The Intelligence from The Economist

<p>Olena Zelenska foresees a time when her family can regain a quiet life. Our editor-in-chief sits down with her to discuss her mental-health campaign and life in an unexpected spotlight. President Xi Jinping wants to improve China’s toilets; we ask why that is proving <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/11/09/xi-jinping-wants-china-to-have-better-toilets?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 difficult</a> (12:20). And why the superyacht industry is just <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/16/why-the-market-for-superyachts-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">sailing along</a> (19:50).</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><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>The doyen of diplomacy has died, leaving a <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/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">complex legacy</a>. Following <a href="https://www.economist.com/kissinger-podcast?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">extensive interviews with him</a> earlier this year, our deputy editor examines what Dr Kissinger stood for and whether his ideas will outlast him. As the COP28 climate summit begins, we look at an approach that deserves more attention: <a href="https://www.economist.com/special-report/2023/11/20/carbon-dioxide-removal-needs-more-attention?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">carbon dioxide removal</a> (13:16). And our annual <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/worldwide-cost-of-living-2023/?utm_source=economist&utm_medium=podcast-the-intelligence&utm_campaign=wcol-23" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cost-of-living survey</a> ranks the world’s priciest cities (22:36).</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>Drug-related shootings and bombings are on the rise. Policies are changing and law-enforcement budgets rising, but stemming the violence is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/13/sweden-is-suffering-a-grim-wave-of-gang-violence?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">proving politically tricky</a>. Our columnist considers how China is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/10/26/how-china-sees-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">using the war in Gaza</a> to burnish its diplomatic credentials (9:36). And the teams vying <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/11/08/how-two-teams-plan-to-smash-the-world-sailing-speed-record?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 smash</a> a long-standing sailing-speed record (18:27).</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 singular focus on the metaverse of Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s boss, fretted investors. But in the past year he has pulled off a spectacularly <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/26/ai-has-rescued-mark-zuckerberg-from-a-metaverse-size-hole?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">timely turnaround</a>. We look at what is driving an <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/09/illegal-gold-is-booming-in-south-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">illegal-gold rush</a> in Venezuela as a lens on a wider, regional concern (9:48). And why North Korea’s women’s football team provides such <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/26/north-koreas-secret-sporting-weapon?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">good propaganda</a> (16:48).</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>Our correspondent speaks with the Africa head of the Red Cross who has borne witness to the war, famine and genocide that continue—unrelenting and <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/16/the-world-is-ignoring-war-genocide-and-famine-in-sudan?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">largely ignored</a>—in Sudan. As Ukraine’s men are sent off to war, the country’s women are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/12/as-ukrainian-men-head-off-to-fight-women-take-up-their-jobs?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">upending its labour market</a>; we meet some newly minted miners (10:07). And how the age at which careers peak <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/10/06/at-what-age-do-you-hit-the-peak-of-your-career?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">is changing</a> (18:34).</p><p> </p><p><em>Today is the last day of our Black Friday sale: sign up to </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em> for half price—just two dollars, pounds or euros a month for access to all our award-winning shows. 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>Look past short-term stumbles: there are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/16/will-japan-rediscover-its-dynamism?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">plenty of reasons</a> to think Japan may spin out of its decades-long deflationary spiral. But how to avoid another false dawn? A visit to a mine in Zimbabwe reveals <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/09/china-is-winning-africas-white-gold-rush-for-lithium?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 valuable lithium is becoming</a> to the continent—and China’s role in securing it (13:09). And remembering a “Rosie the Riveter” who kept riveting <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/11/22/elinor-otto-did-not-realise-what-giant-strides-she-was-making-for-women?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">until age 95</a> (21:38).</p><br><p><em>Until Monday November 27th you can sign up to </em><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Economist Podcasts+</em></a><em> for half price in our Black Friday sale. For just two dollars, pounds or euros a month you’ll get access to get all our award-winning 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>Geert Wilders campaigned on leaving the European Union, closing the borders, and even suggested banning Islam. The Dutch surprisingly voted for him anyway. But without a majority, can he form a government? WeWork is a flawed company, but their bankruptcy reflects greater <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/07/the-fall-of-wework-shows-the-deepening-cracks-in-property?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">turmoil in real estate</a> (10:10). And, how <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/11/03/athletics-should-embrace-super-shoes?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">hyper-bouncy shoes</a> are giving runners an edge (17:42).