The Intelligence from The Economist

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Diplomacy up in smoke: Biden visits Israel Oct 18, 2023

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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. America’s support for Israel is unwavering but could this escalation prompt the involvement of regional neighbours? Modi’s meddling in India’s cricket is bad for the game (10:53). And mourning dead artists (19:19).

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Invaluable bonds: rising borrowing costs Oct 17, 2023

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America may have avoided a government shutdown last month but its fiscal worries are far from over. And unease in bond markets will spill over into the rest of the world. What can governments do to stave off the financial blow? The Chinese Communist Party’s youth wing is using rap to lure new members, and it’s working (10:10). And, how has “Bluey” become such a hit (19:16)?

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Pole position: elections in Poland Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

After two terms in power, Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s nationalist party looks to have lost its majority. For Donald Tusk’s pro-Europe centrists, it’s bargaining time. Thousands of Americans are waiting for transplants, so why are so many organs going to waste instead (12:01)? And why writing might be better for your memory than typing (18:52).

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6000 bombs in six days: life in Gaza Oct 13, 2023

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Bombs have rained 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 Crimea. Kyiv is subverting Russian dominance in the Black Sea, could that prove pivotal (11:26)? And, how the death of Indian vultures has affected public health (20:12).

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Mass destruction: Israel prepares for a ground invasion Oct 12, 2023

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The Defence Force is preparing to follow up its air strikes on Gaza with troops. 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 Voice to Parliament into its constitution (11:36).

And, why Birkenstock’s 249-year-old shoes are still trendy (19:27).

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An interview with a Hamas leader Oct 11, 2023

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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.

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Shell shocked: Israel fights back Oct 10, 2023

Show notes

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 Hamas respond? From cowboys to country music, Brazil’s hinterland is taking on a sepia-tinged Americanness (10:46). And which languages might take you the longest to learn (18:00)?

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Israel reels: a bloody assault Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

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 attacks. 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 more broadly?

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Windows of opportunity: Microsoft’s AI push Oct 06, 2023

Show notes

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 artificial-intelligence ambitions. Sexual assault allegations in China made the Women’s Tennis Association take a hard line on tournaments in the country—for a while (8:48). And why the brutal felling of an ancient tree has bothered Britons so much (16:18).

Additional audio courtesy of Dave's Walks

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So the Tory goes: Britain’s Conservatives meet Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Divisions within the ruling party are on full display this week, and the provocative policies 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 powerful treatment for alcohol-use disorder (13:06). And a data dive reveals which countries get the most sleep (20:05)

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