The Intelligence from The Economist

Stumbling block: the battle over WeChat

<p>The Trump administration’s bid to block the Chinese app has been stymied—for now. The tussle reflects <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/13/donald-trump-has-caused-panic-among-millions-of-wechat-users?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a change</a> in how America does business, and how the internet itself may evolve. Migration in the Mediterranean is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/12/the-number-of-migrants-arriving-in-italy-is-up-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">picking up again</a>; the pandemic is making it even more perilous and political. And Japan’s canned-coffee obsession <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/09/12/who-will-win-the-brewing-battle-between-japan-and-america?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">steams ahead</a> in foreign markets.</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>

Judge dread: the fight for Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat

Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a liberal icon. Her death last week opens a Supreme Court vacancy for Donald Trump to fill, which could tip <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/19/a-battle-for-the-supreme-court-looms-after-the-death-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the court further right</a> ahead of what might be a legally fraught election. And there is nothing that Democrats can do about it. The majority of land in Africa is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/09/12/the-quest-for-secure-property-rights-in-africa?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">neither mapped nor documented</a>. People who can’t prove that they own their land, cannot unlock its value. That is holding back the continent’s economies. And Japan may be famous for its slick and speedy bullet trains. But the country’s rural railways have <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/12/japans-rural-railways-are-disappearing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reached the end of the line</a>. 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> <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>

Uneasy lies the head: Thailand’s under-fire king

Thailand is bracing for a large <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/20/audacious-student-protests-are-rocking-bangkok?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">anti-government protest</a>, with some of the anger directed at the usually-revered monarchy. Some fear that the establishment’s patience will snap, with bloody results. Freemasonry has been one of the most <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/08/27/a-global-history-of-the-freemasons?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">contagious ideas</a> of the modern age, spreading to every corner of the world. But the number of masons is shrinking. And in Britain, social distancing may have shut nightclubs. But many ravers <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/09/03/why-raves-are-enjoying-a-revival?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">don’t tech-no</a> for an answer. 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> <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>

Conviction politics: Florida’s disenfranchised felons

More than a million former felons in Florida regained the right to vote in 2018. Last week, many of them lost it again. We look at the barriers to voting in America. Colombia’s militarised police force are khaki-klad, poorly paid and heavy-handed. A case of police brutality has now provoked big protests and calls for reform. And in the Netherlands, covid-carrying Minks have been spared the slaughterhouse. 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> <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>

Sanctuary in Sochi: Belarus’ dictator clings on

Belarus dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has travelled to Sochi amid major protests at home to ask Vladimir Putin for help. We examine whether he will get it—and what the price might be. The possible discovery of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus could be a tantalising hint of life beyond Earth. And K-Pop, marred by sexual abuse scandals, is shedding its misogynistic image. 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> <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>

After Abe: Japan’s new prime minister

<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/14/suga-yoshihide-emerges-from-the-back-room-as-japans-next-leader?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Japan’s new prime minister</a> will be Yoshihide Suga, the son of a strawberry farmer from the country’s rural north. We look at whether he can step into the shoes of Abe Shinzo and revive Japan’s troubled economy. America may be leaving the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/09/12/the-world-needs-a-better-world-health-organisation%20?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Health Organisation</a>, but the institution has handled the pandemic well. And the standing of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/27/are-dogs-acceptable-pets-muslim-scholars-ask%20?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dogs in Islam</a> is hounding clerics. 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> <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>

Homework: the future of the office

The pandemic has been a giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/09/12/covid-19-has-forced-a-radical-shift-in-working-habits?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">experiment in working from home</a>. We examine whether workers are happier and more productive using Zoom in their pyjamas than commuting in a suit. In the southern hemisphere, the seasonal flu <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/09/12/the-southern-hemisphere-skipped-flu-season-in-2020?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seems to have faded</a>, as a happy byproduct of lockdown and social distancing. And an <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/28/abe-shinzo-resigns-leaving-formidable-problems-for-his-successor?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obituary</a> for one of Pol Pot’s murderous lieutenants. 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> <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>

Great walls of fire: America’s west coast burns

Relentless climate change will make devastating blazes more likely; urbanisation in woodland areas will make them more costly. Prevention measures <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/09/12/why-is-california-burning?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">could help</a>—if updated and widened. “Anti-vaxxers” may undermine coming covid-vaccination efforts; we examine the history of a <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/08/29/conspiracy-theories-about-covid-19-vaccines-may-prevent-herd-immunity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">baseless and dangerous movement</a>. And things <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/13/drugs-torture-and-turf-war-europes-biker-gangs-turn-nasty?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">turn nasty</a> among the biker gangs of northern Europe. 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> <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>