</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+. And from today until Monday 27th November you can sign up to Economist Podcasts+ for half price in our Black Friday sale. For just two dollars, or pounds or euros a month you’ll get access to get all our award-winning 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 weeks of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/22/israel-strikes-a-hostage-deal-but-promises-the-gaza-war-isnt-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">negotiations</a>, Hamas has agreed to release some hostages. In exchange, there will be a four-day pause in fighting. But then what? Americans really love their <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/09/in-praise-of-americas-car-addiction?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">cars</a> and dependence on them is making the country fairer (09:34). And what Netflix’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/11/21/what-squid-game-the-challenge-reveals-about-the-state-of-tv?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">latest spin-off</a> reveals about the changing trends in TV (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>It is still unclear why the board of OpenAI fired him last week, but hundreds of staff are revolting anyway. The debacle reveals a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/11/19/the-sam-altman-drama-points-to-a-deeper-split-in-the-tech-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">sizeable rift</a> between the tech companies at the forefront of AI development. Canadians typically consider themselves pro-<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/02/canadians-are-starting-to-sour-on-migration?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">immigration</a>. Is the tide changing (10:45)? And the books you didn’t know were <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-reads/2023/11/03/six-books-you-didnt-know-were-propaganda?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">propaganda</a> (18:49).</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 is a self-proclaimed “anarcho-capitalist” and in a run-off, the people have entrusted this political firebrand to shake the country out of economic malaise. <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/11/20/is-argentinas-new-president-too-divisive-to-fix-a-broken-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">Will he deliver</a>? Hamas has an intricate network of tunnels under Gaza, but <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/11/08/israel-hopes-technology-will-help-it-fight-in-hamass-tunnels?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 tech</a> could help Israel fight them (10:48). And what AI can glean from <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/10/25/ai-can-catalogue-a-forests-inhabitants-simply-by-listening?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">listening to the forests</a> (19:03). <em>Additional audio courtesy of Jörg Müller</em></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>Were America’s presidential election to be held today, Donald Trump would <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/11/07/donald-trump-looks-terrifyingly-electable?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">probably win</a>. We examine the winds shifting in his favour, and how the Biden campaign might tack against them. The town of Basildon <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/10/25/the-most-typical-place-in-britain-is-basildon?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">best matches</a> Britain’s national-average statistics—a mean reason to pay a visit (13:13). And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/11/15/vivian-silver-knew-no-good-could-ever-come-of-war?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">Vivian Silver</a>, a Canadian-Israeli peace activist who died at the hands of Hamas (20:51).</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>There is little left, in terms of people or infrastructure, in <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/11/15/the-battle-of-northern-gaza-is-almost-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">the north</a> of the strip. Our correspondent, embedded with the Israel Defence Forces, considers the humanitarian crisis growing in the south. Our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPlLrBN48kQ?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">film on American school shootings</a> discovers the growing phenomenon of hoaxes known as “swatting” (11:49). And how, despite its <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/11/11/much-of-the-crown-is-nonsense?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">ahistorical nature</a>, “The Crown” will influence perceived history (19:28).</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><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>In the European country with both the largest Jewish and largest Muslim populations, a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/09/antisemitism-surges-in-france-after-the-hamas-attacks-on-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">rise in antisemitic acts</a> brings particular perils; we examine them. Winemaking was always going to be hit hard by climate change. Our oenophile correspondent looks at how things are already changing—and it is not all bad news (08:52). And why India’s explosives industry is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/05/the-indian-business-of-blowing-things-up-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">blowing up</a> (16:04). </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>Former prime minister David Cameron is back from the political wilderness—and his <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/11/13/what-david-camerons-return-says-about-british-politics?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">appointment</a> as foreign secretary reveals much about the state of the ruling Conservative party. We ask how Israel has <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2023/10/24/how-has-israels-commercial-airspace-remained-open?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">kept its airspace open</a> during the conflict in Gaza, even as the threat of missiles has grown (10:11). And China’s long-suffering delivery drivers <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/11/02/how-chinas-delivery-drivers-quietly-fight-to-improve-their-lot?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">fight more quietly</a> to improve their lot (17:04).