented-expansion-of-the-electricity-grid?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revamp the grid</a>. The effort will be both pricey and political (10:54). And, making <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/22/mean-girls-and-the-rise-of-the-film-turned-musical-turned-remake?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">musicals</a> into movies (18:12).  </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As life moves progressively online, it is becoming increasingly possible to keep people alive in the digital sense. Tech companies are starting to use AI to simulate the personalities of the dead from the data they’ve left behind. <em>The Economist</em>’s science correspondent, Abby Bertics, wanted to figure out how close this possible future is and just what it would look like to conjure a digital ghost of her own.</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+</em></p><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</em></p><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch our </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>For decades, Argentina’s labour unions have seemed like they can’t be touched. But the country’s new radical, libertarian president is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2024/01/14/the-fightback-against-javier-mileis-radical-reforms-has-begun?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">daring to try</a>. Ahead of Holocaust Memorial Day, two new <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/16/how-should-cinema-tackle-the-horror-of-the-holocaust?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">films</a> explore the tragedy (09:19). And, how Beyoncé made <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/19/which-colour-and-material-is-most-in-vogue-in-2024?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">chrome</a> cool again (16:44).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Generative artificial intelligence dominated conversations at Davos this year. How might education and healthcare be transformed as the technology reaches the developing world? The Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen this year. Come with us to visit the site in Paris (10:11). And, how lovely is your <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/01/11/what-is-the-worlds-loveliest-language?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">language</a> (18:05)?</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><em>Podcast transcripts are available upon request at [email protected]. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>His <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/01/24/after-winning-new-hampshire-trump-is-cruising-to-the-nomination?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">decisive victory</a> demonstrates just how much of a hold he still has on the Republican party, but his last remaining competitor is not bowing out just yet. How new sanctions on <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2024/01/04/how-sanctions-on-russia-will-change-the-diamond-trade?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Russian diamonds</a> could disrupt the supply chain (10:20). And is the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/11/marvel-seems-to-be-losing-its-powers?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Marvel franchise</a> losing its superpower (17:16)?</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party represents a growing <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/01/21/germany-strikes-a-brave-new-deal-on-immigration?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-immigrant rhetoric</a> in the country, but people are taking to the streets in their thousands to fight back. Why has the debate become so polarised? Japan’s ruling party has been trying to get <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/01/18/married-women-in-japan-are-re-entering-the-labour-market?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">women</a> back into the labour market, and it's working (09:24). And, why the Brits are dropping <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/21/britains-least-valuable-coin-is-in-terminal-decline?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pennies</a> (15:26).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>He went from being the most viable challenger to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, to endorsing him. Our US editor opines on why <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2024/01/21/nikki-haley-is-betting-on-new-hampshires-unusual-electorate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ron DeSantis’ campaign</a> fell short, and what it means for the New Hampshire primary. What the opening of a temple says about Narendra Modi’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2024/01/18/narendra-modis-electoral-juggernaut-looks-unstoppable?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hindu nationalist agenda</a> (09:13). And, why is bad <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/15/britain-has-seen-an-alarming-rise-in-poetry-sales?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instapoetry</a> so popular (18:02)?</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The ominous <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/12/14/alexei-navalny-russias-opposition-leader-is-missing-in-the-gulag?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">disappearance</a> of Russia’s opposition leader led many to fear the worst. But he has turned up in an Arctic penal colony—his message of resistance unchanged. From Batman-themed restaurants to playing a (non-lethal) version of “Squid Game”, movie studios are trying <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/01/hollywood-studios-are-finding-new-ways-to-bring-stories-to-life?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anything</a> to squeeze more from their intellectual property (9:47). And a new film examines what lies behind <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/22/how-to-break-a-losing-streak?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">losing streaks</a> (17:16).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Many of America’s business leaders <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/16/many-ceos-fear-a-second-trump-term-would-be-worse-than-the-first?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reckon</a> a second Trump term would be worse for them and for the economy than the first was—not that they’re speaking up about it. We examine just how much of Ukraine’s art and cultural heritage has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/05/inside-the-hunt-for-ukraines-stolen-art?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moved or looted</a> in the course of the war (9:35). And why the price of olive oil is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/12/13/why-the-price-of-olive-oil-is-soaring?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">skyrocketing</a> (17:17).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>A tentative aid deal in Gaza is just a sliver of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/01/10/just-how-bad-is-it-in-gaza?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what is needed</a>; hunger and disease may well claim more Palestinian lives this year than the military campaign will. New research suggests American places worst-hit by the opioid epidemic are undergoing a <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2024/01/04/places-ravaged-by-opioids-are-giving-republicans-the-upper-hand?