Rio brand: why Brazil is courting China

General Valery Zaluzhny concedes that five months of counter-offensive have not gained much—and can see from history why the impasse may be impassable. Paris is starting to nip at London’s heels in the battle for supremacy in the art world (10:27). And India’s influencers battle to teach the country’s youth about sex—because the government will not (17:16).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.

2 Marras 202322min

Online and on-screen reactions to the conflict reflect a subtle but important shift in Western attitudes, driven by three related forces: technology, demography and ideology. Britain’s King Charles is visiting Kenya—and will have a harder time navigating historical tensions than his mother ever did (09:56). And sleeping less tight: Paris is not the only place bedbugs are on the rise (18:24).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.

1 Marras 202324min

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 less than sanguine about democracy in the region. We sift through what little is known about “the Phantom”, the Hamas fighter behind the attacks in Israel (11:57). And eating steak frites gets political in France (19:47).Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our offer that ends today. 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.

31 Loka 202323min

The long-anticipated invasion 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 claiming it (10:57). And an ode to Canada’s “long dash”, a time-marking tradition that has now gone silent (21:15).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.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 that explains how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Loka 202328min

On foreign policy, trade and immigration, the Republican Party wants America to push the world away. This is a departure, but also a return to what the party used to believe. How did the Republican Party go from isolationism to internationalism and then back again? And what does that mean for America’s foreign policy?John Prideaux hosts with Charlotte Howard and Idrees Kahloon. They’re joined by Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, and The Economist’s Edward Carr.Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. 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.For full access to print, digital and audio editions, as well as exclusive live events, subscribe to The Economist at economist.com/uspod. 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.

27 Loka 202351min

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 deeply dangerous game. We introduce you to our latest subscriber-only show, “The Weekend Intelligence”—our new home for storytelling (10:35). And why Britain is outlawing laughing gas (16:07). Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.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 that explains how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Loka 202322min

Last week, we spoke to the author Michael Lewis, who was embedded with Sam Bankman-Fried, as FTX, the crypto-trading empire he built, came crashing down amid allegations of fraud, which Mr Bankman-Fried denies. Mr Lewis credits Changpeng Zhao - the boss of Binance, a rival exchange - with bringing Mr Bankman-Fried to prominence. But CZ, as he’s known, may also have played a role in his downfall. This week, we speak to him about what the future holds for crypto. Hosts: Alice Fulwood, Mike Bird and Tom Lee-Devlin. Guests: CZ.Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer. 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.

26 Loka 202343min

With the accession of Mike Johnson 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 hidden bad loans; the industry’s covid-era hangover could be about to intensify (09:29). And why so many films have become so very, very long (17:35).Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited-time offer.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 that explains how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

26 Loka 202323min