The Intelligence from The Economist

Zero-to-some game: Asia-Pacific covid-19 plans crack

<p>Where governments enacted zero-tolerance coronavirus strategies, numbers indeed stayed low. That was before the Delta variant. We ask how countries can now <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/09/asian-countries-are-at-last-abandoning-zero-covid-strategies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wind back</a> those policies. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/10/09/the-french-catholic-church-acknowledges-a-staggering-pattern-of-sexual-abuse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shocking report</a> of sexual abuse within France’s Catholic church further threatens the institution’s connection with society. And countering the notion that the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/10/02/dont-ditch-standard-english-teach-it-better?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standard English</a>” taught the world over is the only proper one. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Strait of tension: Chinese jets test Taiwan

<p>China has sent more than 100 planes to probe Taiwan’s air-defence zone. We explain why Beijing has chosen this moment to send a message across the strait. The WHO has approved a vaccine against malaria—a turning-point in fighting a disease that kills 260,000 African children a year. And if you want a Nobel prize, it helps to be lauded by a laureate.    </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

How to lose friends and alienate people: Ethiopia’s civil war

<p>Abiy Ahmed is sworn in again as prime minister, even as continuing strife increases the country’s isolation. Our correspondent witnesses the gruesome aftermath of a telling battle. China once encouraged, even forced abortions. Now, as it frets about declining birth rates, it’s discouraging them. And we report on India’s “godmen” and “godwomen”, their moneyspinning schemes and their fanatical followers.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Ticker shock: London’s wheezing stockmarket

<p>A global financial centre must move with the times, and—so far—London has not. Our correspondent lays out the causes of the malaise, and <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/10/02/how-to-revive-britains-stockmarket?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to fix it</a>. For many years compulsory military service was on the decline; we ask why so many countries are <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/10/02/the-military-draft-is-making-a-comeback?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bringing it back</a>. And why Europe is the destination for a growing class of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/10/02/why-europe-is-a-great-place-for-digital-nomads?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">digital nomads</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

When it goes dark: Facebook’s terrible week

<p>Yesterday’s global outage is not even the worst of it: today’s congressional testimony will examine a whistleblower’s <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/4f372ad0cb173caf4691d83696b3b08a?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">allegations</a> that the company knows its products cause widespread harm. The modern food-industrial complex is great for eaters but appalling for the planet; we examine technological <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/10/02/new-ways-to-make-food-are-coming-but-will-consumers-bite?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fixes</a>, and whether consumers will bite. And how Afghanistan's embassies abroad are—<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/02/afghan-embassies-dont-recognise-the-taliban?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">or aren’t</a>—dealing with the Taliban.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Docket launch: a new term for America’s Supreme Court

<p>The court will be <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/10/02/the-new-supreme-court-term-is-about-to-begin?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tackling</a> just about every judicial and social flashpoint in the country during the term that starts today; our correspondent lays out the considerable stakes. A vast and costly die-off of Britain’s trees could have been averted simply and cheaply: just let them stay put. And why hotels are such <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/24/why-do-hotels-make-for-such-good-drama?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ideal backdrops</a> for filmmakers and scriptwriters.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

The courage of two convictions: Nicolas Sarkozy

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/01/nicolas-sarkozys-jail-sentence-shocks-frances-political-class?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first conviction</a> of France’s former president shocked the nation; the second confirms for citizens that, these days, politicians will be held to account. Our correspondent meets a Burmese hipster who, after this year’s military coup, has become a somewhat conflicted <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/09/27/killing-informants-is-cool-how-a-myanmar-hipster-became-a-guerrilla-fighter?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">freedom fighter</a>. And the record label whose name you may never have heard but whose music you <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/22/kpm-music-is-one-of-the-most-important-record-labels-in-history?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">certainly have</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Nobody’s fuel: Britain’s shortages

<p>From chicken to petrol, Britons are facing <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/boris-johnson-dodges-the-blame-for-britains-petrol-pump-nightmare/21805106?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">long queues and bare shelves</a>. We ask about the multifarious reasons behind the shortfalls, and how long they will last. Tunisia’s democracy has been looking shaky <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/26/tunisias-democracy-totters-as-the-president-suspends-parliament?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">for months</a>; we examine what may change with yesterday’s appointment of its first-ever female prime minister. And India’s beleaguered unmarried couples at last are getting <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/09/23/love-hotels-are-blossoming-in-india?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">some privacy</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Suga-free Diet: Japan’s next leader