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rightward political shift</a> (11:45). And why Britain, renowned for its facility with statistics, <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/10/counting-britains-beauties-and-leech-bleeders?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">might end</a> its decadal census (17:19).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>China’s flip-flopping on video-game regulation reveals a messy message: leaders <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/04/the-communist-party-wants-a-bit-less-consumer-internet?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">want to encourage</a> “hard tech” such as chips and AI over the consumer kind—without sparking another costly crackdown. <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/12/12/could-mark-carney-lead-canada?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We ask Mark Carney</a>, a former central-bank governor, whether he has ambitions to lead Canada (09:16). And why so many social-media types want to <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2024/01/04/social-medias-online-diarists-have-a-long-lineage?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">share their diaries</a> online (18:19). </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Taiwan’s election of William Lai Ching-te of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2024/01/13/defying-china-taiwan-elects-william-lai-ching-te-as-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sure to annoy</a> leaders in Beijing; we ask what to expect next. Britain’s Post Office scandal simmered for two decades before a television series made it <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2024/01/09/britains-worst-miscarriage-of-justice-sparks-outrage-at-last?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boil over</a> (10:14). And what happens when climate change makes it <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/12/05/what-happens-when-it-is-too-hot-to-work?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">too hot to work</a> (17:44). </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>America and its allies delivered on a threat to retaliate against Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/12/04/why-yemens-houthis-are-attacking-ships-in-the-red-sea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">targeting Red Sea ships</a>. How far will the escalation go? We visit Iowa ahead of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2024/01/10/how-the-iowa-caucuses-are-changing-in-2024?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first event</a> of America’s presidential-primary season and ask if any surprises await (10.16). And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/01/10/mike-sadler-guided-the-first-sas-raiders-through-the-north-african-desert?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mike Sadler</a>, one of the first recruits to Britain’s SAS special forces (19.17).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>America seems to be in a best-of-worlds scenario: growth is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/03/has-america-really-escaped-inflation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outpacing expectations</a> even as <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2024/01/10/has-team-transitory-really-won-americas-inflation-debate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflation keeps falling</a>—how will the party end? This week’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2024/01/09/an-american-rocket-has-a-fine-debut-not-so-the-moon-lander-on-board?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loss</a> of the <em>Peregrine</em> <em>One </em>Moon lander was disappointing, but our correspondent sees the good news from the launch (9:19). And how Japan’s geishas are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/12/07/the-new-geishas?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">modernising their trade</a> in order to keep it alive (17:35).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Gabriel Attal, France’s youthful <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/01/09/the-president-appoints-modern-frances-youngest-prime-minister?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new prime minister</a>, represents President Emmanuel Macron’s renewed push to pass policy reforms and to counter a resurgent far-right. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/01/04/a-thumping-win-for-tshisekedi-in-congos-election-raises-eyebrows?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">landslide re-election</a> of President Félix Tshisekedi has raised eyebrows—and tempers (7:41). And a look at how “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/28/paganism-is-on-the-rise-it-all-started-with-the-wicker-man?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Wicker Man</a>” may be the force behind a rise in paganism (15:30).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As with many technologies that preceded it, generative artificial intelligence is increasingly viewed as a means to geopolitical advantage: welcome to the era of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2024/01/01/welcome-to-the-era-of-ai-nationalism?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AI nationalism</a>. Creole language and culture were long suppressed in Louisiana; we meet the young folk trying to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/20/louisiana-creole-is-enjoying-a-modest-revival?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revive it</a> (10:21). And the scientific results that prove Taylor Swift <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/12/13/the-excitement-of-70000-swifties-can-shake-the-earth?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">can cause earthquakes</a> (19:45).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Our correspondents travel through the rainforest, seeing the pollution and clear-cutting firsthand. Establishing the rule of law first requires <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/28/to-save-the-amazon-lula-must-work-out-who-owns-it?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a decent property register</a>. We examine why a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2024/01/02/ethiopias-gambit-for-a-port-is-unsettling-a-volatile-region?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">proposed deal</a> between Ethiopia and Somaliland has unsettled the whole of the Horn of Africa (11:17). And Britain’s army mulls permitting its servicemen <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/12/18/the-british-army-mulls-allowing-beards?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to grow beards</a> (18:07).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>From Brexit to covid-19, nothing has yet stymied London’s successes. The city has its problems, but it remains a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/12/14/londons-resilience-is-a-lesson-to-policymakers-everywhere?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">paragon of policymaking</a>. In the last of our series on democracy around the world, we examine what is at stake in <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2023/11/13/narendra-modis-expected-re-election-will-inspire-fear-and-hope?