From <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/07/28/new-strikes-in-iran-show-the-weakness-of-donald-trumps-deal?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">impasse in Iran</a> to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to it. Our correspondent says that in the driverless-car future, it will often be Chinese AI <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/07/23/can-china-dominate-ai-exports-too?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">behind the wheel</a>. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2026/07/23/wally-funk-was-told-women-couldnt-be-astronauts?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Wally Funk</a>, who never relinquished her ambition to become an astronaut.&nbsp;Watch extended clips from Insider, plus our full Elon Musk interview, <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/insider/previews?utm_campaign=a.brand_fy2627_q1_awareness-imp-tr_prospecting_global-global_direct_na&utm_medium=audio.podcast.pd&utm_source=economist&utm_content=discovery.awareness.anonymous.tr_nativeread_np-tiinsider-apr_na-na_web_na_na_na_na&utm_term=sa.arc-isi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;Guests and host:<ul><li>Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent</li><li>Don Weinland, China business and finance editor</li><li>Ann Wroe, obituaries editor</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul>Topics covered:&nbsp;<ul><li>Iran war, Strait of Hormuz, diplomacy</li><li>China, AI, driverless cars</li><li>Wally Funk, astronauts</li></ul>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—<a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subscribe to The Economist</a>.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

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