<p>The ruling party’s choice for its president—a shoo-in for prime minister—seems to overlook the people’s will. We ask how Kishida Fumio is likely to lead, and for how long. Some of Nigeria’s megachurches are larger than stadiums, and have considerable assets—as do many of their charismatic pastors. And keeping up with demand for vinyl records presents pressing problems. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

A run for its money: funding crunches in Congress

<p>America’s crash of deadlines carries risks for the government’s budget and just possibly its <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/09/21/what-is-americas-debt-ceiling?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sovereign debt</a>, and threatens Joe Biden’s presidency-defining social-spending reforms. We ask what happens next. South Korea’s government is ostensibly cracking down on fake news; in practice it may be <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/09/23/south-koreas-plan-to-fight-fake-news-could-hobble-real-journalism?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hobbling real journalism</a>. And the hopeful view provided by a French conceptual artist’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/25/a-bold-artists-work-is-at-once-high-tech-and-primeval?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">latest work</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Colour schemes: Germany’s coming coalition

<p>The country heads for a three-party government after a <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/26/after-a-tight-election-olaf-scholzs-social-democrats-come-out-just-in-front?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nail-biting election</a>. We cut through the flurry of letters and colours to ask what is likely to happen next. The technology swiftly deployed to combat the coronavirus may also crack a four-decade-old problem: <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/a-new-aids-vaccine-heads-to-clinical-trials/21804378?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vaccinating against HIV</a>. And evidence that the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex may have liked a love bite.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Clubs seal: China’s view as alliances multiply

<p>Leaders of “the Quad” are meeting in person for the first time; drama from the AUKUS alliance still simmers. Our Beijing bureau chief discusses how Chinese officials <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/09/25/china-believes-that-america-is-forging-alliances-to-stop-its-rise?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">see</a> all these club ties. As Chancellor Angela Merkel’s time in office wanes, we assess Germany’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/09/25/the-mess-merkel-leaves-behind?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many challenges</a> she leaves behind. And the sweet, sweet <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/09/15/go-nuts-the-multilayered-history-of-baklava?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history of baklava</a>, a Middle Eastern treat gone global.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Same assembly, rewired: the United Nations meets

<p>The annual United Nations General Assembly is more than just worthy pledges and fancy dinners; we ask where the tensions and the opportunities lie <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/70431822025c237eddc9145838fc7046?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this time around</a>. Last year’s fears of a crippling “twindemic” of covid-19 and influenza proved unfounded—and that provides more <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/measures-to-prevent-the-spread-of-covid-19-have-also-fended-off-flu/21804978?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reason to worry</a> this year. And why “like” is, like, <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/18/if-you-like-dislike-like-maybe-like-think-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">really useful</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

The homes stretch: Evergrande

<p>China’s property behemoth has slammed up against new rules on its giant debt pile. We ask what <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/09/21/what-are-the-systemic-risks-of-an-evergrande-collapse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wider risks</a> it now poses as a cash crunch bites. Britain has begun a demographic trend unusual in the rich world: its share of young people is <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/08/21/the-number-of-young-adults-in-britain-is-about-to-rise-sharply?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spiking</a>—and will be for a decade. And what the pandemic has done for the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/09/11/the-pandemic-has-refashioned-corporate-dress-codes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">future of office-wear</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Running to stand still: Canada’s election

<p>Prime Minister Justin Trudeau remains in power after Monday’s election, but he emerges without the majority he wanted, and with his soft power damaged. He now faces a fourth wave of the pandemic and an emboldened far-right from a weaker position. Child labour fell markedly in the 16 years after the turn of the millennium. Now it’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/09/18/why-the-number-of-children-working-is-rising?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on the rise again</a>. Efforts to prevent children from working can often exacerbate the problem. And we consider one of the more unusual ideas for combating climate change: <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/how-to-toilet-train-your-cow/21804770?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">potty-training cows</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Potemkin polls: Russia’s elections

<p>The winner of Russia’s elections was not in doubt. Vladimir Putin’s party, United Russia, came out on top. But despite the ballot stuffing and repression, the opposition still managed to rattle the Kremlin. The Gates Foundation is America’s biggest charitable foundation by far and a powerhouse in the world of public health. But its money <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/09/18/the-gates-foundations-approach-has-both-advantages-and-limits?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">could be better spent</a>. And we read the tea leaves to explain why <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/07/08/micro-organisms-play-a-bigger-part-in-tea-making-than-was-realised?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bugs are important</a> for your brew. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Sub plot: the AUKUS alliance