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">India’s coming election</a> (9:16). And a tribute to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2024/01/03/gao-yaojie-uncovered-a-scandal-that-shocked-and-shamed-china?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gao Yaojie</a>, whose findings about the spread of AIDS shocked and shamed China (16:53).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Labour markets are changing in all kinds of ways, thanks to ageing societies, hot-running economies and technological boosts. It all adds up to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/28/welcome-to-a-golden-age-for-workers?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">golden age for workers</a>. As part of our series on democracy around the world, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/12/28/how-will-britons-vote-in-the-next-election?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">coming election in Britain</a> (09:35). And India steps into the single-malt-whisky game <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/11/16/premium-indian-whisky-is-booming?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">with success</a> (17:17).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Saleh al-Arouri has long been a high-priority target for Israel and his death could weaken the Palestinian militant group. However, it could also draw neighbouring Lebanon into the war in Gaza. As <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2023/11/13/south-africa-faces-a-defining-election?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">South Africa</a> heads to the polls, the lack of alternatives to the ruling party are jeopardising the health of its democracy (09:32). And why French women are walking away from the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/12/20/why-french-women-no-longer-wear-high-heels?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">high heel</a> (17:16).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As Vladimir Putin promises to intensify Russia’s attacks, Mr Zelensky is frustrated at the wavering support from the West. <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2024/01/01/a-new-years-interview-with-volodymr-zelensky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Speaking to The Economist</a> from his situation room, Ukraine’s wartime leader is defiantly optimistic, urging partners to remember that the country faces a terroristic, existential threat.  </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Citizens across more than 70 countries will be heading to the polls over the next twelve months. It’s a <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/the-world-ahead/2023/11/13/2024-is-the-biggest-election-year-in-history" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">record year for voting,</a> but how democratic will the processes be? One of the year’s most significant elections will take place <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2023/11/13/mexico-will-elect-its-first-female-president" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in Mexico</a>, where the incumbent president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will loom large. (10:35). And, how ambient music can help you block out the noise. (17:44).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><em>Podcast transcripts are available upon request at [email protected]. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Only at the end of the year can a full appraisal be made of the figures—and landmarks—that the world has lost. From <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/04/26/harry-belafonte-delighted-and-challenged-a-divided-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Harry Belafonte</a> to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/11/30/henry-kissinger-never-quite-belonged-where-he-wanted-to-be?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Henry Kissinger</a>, from <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/06/12/silvio-berlusconi-has-died-aged-86?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Silvio Berlusconi</a> to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/10/04/the-sycamore-gap-tree-held-a-particularly-deep-place-in-peoples-hearts?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sycamore Gap tree</a>, we review the lives and legacies laid bare in our obituaries. </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>What can A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke tell us about AI? Does Shakespeare's Othello contain a warning for the 2024 US presidential election? Our journalists (and our listeners, too) <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recommend books</a> that might help us better understand our times.</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>On our website and in our app, “The Economist explains” is one of the best-read features. Today we invite a few of their authors to keep explaining. What is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/08/17/how-dangerous-is-tranq-the-new-drug-sweeping-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tranq dope</a>? Why did France get so <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/10/06/why-france-has-worked-itself-into-a-frenzy-about-bedbugs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">het up</a> about bedbugs (06:48)? Can superstars’ stadium shows actually <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/07/25/can-superstars-like-beyonce-or-taylor-swift-spur-inflation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">affect inflation</a> (11:50)? And, having at last seen Donald Trump’s, what is the back story of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/08/24/donald-trump-and-the-history-of-the-mugshot?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mugshot</a> (17:39)?</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Which <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/12/20/the-economists-country-of-the-year-for-2023?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">country</a> improved the most this year? Nominations poured in from across the editorial department, and the competition was tough, but who came out on top? And our correspondent takes us on a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/07/31/what-you-learn-on-a-24-hour-train-trip-through-europe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">train ride</a> through Europe</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Scientists are making considerable progress in the race to <a href="https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2023/09/25/slowing-human-ageing-is-now-the-subject-of-serious-research?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slow the ageing process</a> of our cells, and in turn, our bodies. But what would living for longer actually mean for the world? How government legislation and impatient consumers are forcing the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/12/11/welcome-to-the-ad-free-internet?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">advertising industry</a> to adapt (13:19). And, the story behind a famous, 200-year-old <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/20/twas-the-night-before-christmas-turns-200-this-year?