Myanmar’s jailed leader has not been seen since 2022. We ask if she is in fact alive, and what might happen if the military junta acceded to demands for her release. We examine Turkey’s plan to turn the war in Iran to its advantage. And delving into the research on just how much sleep is enough—and too much.

Guests and host:

• Aaron Connelly, Asia diplomatic editor
• Cerian Richmond-Jones, international economics correspondent
• Sam Wikeley, science correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar
• Turkey, economics, Iran war
• sleep, science

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The longtime South Carolina senator died suddenly at the weekend. His political arc mirrored that of his Republican party in the Trump era. We ask what his death leaves behind. Frontier AI models opaquely embody a worldview and set of values; we poke the big ones, asking what they believe. And why Old Master paintings are again so popular.

Guests and host:

• Adam Roberts, foreign editor
• Sondre Solstad, senior data journalist
• Alexandra Suich Bass, culture editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Lindsey Graham, Republican party, American foreign policy
• AI frontier models, values
• art market, Old Masters

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Andrey Melnichenko, Russia’s biggest industrialist, warns in The Economist that disaster is looming for his country as the war in Ukraine continues. What does it mean when members of the elite risk broadcasting their discontent? Our correspondent describes life in Kyiv as attacks intensify. And our week-long journey down Route 66 reaches the end of the road.

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

• Edward Carr, Economist deputy editor
• Arkady Ostrovsky, Russia editor
• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Jon Fasman, senior culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered:

• Russia, Putin, Andrey Melnichenko
• Ukraine, Kyiv, drone, interceptor
• Route 66, car culture

Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.