Bombs and bombshells: Zelensky under pressure

<p>From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, <a href="economist.com/europe/2026/08/18/russian-attack…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">headaches are mounting</a> for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now coped with a patchy, pricey system for mental-health treatment. The government is now <a href="economist.com/china/2026/08/13/in-china-treatm…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">getting serious</a> about plugging the gaps. And why <a href="economist.com/culture/2026/08/07/the-dark-unde…; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a debate</a> over “Paw Patrol” is more than just culture-war madness. </p><br><p>Guests and host:</p><ul><li>Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent</li><li>Sarah Wu, China correspondent</li><li>Andrew Miller, special correspondent</li><li>Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Topics covered: </p><ul><li>Ukraine war, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Fedorov</li><li>China, CCP, mental health</li><li>Paw Patrol, culture wars</li></ul><p><br></p><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus"; rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribe to The Economist</em></a><em>.</em></p>

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