A Biden by their decision? Democrats debate

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.Hosts Ore Ogunbiyi and Jason Palmer introduce one story to take you somewhere new every Saturday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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A network of captives’ families has sprung up 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 bear market for rhinos (12:37). And why a coin toss is not the even-odds proposition you might think it is (20:30).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.

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President Vladimir Putin has long had it in for Alexei Navalny, Russia’s principal opposition figure. But now his lawyers are in peril, 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 economic stranglehold goes back years (10:24). And, introducing “Boss Class”, our new, subscriber-only podcast series on being a better manager (19:50).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.

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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)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 Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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