Also on the daily podcast: what the Artemis Moon mission really accomplished and remembering a brave Soviet psychiatrist

SHOW-NOTES TEXT  (60ish wds)

Binyamin Netanyahu says his strikes against Hizbullah are separate from the Iran-war ceasefire. That assertion is putting cracks in the deal, and in Israel’s relationship with America. We look at the stated and the unstated goals of the Artemis mission to the Moon—both achieved. And a tribute to Semyon Gluzman, who exposed the Soviet ruse of labelling dissidents as mental-health cases.

Guests and host:

• Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
• Oliver Morton, senior editor
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Israel, Iran war, Lebanon, America
• Artemis mission, NASA, Moon
• Semyon Gluzman, Soviet Union, psychiatry

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President Donald Trump has long threatened to pull America out of the alliance. We examine why the Iran war has made this time look significantly more serious. Westerners are fleeing their countries in record numbers—with economic consequences for their origins and destinations. And our series profiling the countries contesting the World Cup starts with Spain.  

Guests and host:

• Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor
• Callum Williams, senior economics writer
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• NATO, war in Iran, Donald Trump, Mark Rutte
• expats, emigration, economics
• World Cup, Spain

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With little time to spare before a threatened civilisation-ending attack, America agreed a pause in fighting with Iran. We ask how the temporary deal was reached and how likely a permanent one is. China has an ever-expanding, state-led IVF programme: can that actually reverse a deepening demographic crisis? And the right way to think about AI’s entry into literature. 

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Carla Subirana, news editor
• Andrew Miller, special correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran war, Donald Trump, ceasefire
• China, demographics, IVF
• AI, literature

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President Donald Trump’s rhetoric has grown yet more bellicose—and sweary. His stated ploy to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants would be ruinous for Iran, and Iran’s planned retaliation ruinous for the region. AI-driven job losses predicted for India’s IT sector are looking more likely to be job gains. And why Gen Z is taking up boomers’ hobbies.  

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Gavin Jackson, South Asia business and economics correspondent
• Caitlin Talbot, digital culture correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran war, America
• India, IT work, AI
• Gen Z, hobbies

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Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, is an idol to the global nationalist conservative right. Losing the next election would have far-reaching consequences. Could tourists help boost jaguar populations in South and Central America? And the number of Catholic saints is soaring. 

Guests and host:

• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”
• Matt Steinglass, Europe editor
• Ana Lankes, Brazil correspondent
• Catherine Nixey, culture correspondent

Topics covered: 

• Hungary, Viktor Orban, Peter Magyar, Fidesz
• Jaguars, climate change
• Saints, Catholic 

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A giant leadership reshuffle is underway in China, but one job will stay the same: Xi Jinping is almost certain to secure another five-year term at next year’s party congress. Reasons to be optimistic about Europe’s tech future. And the life of controversial winemaker, Michel Rolland.

Guests and host:

• James Miles, global China writer
• Guy Scriven, global business writer
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Xi Jinping, China, Party Congress
• Tech, quantum computing
• Michel Rolland, wine, obituary

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+

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NASA has successfully launched its first crewed space mission in over a decade. Our correspondent explains why America wants to build a moonbase. AI models underperform in languages other than English. And meet China’s social-media stars: influencer-officials. 

Guests and host:

• Oliver Morton, senior editor
• Deena Mousa, science writer
• Gabriel Crossley, China correspondent
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Artemis II, moon, NASA
• AI, LLMs, language
• China, Chinese Communist Party, influencers, social media 

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Ukraine’s resistance to Russia relies on the clever use of drones. Much of that strategy is down to a single person, a former grain trader with a great idea. Our correspondent meets him. Since the Brexit vote a decade ago, Britain has become more like Europe. And why American universities are abandoning the notorious swimming test. 

Guests and host:

• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Matthew Holehouse, Britain public policy editor
• Doug Dowson, data journalist
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Ukraine, drones, Russia, Putin
• Britain, Europe, European Union, single market
• American universities, race, discrimination, swimming

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An Economist investigation reveals that Iran is profiting from the war as it evades sanctions and oil prices surge. India’s government has promised to crush the country’s Maoist insurgency. Our correspondent visits a former rebel stronghold. And why understudies, a theatre’s insurance policy, are underestimated. 

Guests and host:

• Rachana Shanbhogue, business affairs editor
• Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
• Hamish Clayton, culture writer
• Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Oil, Iran, Kharg Island, sanctions
• India, Modi, Maoists
• Culture, theatre, understudies

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The Iran conflict is escalating with little prospect of an end in sight. Our correspondent explains why a US ground invasion is likely. In an ongoing history series, we look at how America’s attitude to migrants changed as it got richer. And “Project Hail Mary” is a sci-fi film drawing wide audiences.

Guests and host:

• Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent
• Annie Crabill, a news editor in New York
• Alexandra Suich Bass, Culture editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Iran, Houthis, geopolitics, oil
• America, migration, colonialism
• “Project Hail Mary”, sci-fi

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Even before America crimped Cuba’s oil, the country was teetering. We ask what is to blame for the Cuban people’s plight, and whether anything better is in prospect. The craze of injecting peptides is not only scientifically unsupported—it is potentially dangerous. Chuck Norris once got mad at dinosaurs. Just once. Our obituaries editor recounts his unlikely rise to international manly stardom. 

Guests and host:

• Sarah Birke, Central America and Caribbean bureau chief
• Natasha Loder, health editor
• Tim Cross, senior science writer
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Cuba, Trump administration
• peptides, wellness, pseudoscience
• Chuck Norris

Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.

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