</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 grinding and lethal eight-month battle, Ukraine’s forces retook the port city a year ago. Our correspondent visits, finding a populace both <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/09/a-year-after-its-liberation-kherson-still-knows-fear-and-defiance?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">anxious and defiant</a>. As with technological transformations that came before, the benefits of artificial intelligence will <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/09/how-artificial-intelligence-will-transform-fame?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">accrue disproportionately</a> to the very stars who rail against it (10:22). And why New York is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/26/how-to-make-nyc-work-better-for-its-winged-inhabitants?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">safer</a>—if you’re a bird (19:46).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+. </p><br><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><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">our video</a> 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>Miscalculating the prowess of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/special-report/2023-11-11?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">People’s Liberation Army</a> is dangerous. Overestimating it could cause unnecessary confrontation, but underestimating it is risky for Taiwan. We bring you some balance. Can descendants of slave traders be absolved of the sins of their ancestors (09:00)? And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/11/09/david-kirke-believed-safe-sport-repressed-peoples-imaginations?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">tribute</a> to a man who believed life is best lived dangerously (16:50). </p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>Economists have stopped waiting for interest rates to drop because it doesn’t seem to be coming. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/11/02/markets-think-interest-rates-could-stay-high-for-a-decade-or-more?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">upward pressure</a> on long-term bond yields suggests that this situation could last for a while. How should the world adjust? <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/10/26/israels-war-economy-is-working-for-the-time-being?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">Israel’s economy</a> might be in good enough shape to withstand the next few months, but a longer war won’t come cheap (12:00). And, <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/10/30/the-genius-of-jilly-cooper-queen-of-british-bonkbusters?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">Jilly Cooper’s</a> sexy new book (18:55).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>A high-profile money-laundering case in Singapore with links to Chinese gamblers has shed light on a broader web of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/11/02/singapores-biggest-money-laundering-case-has-links-to-chinese-gamblers?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">organised crime</a> across the region. As governments wake up to the problem, what are the odds of them getting it under control? <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/30/a-vision-for-the-palestinians-after-the-war?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">Muhammad Dahlan</a>, often tipped to be next leader of the Palestinians, sets out his post-war vision (09:32). And how to stop <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/11/02/how-to-stop-turmeric-from-killing-people?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">turmeric</a> from killing people (18:00).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>One month on from Hamas’ attack on Israel, we meet <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/31/lebanons-prime-minister-najib-mikati-has-a-peace-plan-for-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">Najib Mikati</a>. He is hoping to prevent Hizbullah from joining the conflict, and broader spillover into the rest of the Middle East. Can he? The American state of Ohio is voting on <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/19/anti-abortion-campaigners-try-to-break-their-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">abortion rights</a> today and opposition campaigners are hoping that their new tactics will work this time (11:30). And, how lying is compromising <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/10/30/how-to-get-the-lying-out-of-hiring?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">hiring</a> (20:20).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>Israeli troops are gearing up to enter Gaza city, bracing for the next round of urban warfare. Our correspondent spends some time with a brigade on the front-lines. How prepared are they for the task ahead? The pandemic is over, so why are <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/10/22/welcome-to-the-age-of-the-hermit-consumer?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">consumers</a> still staying home, alone, and withdrawing from social activities (09:16)? And, why Gen-Z isn’t the only group “<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/10/06/dont-blame-quiet-quitting-on-gen-z?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">quiet quitting</a>” (17:40). Audio clip courtesy of Zaid Khan (@zaidleppelin).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>In our second episode of The Weekend Intelligence, <em>The Economist</em> correspondents Catherine Brahic and Sacha Nauta tell a different story about <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2023-07-22?utm_campaign%3Da.io%26utm_medium%3Daudio.podcast.np%26utm_source%3Dtheintelligence%26utm_content%3Ddiscovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article%26utm_term%3Dsa.listener&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1698930437180750&usg=AOvVaw3myo3W2GPyfkQcfy49G9Ou" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fertility treatment</a>. A story about the pain, the hope and the despair that is paid for a life to be created. And a personal story about two women, over five years, whose lives followed parallel tracks in their quest for a baby.</p><br><p><br></p><p>Sign up for a <a href="www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> explaining how to link your account.</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>From can-do-no-wrong wunderkind to one of the biggest fraudsters in the history of finance: we look at Sam Bankman-Fried’s fall and <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/11/03/why-sam-bankman-fried-has-been-convicted-of-fraud?