Bear hug? China’s take on Ukraine

Today’s show is a tribute to those whose lives we remembered this year. From Pope Francis, the most open-minded pontiff for decades, and controversial vice-president Dick Cheney, to champ of the chimpanzees Jane Goodall, bubblegum pop star Brian Wilson and Alice Tan Ridley, a New York subway busker who became a superstar.   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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Announcing the return of The Economist’s annual ranking for best performing economy. Are you ready for the big reveal? Dalit cuisine is barely visible, in India or beyond. And why London’s river boats are making a comeback.  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years after seizing power in a coup, the military junta in Myanmar is holding an election. Yet all credible opposition has been banned. And war has inspired so many films over the past century. Our correspondents battle it out to pick the best one.  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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many books are published each year; few stand the test of time. Today we devote our whole show to asking which works have shaped the way we behave and how we think. Picks include “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen, “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth and “Lord of the Rings” by JRR Tolkien. Full list of books mentioned in the show: The Bible The Koran “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen  “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins “On the Origin of Species” by Charles Darwin “Il Saggiatore” by Galileo Galilei “Two New Sciences” by Galileo Galilei “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” by Thomas Piketty “Amusing Ourselves to Death” by Neil Postman The novels of Philip Pullman The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling “The Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley “A Suitable Boy” by Vikram Seth  “Lord of the Rings” by J.R.R. Tolkien  “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join our editors and correspondents in a gripping test of recall and reflexes. There are questions on business and politics of course—but also news noises to identify, one saucy limerick and quotes from “The Real Housewives” franchise that frankly no one expected. Which team will take the trophy? 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.