The Intelligence from The Economist

The toppling of authoritarian leader Sheikh Hassina in Bangladesh in 2024 was celebrated as a triumph for democracy. Tomorrow the country finally heads to the polls. Our correspondent weighs the choice. Can Mars and other bleak planets be made fit for human habitation? And why AI bots are applying for human jobs.

To find out how to have sex in space, listen to this episode of “The Weekend Intelligence”.

Guests and host:
Rosie Blau and Jason Palmer, co-hosts of “The Intelligence”
Mark Johnson, senior writer
Oliver Morton, senior editor
Shera Avi-Yonah, business writer

Topics covered:
Bangladesh’s election
Astrobiology
How AI changes job recruitment

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Sir Keir Starmer has faced calls for his resignation from a senior party member. He has survived – but Britain’s prime minister is now fighting for his political survival. Assisted dying legislation is catching up with public opinion in America. And what happens when skiing meets rodeo?

Guests and host:
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Sacha Nauta, Britain editor
Stevie Hertz, US policy correspondent
Aryn Braun, West Coast corrrespondent

Topics covered:
Keir Starmer’s political future
Assisted dying in America
The sport of skijoring

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Takaichi Sanae’s gamble to call a general election has paid off. How will the prime minister’s thumping victory change Japan? New legislation in Republican states could imperil academic freedom. And why “Taxi Driver” resonates 50 years after the film’s release.

Guests and host:
Rosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”
Noah Sneider, East Asia bureau chief
Rebecca Jackson, Southern correspondent
Andrew Miller, author of The Economist’s Back Story column on culture

Topics covered:
Japan’s election
University censorship in America
Fifty years of “Taxi Driver”

For more on Japan’s economy, listen to last week’s episode of Money Talks

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This week Elon Musk announced the merger of two of his companies: SpaceX and xAI, which makes chatbots. Is the new firm viable? As migrant workers return home for lunar new year, the Chinese Communist Party tells migrant workers not to stay for too long. And our culture editor’s hot take on “Heated Rivalry”.

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The New START nuclear deal was signed in 2010 to restrict the number of strategic warheads and missiles America and Russia could amass. Will there be a new deal – and what will happen if not? How social media has helped fuel recruitment to cults. And our baldness correspondent bristles at some hairy questions.

Listen back to "The Bomb", our Babbage series on America's quest to modernise its nuclear arsenal.

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