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">conviction</a>, and what it has done to the wider cryptocurrency industry. The evident successes of IVF treatment mask many disappointments; how to <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/07/20/making-babymaking-better?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">improve</a> both outcomes and accessibility (13:15)? And take note, y’all: generational change is affecting America’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/11/young-americans-are-losing-the-southern-accent?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">southern accent</a> (22:14).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> 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>General Valery Zaluzhny concedes that five months of counter-offensive have not gained much—and <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/11/01/ukraines-top-general-on-the-breakthrough-he-needs-to-beat-russia?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 see from history</a> why the impasse may be impassable. Paris is starting to <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/21/the-arts-in-paris-are-booming-and-trying-to-nip-at-londons-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">nip at London’s heels</a> in the battle for supremacy in the art world (10:27). And <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/10/19/social-media-influencers-are-battling-to-educate-young-indians-about-sex?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 influencers</a> battle to teach the country’s youth about sex—because the government will not (17:16).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> 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>Online and on-screen reactions to the conflict reflect a subtle but important <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2023/10/28/the-culture-war-over-the-gaza-war?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">shift in Western attitudes</a>, driven by three related forces: technology, demography and ideology. Britain’s King Charles is visiting Kenya—and will have a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/26/history-will-complicate-king-charless-visit-to-kenya?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">harder time</a> navigating historical tensions than his mother ever did (09:56). And sleeping less tight: Paris is not the only place bedbugs are <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/10/17/its-not-just-paris-bedbugs-are-resurgent-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">on the rise</a> (18:24).</p><br><p>Sign up for a <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">free trial</a> of Economist Podcasts+</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> 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>As country after country in the Sahel has fallen prey to coups, President Macky Sall’s Senegal seemed an outpost of stability. Yet our correspondent finds him <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/26/senegals-president-asks-if-democracy-can-work-in-africas-coup-belt?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">less than sanguine</a> about democracy in the region. We sift through what little is known about “<a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/10/20/hamass-deadly-phantom-the-man-behind-the-attacks?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 Phantom</a>”, the Hamas fighter behind the attacks in Israel (11:57). And eating <em>steak frites</em> <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/10/26/the-french-debate-the-future-of-steak-frites?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">gets political</a> in France (19:47).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">offer that ends today</a>. </p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video</a> 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>The long-anticipated <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/28/israels-new-plan-to-encircle-hamas?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">invasion</a> is not the expected blitzkrieg; we ask how a longer, more cautious war will be fought. Kemal Ataturk is still wildly popular a century after he founded modern Turkey—so instead of undoing his legacy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is simply <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/10/26/instead-of-undoing-ataturks-legacy-recep-tayyip-erdogan-has-claimed-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">claiming it</a> (10:57). And an ode to Canada’s “long dash”, a time-marking tradition that has now gone silent (21:15).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video that explains</a> 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>American airstrikes on Syrian bases linked to Iran are a reminder that Iran’s proxies lie behind many Middle East conflicts. But the ayatollahs’ angling for wider war in Gaza is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/10/23/irans-ayatollahs-play-the-middle-easts-most-dangerous-game?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">deeply dangerous game</a>. We introduce you to our latest subscriber-only show, “<a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2023/10/26/introducing-the-weekend-intelligence?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 Weekend Intelligence</a>”—our new home for storytelling (10:35). And why Britain is <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/09/27/britons-take-laughing-gas-merrily-tories-take-it-more-seriously?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">outlawing</a> laughing gas (16:07).  </p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video that explains</a> how to link your account.</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>With the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/26/americas-house-of-representatives-finally-has-a-speaker?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">accession of Mike Johnson</a> as the lower chamber’s majority leader, Congress can at last get back to lawmaking—unless the leadership circus starts again. China’s banks may be loaded up with <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/10/15/chinas-banks-may-be-loaded-up-with-hidden-bad-loans?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">hidden bad loans</a>; the industry’s covid-era hangover could be about to intensify (09:29). And why so many films have become so <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/14/why-films-have-become-so-ridiculously-long?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">very, very long</a> (17:35).