The Intelligence from The Economist

Scientists are making considerable progress in the race to slow the ageing process of our cells, and in turn, our bodies. But what would living for longer actually mean for the world? How government legislation and impatient consumers are forcing the advertising industry to adapt (13:19). And, the story behind a famous, 200-year-old Christmas poem (21:29). For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off gift subscriptions to our print and digital editionsSign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Berlin bureau chief sits down with the increasingly popular co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, the furthest-right of the country’s seven main political parties. How viable are her policy plans? The startup behind a reusable missile that could change American warfare (10:08). And, the quirkiest segments we have run in 2023 (18:31).For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editionsSign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The state’s supreme court has ruled that he cannot appear on the Republican primary ballot, citing insurrection and a constitutional amendment. It’s an extraordinary decision, but it will only matter if it sticks. In the Netherlands, far-right Geerts Wilders is hard-pressed to form a coalition government after his November victory (09:05). And, regulating riotous rickshaws in London (16:28).For a limited time, visit economist.com/gift to redeem 30% off of gift subscriptions to our print and digital editionsSign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a dubious win in 2018, Felix Tshisekedi is running for office again in the Democratic Republic of Congo – and an incumbency bias could work in his favour. Is there any hope for a fair election? 2023 has brought a flurry of news on the developments of artificial intelligence, so let’s take stock (13:45). And, why New York is introducing a congestion charge (21:50).Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In response to the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Houthi militants are attacking vessels along the key shipping route. If it continues, the consequences could upend global trade. Why do so many young Americans think that the Holocaust is a myth (09:51)? And, how museums are finding some value in NFTs (14:40). Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Podcast transcripts are available upon request at podcasts@economist.com. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For almost a decade The Economist’s Noah Sneider has been following the story of MH17, the passenger plane shot down over Eastern Ukraine on July 17th 2014. All 298 people on board died. No group, or country, has ever admitted responsibility, leaving the victim's families searching for answers. In this episode Noah, who was at the scene of the crash that day, reports on the ten year battle for justice.Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Volodymyr Zelensky is hoping to secure more aid from Washington. But the decision rests with a divided Congress. What does this mean for the next phase of war? India’s aviation industry is really taking off and this boom looks much more promising than the last (10:59). And, the riotous origins of eggnog (18:42).Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News outlets are often hounded by the right for being too left-leaning. Our data show there might be something to that, but the reasons why are more complicated than you think. As a NATO frontline state, the war in Ukraine is prompting Poland to ramp up its military spending – and double the size of its armed forces (08:42). And, what a hit property show reveals about the British dream (15:25).Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a landmark agreement, nearly 200 nations have agreed to transition away from fossil fuels. However, that is not the same as phasing them out. Has the deal done enough? For the young trying to invest, the markets look bleak. But they could make better choices (10:42). And, the allure of cookery books (17:18).Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the Hamas attacks and the ensuing war in Gaza, debate at America’s top academic institutions has turned sour. Now, the issue has reignited an age-old argument about freedom of speech on campuses. Today Britain’s parliament will vote on whether to send asylum seekers to Rwanda – they aren’t the only ones thinking about outsourcing responsibility (07:54). And books about the twilight of the automobile age (17:32)Sign up for a free trial 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 FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.Podcast transcripts are available upon request at podcasts@economist.com. We are committed to improving accessibility even further and are exploring new ways to expand our podcast-transcript offering. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.