Genocidal intent? Deserters recount Rohingya atrocities

<p>Two Burmese soldiers have described in harrowing detail what has long been alleged: that the army targeted Muslim-minority Rohingya in a programme of ethnic cleansing. America’s Department of State has been hollowed out and wholly demoralised—and that has <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/08/13/the-dereliction-of-american-diplomacy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dire implications</a> for global diplomacy. And a wildly popular Chinese television show reveals <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/08/26/a-new-hit-chinese-drama-explores-the-pressures-faced-by-young-women?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shifting mores</a> for thirty-somethings.</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>

Unpicking the thread: forced labour in Xinjiang

Sanctions are tightening around the Chinese province amid suspicions of forced labour. Western firms that are reliant on the region’s cotton and other commodities <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/08/20/forced-labour-in-china-presents-dilemmas-for-fashion-brands?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are in a bind</a>. The pandemic has shown the merits of some governments’ digitised bureaucracies, but rushing the digital shift <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/09/01/covid-19-is-spurring-the-digitisation-of-government?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">comes with risks</a>. And how Canada’s border closures <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/09/05/the-closure-of-canadas-border-with-alaska-has-split-twin-towns?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threaten</a> a tiny town in remotest Alaska. 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> <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>

Subcontinental drift: India’s covid spike

<p>A hurried lockdown early in the pandemic has cratered the country’s economy, and infection rates are now shooting up. More suffering <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/09/03/indias-economy-shrinks-by-a-quarter-as-covid-19-gathers-pace?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lies ahead</a>, on both counts. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo has failed for 20 years running, and now <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/09/03/the-uns-peacekeepers-are-under-pressure-to-quit-congo?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">there is pressure</a> for it to decamp. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/09/02/why-the-baked-bean-divides-america-and-britain?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">transatlantic tale</a> of the baked bean.</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>

Pact unpacked: wobbly Brexit talks

<p>Negotiations on Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with Europe were floundering—even before <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/09/07/britain-suggests-it-may-overturn-parts-of-the-eu-withdrawal-agreement" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revelations</a> it may essentially rewrite parts of the last pact it struck. Since the space race’s early days, satellites have been involved in defence. Now a new threat looms: armed conflict <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2019/07/18/attacking-satellites-is-increasingly-attractive-and-dangerous?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">between the satellites themselves</a>. And a card game reveals the Lebanese people’s resilience and dark sense of humour.</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>

Back to the future-planning: France

Alongside a green-minded, 100bn-euro stimulus, President Emmanuel Macron’s recovery plan <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/05/emmanuel-macron-revives-a-post-war-institution-for-a-post-covid-era?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">borrows ideas</a> from the post-war past to imagine a post-covid future. The <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/09/03/what-the-arrest-of-a-hero-of-the-genocide-says-about-paul-kagames-rule?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mysterious arrest</a> of Paul Rusesabagina, hero of the film “Hotel Rwanda”, shows just how far the country’s leaders will go to suppress dissent. And a careful, revealing study of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/29/the-pampers-index-what-nappy-prices-reveal-about-europe?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nappy prices</a> across Europe. 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> <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>

Rough seas and safe seats: Caribbean elections

<p>The outcome of Jamaica’s election isn’t much in doubt. What’s uncertain is how <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/08/22/the-pandemics-indirect-hit-on-the-caribbean?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the wider Caribbean</a> can handle rock-bottom tourism and looming hurricane risks amid the pandemic. North Korea’s leadership at last admitted to the hardships of covid-19; the coming human cost <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/29/as-natural-disasters-strike-north-korea-cuts-itself-off?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">could rival</a> that of the famine in the 1990s. And why African countries put out so many <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/20/why-african-countries-issue-stamps-celebrating-english-cricketers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely stamps</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>

In a class, by themselves: pupils head back to school

<p>Millions of schoolchildren are heading back to classes, many of them online. We examine the evidence on virtual learning and how it <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/29/disrupted-schooling-will-deepen-inequality-for-american-students?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deepens inequalities</a>. Dubai is a glittering financial hub, connecting the Middle East, Asia and Europe—but to keep its position it will have to shed <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/08/22/can-dubai-enter-the-premier-league-of-financial-centres?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">its dirty-money reputation</a>. And why the pandemic has readers pulling <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/08/29/reading-especially-of-the-classics-is-booming?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">weighty classics</a> from shelves.</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>