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video that explains</a> 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>The Weekend Intelligence is a new podcast from the award-winning team at The Economist. It’s a space for our reporters and writers to take a break from the news cycle, to tell the stories that mean the most to them, and to broaden all of our horizons.</p><br><p>Hosts Ore Ogunbiyi and Jason Palmer introduce one story to take you somewhere new every Saturday.</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 network of captives’ families has <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/24/netanyahus-handling-of-the-hostage-crisis-enrages-israelis?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">sprung up</a> to accomplish what Israel’s government has so far failed to do—and may yet emerge as a political force. Protecting rhinoceroses from poachers is an expensive business; we look at what has become a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/09/26/why-there-is-a-bear-market-in-rhinos?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">bear market</a> for rhinos (12:37). And why a coin toss is <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/10/15/how-to-predict-the-outcome-of-a-coin-toss?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">not the even-odds proposition</a> you might think it is (20:30).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video that explains</a> 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>President Vladimir Putin has long had it in for Alexei Navalny, Russia’s principal opposition figure. But now his <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/10/19/alexei-navalnys-lawyers-are-arrested?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">lawyers are in peril</a>, too, and Mr Navalny’s privations in prison are ramping up. Gaza’s need for aid may be urgent but is not new—Israel’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2023/10/19/israel-turns-to-financial-weapons-as-well-as-military-ones?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">economic stranglehold</a> goes back years (10:24). And, introducing “<a href="https://www.economist.com/bartleby/2023/10/23/is-being-a-leader-really-sexier-than-being-a-manager?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">Boss Class</a>”, our new, subscriber-only podcast series on being a better manager (19:50).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a> or watch our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48TlDbL-4vU" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">video that explains</a> 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>After dominating the polls for months, Javier Miliei, a right-wing firebrand, was outshone by the candidate from the ruling Peronist administration. We examine why Mr Milei fell so short and the run-off to come. Cross-border assassinations may be rising—and states seem to be more daring in carrying them out (11:46). And remembering Ofir Libstein, an Israeli mayor killed by Hamas (19:30)</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>They fled round after round of gunfire, hid for hours and saved hundreds of lives. It is a rare <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/10/13/how-one-kibbutz-defended-itself-from-hamas?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">story of survival</a> on what was a horrific day for Israel. <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/10/12/pemex-is-the-worlds-most-indebted-oil-company?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">Mexico’s national oil company</a> has accrued immense amounts of debt. Why is the government still propping it up (12:47)? And, video games are going <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/12/mario-and-sonic-the-hedgehog-lead-a-2d-turn-in-entertainment?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">back to 2D</a> (19:57). </p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</p><br><p>Runtime: 26 min</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 a refugee camp in Chad, we speak with those fleeing <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/05/genocide-returns-to-darfur?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">murder in Darfur</a>. Reporting on the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and a powerful paramilitary group may have slowed, but the suffering has not. <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/09/28/bowel-cancer-is-rising-among-young-people?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">Bowel cancer</a> is becoming more common in young people. How can screening be improved (14:23)? And, <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/12/new-york-city-discovers-a-revolutionary-technology-the-bin?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 York City</a> rediscovers the dustbin (20:21).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 fatal explosion at a hospital-cum-shelter has led to outrage and the canceling of the very summit that the US president had flown in for. <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/17/biden-steers-a-risky-course-in-the-israel-hamas-war?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">America’s support</a> for Israel is unwavering but could this escalation prompt the involvement of regional neighbours? Modi’s meddling in <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/10/04/narendra-modi-has-seized-and-politicised-indian-cricket?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 cricket</a> is bad for the game (10:53). And <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/03/lots-of-people-mourn-when-famous-writers-and-musicians-die-why?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">mourning</a> dead artists (19:19).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 may have avoided a government shutdown last month but its fiscal worries are far from over. And unease in <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/09/28/forget-the-shutdown-americas-real-fiscal-worry-is-rising-bond-yields?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">bond markets</a> will spill over into the rest of the world. What can governments do to stave off the financial blow? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/10/02/communist-rappers-are-luring-chinas-disgruntled-youth?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">Chinese Communist Party’s youth wing</a> is using rap to lure new members, and it’s working (10:10). And, how has “<a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/29/bluey-captures-the-joys-of-childhood-and-parenting?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">Bluey</a>” become such a hit (19:16)?  </p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>