<p>The alliance between America, Britain and Australia has <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/australia-is-getting-nuclear-subs-with-american-and-british-help/21804790?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">enormous significance</a>, most of all for its nuclear-submarine provisions. We look at the global realignment it represents. The container-shipping industry has had a wild year and its prices reflect the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/a-perfect-storm-for-container-shipping/21804500?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vast disarray</a>; we ask whether things will, or should, get back to normal. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/10/american-politicians-are-setting-up-their-own-production-companies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing trend</a> of politicians’ media-production companies.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Shake, rattle the roles: Britain’s cabinet reshuffle

<p>Prime Minister Boris Johnson has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/09/16/boris-johnson-has-stamped-his-authority-on-his-cabinet?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">re-allocated</a> a number of key government posts. We ask how the changes reflect his political standing and what they mean for his agenda. A first-of-its-kind study that deliberately infected participants with the coronavirus is ending; we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/09/11/why-scientists-are-deliberately-infecting-volunteers-with-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many answers</a> such research can provide. And the rural places aiming to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/09/04/rural-colorado-hopes-to-cash-in-on-its-dark-skies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">capitalise</a> on their dark skies.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Hunger gains: Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis

<p>Economic collapse and halting international aid following the Taliban’s takeover have compounded shortages that were already deepening; we examine the <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/ce86348064f870f0f4a4f72d42413062?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unfolding disaster</a>. The verdict in a blockbuster case against Apple might look like a win for the tech giant; <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/apple-wins-a-court-battle-with-epic-games-sort-of/21804498?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a closer read</a> reveals new battle lines. And the data that reveal how polluters <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/09/04/poorly-devised-regulation-lets-firms-pollute-with-abandon?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">behave</a> when regulators are not watching.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Percent of the governed: California’s recall vote

<p>Governor Gavin Newsom is fighting off <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/28/the-trials-of-gavin-newsom?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a bid</a> to remove him that puts the world’s fifth-largest economy and, possibly, control of the Senate in play for Republicans. Russia’s exercises in Belarus are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/13/russia-holds-the-largest-military-exercise-in-europe-for-40-years?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the largest</a> in 40 years—showcasing a chummy relationship and worrisome military might. And how Dante Alighieri’s masterwork “The Divine Comedy” still <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/08/21/the-divine-comedy-is-a-salutary-guide-to-hope-amid-adversity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">holds lessons</a>, 700 years after his death.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Getting their vax up: America’s vaccine mandates

<p>President Joe Biden’s requirements for employers to insist on vaccinations are a bold move amid flatlining inoculation rates. But <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/09/10/will-joe-bidens-vaccine-mandates-work?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will they work</a>? For decades the world’s cities seemed invincible, but the pandemic has hastened and hardened <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/the-new-economics-of-global-cities/21804271?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a shift</a> in urban demographics and economics. And an ancient Finnish burial site <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/an-intriguing-reinterpretation-of-an-ancient-grave/21803297?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scrambles</a> notions of gender roles in the distant past.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

From the ground up: New York after 9/11

<p>The horrors of 20 years ago spurred an <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/how-after-9/11-new-york-built-back-better/21804389?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ambitious transformation</a>, not just at the site of the attacks but across the city’s five boroughs. We visit what has risen from the ashes. A growing body of academic work—and plenty of examples on the ground—suggest countries that most mistreat women are the most <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/09/11/why-nations-that-fail-women-fail?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violent and fractious</a>. And solving a flashy-hummingbird <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/some-female-hummingbirds-have-evolved-to-look-like-males/21804139?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mystery</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Putsch back: Africa’s latest coup in Guinea

<p>It is unclear whether better governance lies ahead after a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/09/05/alpha-conde-the-president-of-guinea-is-apparently-ousted-in-a-coup?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military takeover</a>; what is certain is that Africa’s unwelcome trend of defenestrations has returned. We ask why. Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, thought it a good time to shore up his party’s mandate; as election day nears that plan looks <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/09/04/could-canadas-conservative-party-win-back-power?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shaky</a>. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/09/04/the-rise-and-fall-of-sex-selective-abortion-in-georgia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rise and fall</a> of Georgia’s sex-selective abortions.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