Integration, differentiation: migrants in Germany

<p>Five years ago, a vast wave of migrants and refugees began to spill into the country. We examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/25/five-years-after-arrival-germanys-refugees-are-integrating?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">their fates</a> amid a tangle of bureaucracy. Even for the uninfected, the coronavirus has caused widespread “collective trauma”; we ask about its effects and <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/08/29/worldwide-covid-19-is-causing-a-new-form-of-collective-trauma?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to heal from it</a>. And Palestinians <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/29/israel-lets-the-palestinians-go-to-the-beach?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sneak to the beach</a> as security forces look the other way.</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>

Ill be going: Abe Shinzo’s legacy

<p>Japan’s longest-serving prime minister leaves behind a mixed bag of policy successes and shortcomings. We examine his legacy and ask <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/29/who-will-replace-abe-shinzo-after-his-resignation-owing-to-illness?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what his successor faces</a>. The annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole—online, of course—revealed research suggesting today’s economic woes <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/08/29/psychological-scars-of-downturns-could-depress-growth-for-decades?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will ring down</a> for decades to come. And the curious appeal of in-flight meals <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/29/asian-airlines-are-selling-in-flight-meals-directly-to-the-public?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eaten on terra firma</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>

Shot down, in flames: Kenosha, Wisconsin

<p>Another shooting of an unarmed black man by police has <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/29/wisconsins-summer-of-fury?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reopened wounds</a> still not healed after George Floyd’s killing—and, like all else, the unrest is being politicised. Montenegro’s president is Europe’s longest-serving leader, but anti-government sentiment <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/29/serbian-orthodox-priests-say-montenegros-government-backs-satanists?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has mounted</a> ahead of Sunday’s election. And a look back on <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/08/22/julian-bream-died-on-august-14th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the life</a> of Julian Bream, who restored the reputation of the classical guitar.</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>

Team-building exercise: America’s Middle East diplomacy

American officials hope more Arab states <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/22/the-israel-uae-deal-is-good-news-for-a-troubled-region?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will follow</a> the United Arab Emirates in normalising relations with Israel; the groundwork for that has been quietly laid for years. Not every expectant mother wants all those doctors and nurses fussing over them; we take a look at the increasing <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/08/03/the-battle-over-birth?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">politicisation of childbirth</a>. And a step change for <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/08/25/robots-that-can-walk-are-now-striding-to-market?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">robots that can walk</a>. 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> <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 grande scheme of things: corruption in Mexico

The former head of the state-owned oil firm has presented <a href="http://espresso.economist.com/595afbd7f5a99efd71556d99b39c268e?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stunning claims</a> of high-level graft. Are they credible, and will the president pursue them? Museum curators usually try to add to their collections, but a new generation steeped in the restitution debate is doing <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/08/08/activist-curators-are-sharpening-the-debate-on-restitution?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">just the opposite</a>. And a data-led <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/08/01/twitters-algorithm-does-not-seem-to-silence-conservatives?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">analysis</a> of the suggestion that Twitter suppresses conservative views. 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> <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>

Insecurity services? Alexei Navalny’s poisoning

Doctors believe Russia’s opposition leader was poisoned, and suspicion naturally falls on the Kremlin. Why might the country’s leadership have taken such a risk? For LGBT people coming out is, in many places, far easier and more commonplace than it once was—<a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/08/08/how-the-internet-is-changing-the-experience-of-coming-out?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thanks in part</a> to the internet. And why a younger generation is shunning Laos’s traditional <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/15/urban-laotians-pay-handsomely-for-ant-egg-soup?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ant-egg soup</a>. 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> <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>

Isle take it: Turkey’s adventures in the Med

The considerable oil and gas reserves beneath the eastern Mediterranean have sparked Turkey’s interest—as well as <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/22/dealing-with-a-dangerous-dispute-in-the-eastern-med?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a number of disputes</a> in the region and beyond. China’s leaders like to say their country has history’s longest-surviving civilisation; now <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/07/30/digging-up-chinas-past-is-always-political?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a new archaeological site</a> allegedly offers some proof. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/08/19/the-world-is-losing-its-big-old-trees?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the grave risk</a> to the world’s tallest trees. 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> <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>