After two terms in power, Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s nationalist party looks to have <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/10/15/exit-polls-suggest-a-big-victory-for-polands-opposition?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">lost its majority</a>. For Donald Tusk’s pro-Europe centrists, it’s bargaining time. Thousands of Americans are waiting for transplants, so why are so many <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/09/16/in-america-lots-of-usable-organs-go-unrecovered-or-get-binned?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">organs</a> going to waste instead (12:01)? And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/14/the-importance-of-handwriting-is-becoming-better-understood?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">writing</a> might be better for your memory than typing (18:52). <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>Bombs have <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2023/10/10/people-in-gaza-hate-the-night-all-they-can-see-are-explosions?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">rained</a> on the strip since Hamas’s attack on Israel last Saturday. With food, water and electricity running out ahead of a ground invasion, one woman tells us the worst is yet to come. The Ukrainian war has reached <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/09/25/war-has-arrived-in-crimea?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">Crimea</a>. Kyiv is subverting Russian dominance in the Black Sea, could that prove pivotal (11:26)? And, how the death of <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/08/22/the-sudden-demise-of-indian-vultures-killed-thousands-of-people?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">Indian vultures</a> has affected public health (20:12).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 Defence Force is preparing to follow up its air strikes on Gaza with <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/11/brutal-urban-warfare-awaits-israels-army-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">troops</a>. An incursion will be bloody, and perhaps even more so if Hezbollah becomes embroiled in the conflict. Australians will vote this weekend on whether to enshrine an indigenous <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/09/28/australians-looks-set-to-reject-new-provisions-for-aboriginal-people?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">Voice to Parliament</a> into its constitution (11:36).</p><p>And, why Birkenstock’s 249-year-old shoes are still trendy (19:27).</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>How does the Palestinian militant group justify the atrocities committed in Israel? Why has it done this? What does it plan to do with the hostages? In a conversation with Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior official, Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist's editor-in-chief, presses for answers.</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 the retribution continues, the state has now cut off supplies to the Palestinian enclave, and America is sending military support to Binyamin Netanyahu. But how will <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/09/after-its-brutal-attack-hamas-is-calculating-its-next-move?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">Hamas</a> respond? From cowboys to country music, <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/09/21/brazils-hinterland-now-resembles-texas?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">Brazil’s hinterland</a> is taking on a sepia-tinged Americanness (10:46). And which <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/09/18/which-languages-take-the-longest-to-learn?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">languages</a> might take you the longest to learn (18:00)?</p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>

Almost exactly 50 years on from the moment that launched the deadly Yom Kippur War, Hamas, the militant group that controls the Gaza strip, carried out a series of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/10/07/israel-reels-as-hamas-launches-a-spectacular-and-bloody-offensive?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">attacks</a>. Hundreds have been killed, Israeli intelligence services were surprised and the retribution is bound to be severe. What does this mean for Palestinian civilians, and regional politics <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/10/08/the-lessons-from-hamass-assault-on-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">more broadly</a>? <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 once-unassailable titan of tech has missed big opportunities in recent years. But it has a reasonable shot at the title again, thanks to its <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/09/28/the-lessons-from-microsofts-startling-comeback?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 ambitions</a>. Sexual assault allegations in China made the Women’s Tennis Association take a hard line on tournaments in the country—<a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/09/28/after-an-unsuccessful-boycott-womens-tennis-is-back-in-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">for a while</a> (8:48). And why 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">brutal felling</a> of an ancient tree has bothered Britons so much (16:18).</p><p><em>Additional audio courtesy of </em><a href="https://www.youtube.com/@DavesWalks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Dave's Walks</em></a></p><br><p>Sign up for <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Economist Podcasts+</a> now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>Divisions within the ruling party are on full display this week, and the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2023/10/04/rishi-sunak-is-wrong-to-amputate-britains-high-speed-rail-line?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">provocative policies</a> Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced are unlikely to help the Conservatives’ woeful polling numbers. Early results suggest that new drugs initially prescribed for weight loss may be <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/09/14/drugs-to-treat-alcohol-addiction-are-underused?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 powerful treatment</a> for alcohol-use disorder (13:06). And a data dive reveals which countries <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/09/08/which-countries-get-the-best-nights-sleep?