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Christmas poem</a> (21:29). </p><br><p>For a limited time, visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/gift" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/gift</a> to redeem 30% off gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/12/19/the-head-of-the-hard-right-alternative-for-germany-is-riding-high?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alternative for Germany</a>, the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties. How viable are her policy plans? The startup behind a reusable <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/12/07/a-startup-called-anduril-has-unveiled-a-reusable-missile?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">missile</a> that could change American warfare (10:08). And, the quirkiest segments we have run in 2023 (18:31).</p><br><p>For a limited time, visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/gift" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/gift</a> to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The state’s supreme court has ruled that he cannot appear on the Republican primary ballot, citing insurrection and a constitutional amendment. It’s an extraordinary decision, but it will only matter if it sticks. In the Netherlands, far-right <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/30/geert-wilders-struggles-towards-power-in-the-netherlands?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Geerts Wilders</a> is hard-pressed to form a coalition government after his November victory (09:05). And, regulating <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/12/14/londons-riotous-pedicabs-are-about-to-be-regulated?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">riotous rickshaws</a> in London (16:28).</p><br><p>For a limited time, visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/gift" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/gift</a> to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editions</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>After a dubious win in 2018, Felix Tshisekedi is running for office again in the Democratic Republic of Congo – and an incumbency bias could work in his favour. Is there any hope for a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/12/18/why-congos-chaotic-election-matters?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fair election</a>? 2023 has brought a flurry of news on the developments of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/23/sam-altmans-return-marks-a-new-phase-for-openai?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">artificial intelligence</a>, so let’s take stock (13:45). And, why New York is introducing a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/14/why-new-york-wants-to-be-more-like-london?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">congestion charge</a> (21:50).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In response to the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Houthi militants are attacking vessels along the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/12/16/a-new-suez-crisis-threatens-the-world-economy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">key shipping route</a>. If it continues, the consequences could upend global trade. Why do so many young Americans think that the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/07/one-in-five-young-americans-thinks-the-holocaust-is-a-myth?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Holocaust</a> is a myth (09:51)? And, how museums are finding some value in <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/11/30/museums-are-learning-to-love-nfts?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NFTs</a> (14:40). </p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><em>Podcast transcripts are available upon request at [email protected]. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>For almost a decade <em>The Economist’s</em> Noah Sneider has been following the story of MH17, the passenger plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014. All 298 people on board died. No group, or country, has ever admitted responsibility, leaving the victim's families searching for answers. In this episode Noah, who was at the scene of the crash that day, reports on the ten year battle for justice.</p><p>Sign up for a <a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><p>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><p>For more information about how to access <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a>, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs</a> page or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">watch</a> our video explaining how to link your account.</p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to secure <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/12/11/volodymyr-zelensky-tries-to-shake-congress-out-of-paralysis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more aid</a> from Washington. But the decision rests with a divided Congress. What does this mean for the next phase of war? <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/11/23/india-is-seeing-a-massive-aviation-boom?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">India’s aviation industry</a> is really taking off and this boom looks much more promising than the last (10:59). And, the riotous origins of eggnog (18:42).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/14/american-journalism-sounds-much-more-democratic-than-republican?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">left-leaning</a>. Our data show there might be something to that, but the reasons why are more complicated than you think. As a NATO frontline state, the war in Ukraine is prompting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/02/beefing-up-polands-armed-forces?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Poland</a> to ramp up its military spending – and double the size of its armed forces (08:42). And, what a <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/09/to-understand-britain-watch-homes-under-the-hammer?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hit property show</a> reveals about the British dream (15:25).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In a landmark agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. However, that is not the same as phasing them out. Has the deal done enough? For the young trying to invest, the markets look bleak. But they could make <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/16/how-the-young-should-invest?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">better choices</a> (10:42). And, the allure of cookery books (17:18).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Since the Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, debate at America’s top academic institutions has turned sour. Now, the issue has reignited an age-old argument about <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/12/american-universities-face-a-reckoning-over-academic-freedom?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">freedom of speech</a> on campuses. Today Britain’s parliament will vote on whether to send <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/12/12/britains-parliament-should-kill-rishi-sunaks-rwanda-bill" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">asylum seekers</a> to Rwanda – they aren’t the only ones thinking about <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/11/28/why-offshoring-asylum-seekers-rarely-works?