The call before the storm? Brazil’s protests

<p>Tens of thousands of people aligned with President Jair Bolsonaro held protests—at his direction. Yet the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/brazil-is-running-out-of-time-for-economic-reforms/21804273?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">numbers</a> are increasingly aligned against him as he eyes next year’s elections. Conspiracy theories are nothing new, but politicians espousing them, and exploiting them to great effect, make them <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/09/04/from-congo-to-the-capitol-conspiracy-theories-are-surging?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">much more</a> than harmless tales. And a listen to the disappearing sounds of old Beijing.</p><p><em>Additional Beijing audio courtesy of Colin Chinnery.</em></p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Bitcoin of the realm: El Salvador’s experiment

<p>President Nayib Bukele thinks obliging businesses to take the cryptocurrency will help with remittances, inclusion and foreign investment. So far, <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/09/04/using-bitcoin-as-legal-tender?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">few are convinced</a>. From after-school tutoring to endless extracurricular activities, education is an increasingly cut-throat affair; we examine the costs of these academic <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/08/21/the-case-for-mutual-educational-disarmament?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">arms races</a>. And Sally Rooney’s new novel and the question of what makes <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/03/sally-rooney-and-the-question-of-greatness?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">great contemporary fiction</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Heartbeat of the matter: Texas’s draconian abortion law

<p>The Supreme Court’s surprise <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/09/04/the-supreme-court-green-lights-a-near-total-abortion-ban-in-texas?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">decision</a> to let the country’s harshest “heartbeat bill” stand bodes ill for the landmark Roe v Wade decision; we ask what happens next. Brazil’s police kill six times as many people as America’s—and the numbers bear out a clear <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/14/rio-de-janeiro-asks-why-its-cops-kill-so-many-black-people?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">racial divide</a> among the fallen. And how Lebanon is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/08/28/the-global-ambitions-of-lebanons-hard-pressed-olive-oil-makers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reviving</a> its olive-oil industry, with global ambitions.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Taking the fifth: Venezuela’s talks

<p>Four previous resolution meetings involving President Nicolás Maduro have changed little. <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/09/04/nicolas-maduros-regime-and-the-venezuelan-opposition-meet-in-mexico?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This time</a> international backing and aligned incentives might at last spur fair elections. Madagascar already had it hard, but the coronavirus and repeated, brutal droughts have conspired to push the country’s south to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/madagascar-is-on-the-brink-of-famine/21804098?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brink of famine</a>. And our obituaries editor reflects on war surgeon and hospital-builder <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/09/04/obituary-gino-strada-believed-health-care-was-a-human-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gino Strada</a>.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Reeling and dealing: how to engage the Taliban

<p>In some ways America has more leverage now that its forces have left; we ask how diplomatic and aid efforts <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/30/the-wests-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-is-complete?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">should proceed</a> in order to protect ordinary Afghans. A global pandemic has distracted from a troubling panzootic: a virus is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/28/african-swine-fever-is-spreading-rapidly-in-china-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still ravaging</a> China’s pig farms, and officials’ fixes are not sustainable. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/08/28/the-first-full-retrospective-of-judy-chicagos-career?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first retrospective</a> for activist artist Judy Chicago.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

Out for blood: the Theranos trial

<p>Elizabeth Holmes founded a big blood-testing startup; her claims were founded on very little. As her <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-gets-under-way/21804091?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trial begins</a> we ask how the company got so far before it all crumbled. Research on primates is increasingly frowned upon in the West, leaving a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/07/24/neuroscientific-research-on-monkeys-is-ethically-troubling-but-vital?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">strategic opportunity</a> in places such as China. And lessons in a lost novel by French philosopher Simone de Beauvoir.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>

CDU later? Germany’s topsy-turvy election

<p>The party of Angela Merkel, the outgoing chancellor, is flailing in polls. We ask why the race has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/the-social-democrats-surge-upends-germanys-election-campaign/21803922?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so unpredictable</a> and what outcomes now seem probable. In America, obtaining a kit to make an untraceable firearm takes just a few clicks; we examine efforts to close a dangerous <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/07/taking-aim-at-ghost-guns?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legal loophole</a>. And as sensitivities change, so do some <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/in-a-febrile-digital-age-musicians-are-changing-their-names/21803600?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bands’ names</a>. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> 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.</p>