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">get the most sleep</a> (20:05)</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>Another shutdown standoff, funding worries for Ukraine, more leadership chaos: the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/04/the-sacking-of-kevin-mccarthy-will-make-supporting-ukraine-harder?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">booting</a> of America’s speaker of the House of Representatives bodes ill for governance. “Jawan”, a new Indian film, is non-stop action with Bollywood flourishes—and reveals how divisions in the country <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/09/14/how-to-unite-india-bollywood-style?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 bridged</a> (9:26). And an investigation of places where centenarians are abundant suggests healthy lifestyles are <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/09/28/places-claiming-to-be-centenarian-hotspots-may-just-have-bad-data?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">not the cause</a> (17:55).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 founder of FTX, a spectacularly failed cryptocurrency exchange, is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/03/decoding-sam-bankman-fried-alleged-titan-of-crypto-conmen?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">curious character</a>. He denies the stack of charges he faces in a New York court, but unpicking the cryptographic paper trail will be tricky. Crime in Britain is broadly in decline, with the notable exception of <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/09/22/why-shoplifting-is-rising-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">increasingly brazen</a> shoplifting (10:24). And how a sports-media entrepreneur became a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/28/dave-portnoy-an-internet-personality-has-become-pizzas-kingmaker?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">pizza-review star</a> (15:57).</p><p><em>Additional audio courtesy South West News Service.</em></p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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 literal 11th-hour deal to avert a government shutdown is only a stopgap—and the battle may end up <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2023/10/01/by-averting-a-government-shutdown-kevin-mccarthy-risks-his-job?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">costing Kevin McCarthy his post</a> as leader of the House of Representatives. The uptake of electric scooters is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2023/09/14/electric-two-wheelers-are-creating-a-buzz-in-asia?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">significantly outpacing</a> that of four-wheeled vehicles in Asia (10:30). And Britain’s curious “risk registers” put numbers to how the world <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2023/09/13/how-to-get-ready-for-the-end-of-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">might end</a> (16:47).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">limited-time offer</a>. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>If you’re already a subscriber to <em>The Economist</em>, you’ll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.</p><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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> During past economic downturns, officials have been both swift and bold. This time not so much—because their hands are tied by <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/09/28/politics-hamper-chinas-efforts-to-stimulate-the-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">knotty internal politics</a>. We ask why Latin America makes for such a useful playground for <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/09/14/latin-america-remains-a-playground-for-russian-intelligence?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 spies</a> (10:07). And remembering Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist who never deviated from his not-quite-comically <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2023/09/28/fernando-botero-became-famous-for-his-over-size-people-and-animals?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">plump figures</a> (18:16).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>Many of the pieces are in place to bring the disease entirely under control—but our correspondent finds <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/09/17/is-the-end-of-aids-in-sight?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">it will take more</a> than advances in medication. Japan’s government has at last begun to regulate the country’s notorious pornography; we examine a sector <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2023/08/19/japans-porn-industry-comes-out-of-the-shadows?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">emerging from the shadows</a> (11:07). And how China uses UNESCO world-heritage status to <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2023/09/21/how-china-uses-unesco-to-rewrite-history?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">rewrite the history</a> of its periphery (18:38).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>Where the defensive lines really are, the state of Russia’s reserves, battlefield tactics: Kyrylo Budanov is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/09/17/an-interview-with-the-head-of-ukraines-defence-intelligence?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 candid interviewee</a>—but he claims to know nothing about all those drones. Gambling has been illegal in Brazil for decades, but pinched government coffers point to a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2023/09/14/short-of-cash-brazils-government-may-end-its-gambling-prohibition?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">lifting of the prohibition</a> (10:42). And the passion and the profitability of “<a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/11/06/booktok-has-passion-and-enormous-marketing-power?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">BookTok</a>”, the literary end of TikTok (16:51).</p><br><p>Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.</p><br><p>Visit <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.economist.com/podcastsplus-intelligence</a> to join.</p><br><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><br><p>For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our <a href="https://myaccount.economist.com/s/article/What-is-Economist-Podcasts" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FAQs page</a>.</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>