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">outsourcing</a> responsibility (07:54). And books about the twilight of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/11/10/what-to-read-to-understand-why-the-heyday-of-the-automobile-is-over?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">automobile age</a> (17:32)</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p><br><p><em>Podcast transcripts are available upon request at [email protected]. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering.</em></p><p><br></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Our correspondent joins the French air force on a mission in the Baltics, seeing <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/12/03/french-fighter-jets-join-the-baltic-mission?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increasing support for NATO</a> just as the country draws down in Africa. Drones have by now become a standard feature of warfare, but in Gaza the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/12/04/how-israel-is-using-drones-in-gaza?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">demands are different</a>—and Israel has much expertise to draw upon (09:36). And artificial intelligence predicts the structures of <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/11/29/a-google-ai-has-discovered-22m-materials-unknown-to-science?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2m brand-new materials</a> (16:38).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In the American West, grizzly bears are spreading—and <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/12/05/how-the-culture-wars-came-for-grizzly-bears?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fights over protecting them</a> under the Endangered Species Act test the frontiers between science and politics. Vaping is tremendous business in Britain, but the largely unregulated industry is now, curiously, <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/14/vaping-is-big-business-in-britain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">asking for more oversight</a> (10:57). And our language columnist explains our <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/12/07/our-word-of-the-year-for-2023?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">word of the year</a> for 2023 (17:47).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Even before America’s tussle over funding Ukraine’s war effort, it seemed as if Russia was <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/30/putin-seems-to-be-winning-the-war-in-ukraine-for-now?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gaining the upper hand</a>—by exploiting Ukraine’s widening political cracks. A drought-induced <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/23/severe-drought-is-constraining-the-panama-canal?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">traffic jam</a> in the Panama Canal will only get worse in the coming dry season, and consumer-price rises look inevitable (10:42). And to save Britain’s heritage pig breeds, consumers should <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/21/britains-native-farm-animals-can-be-rarer-than-giant-pandas?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eat more</a> of them (17:48).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>By the numbers, the outcome seems clear: Venezuelans voted to annex much of newly minted petrostate Guyana. But our correspondent says the referendum was <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/12/04/venezuelas-autocrat-nicolas-maduro-threatens-to-annex-guyana?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mere electioneering</a> by President Nicolás Maduro, with unimpressive results. Our obituaries editor remembers <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/11/29/saleemul-huq-lobbied-ceaselessly-to-make-poor-countries-heard" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Saleemul Huq</a>, who campaigned relentlessly on behalf of the most vulnerable countries (9:52). And just how much lighter the paycheques are for <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/23/the-obesity-pay-gap-is-worse-than-previously-thought?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">heavier workers</a> (17:03).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>The cradle of American technology was once known for its libertarian values—but as law-enforcement agencies seek more means of surveillance, Silicon Valley companies are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/05/silicon-valley-is-piling-into-the-business-of-snooping?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">piling in</a>. Mounting cases in America’s courts reveal a trend of progressives arguing for their <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/11/16/some-progressives-are-arguing-for-a-religious-right-to-abortion?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">religious right to abortion</a> (9:09). And how tourism gone wrong is killing the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/24/the-dark-hedges-are-dying?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dark Hedges</a> that appeared in “Game of Thrones” (16:28).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>As its ground offensive appears to be expanding, Israel is acutely aware that time and international support will run out; we examine its <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/12/03/israel-is-now-fighting-hamas-and-the-clock?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">impossible set of aims</a> to achieve before then. Europe has not yet faced the kind of fentanyl crisis that has plagued America—but there are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/16/fentanyl-kills-thousands-every-year-in-america-will-europe-be-next?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks</a> that it may soon (10:53). And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/11/30/why-chinstrap-penguins-sleep-thousands-of-times-a-day?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">power-napping prowess</a> of penguins (18:26).</p><br><p><em>Sign up for a </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+. If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>our video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account.</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p><em>The Economist</em>'s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, and our Russia and Eastern Europe editor, Arkady Ostrovsky, return to Kyiv to to find out if cracks are beginning to emerge in the iron shield of <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/09/21/ukraine-faces-a-long-war-a-change-of-course-is-needed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ukrainian unity</a> and to ask how the war with Russia is reshaping a nation living on a knife’s edge.</p><br><p><em> The Weekend Intelligence is a subscriber-only episode. For the next month you can sign up for a </em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>free trial</em></a><em> of Economist Podcasts+</em></p><p><em>If you’re already a subscriber to The Economist, you have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</em></p><p><em>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our </em><a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>FAQs page</em></a><em> or watch our </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>video</em></a><em> explaining how to link your account</em></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>