In over its head of state: Mali’s coup

The military has again ousted the president, after months of protests and years of ethnic violence. Fresh elections or no, whoever comes out on top <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/22/a-coup-in-mali-is-unlikely-to-make-matters-better?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">faces a tough job</a>. We survey the pandemic-era dining-out landscape, finding that restaurants are about <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/07/14/why-do-people-go-to-restaurants-its-not-about-the-food?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so much more</a> than the food. And the Chinese trawlers that are <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/07/30/the-galapagos-islands-face-an-invasion-of-trawlers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stripping</a> the rich waters of the Galapagos. 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> <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>

Not free, not fair, not finished: Belarus’s election

Huge protests following <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/15/belaruss-election-was-a-sham-the-wests-response-has-been-feeble?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a rigged election</a> reveal that the people have had enough of “Europe’s last dictator”, Alexander Lukashenko. How long can he hang on? Indonesia’s leaders <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/15/indonesia-risks-repeating-an-environmental-disaster?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risk repeating</a> an environmental disaster on Borneo, allegedly in the name of food security. And checking the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/08/08/a-new-ai-language-model-generates-poetry-and-prose?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">writing chops</a> of the world’s best-read artificial intelligence. 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> <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>

Blast from the past: a long-awaited verdict in Lebanon

<p>For 15 years, the truck-bomb killing of a former prime minister went unpunished. But an even more devastating recent blast overshadowed <a href="http://espresso.economist.com/1427e10d92d23fb0476c58351417849e?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a court’s ruling</a> on the culprits. Chinese students hoping to study in America have been caught in the middle of the countries’ rising animus—<a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/07/09/a-sino-american-bond-forged-by-chinese-students-is-in-peril?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">not for the first time</a>. And the origins of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/15/nigerias-demand-for-fancy-wigs-fuels-a-global-trade?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">all the hair</a> in Nigeria’s wildly popular wigs.</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 Chapo to Mencho: Mexico’s cartels

Mexico’s new top cartel, led by a kingpin called <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/08/15/how-will-mexicos-president-handle-el-mencho-a-kingpin-on-the-rise" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">El Mencho</a>, has taken the country’s shocking violence to a terrifyingly brazen new level. In <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/13/in-tunisia-cradle-of-the-arab-spring-protesters-want-jobs" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tunisia</a>, ten years after a self-immolation sparked the Arab Spring, voters are disillusioned with democracy and even nostalgic for the old days. And reflecting on <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/08/15/leon-fleisher-died-on-august-2nd" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the pianist</a> who lost the use of his right hand, and reinvented his playing around his left. 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> <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>

Insufficient postage: the fight over America’s mail service

The <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/16/before-the-election-donald-trump-squeezes-the-postal-service" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">US Postal Service</a> is one of America’s most popular and necessary public institutions. Now it is at the centre of a battle over November’s election. The growth of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/08/15/cambodians-are-bingeing-on-microfinance-loans" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">microfinance in Cambodia</a> has been for the most part positive, but the pandemic is posing challenges to its sustainability. And if you want to buy a used <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/08/15/whats-an-a380-worth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Airbus A380</a>, it’s a buyer’s market. 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> <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>

To a concerning degree: dire climate assessments

Recent reports paint <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/2a2d16a741cf3a7738ce320021a5e661?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a dark picture</a>, from heatwaves to hurricanes to high-water marks. But some promising trends—and pandemic-era economics—provide reasons for hope. We examine the night-time economy of the very swankiest parties, discovering a kind of <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/07/03/the-secret-economics-of-a-vip-party?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beauty brokerage</a> at work behind the scenes. And what baseball season <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/08/baseballs-faltering-restart?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveals</a> for other sports that yearn for a return. 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> <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>

Youngish, gifted and black: Kamala Harris

Joe Biden’s choice of running mate is simultaneously groundbreaking and conventional, and <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/11/joe-biden-picks-kamala-harris-as-his-running-mate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveals much</a> about the state of the Democratic party. In China, a surprise court ruling draws attention to the plight of <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/01/a-chinese-trans-woman-wins-a-surprising-legal-victory?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">oft-overlooked LGBT people</a> in the workplace. And Japan’s broad push for <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/07/23/as-crews-grow-old-japanese-shipping-firms-try-to-do-without-them?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">self-driving ships</a>. 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> <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>

Therein Lai’s a tale: Hong Kong’s revealing arrests

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/10/jimmy-lais-arrest-in-hong-kong-is-the-latest-blow-to-free-speech?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dramatic arrest</a> of Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy newspaper owner, reveals just how enthusiastically Beijing’s new security law will be deployed to quash any dissent. A reservoir is filling behind an enormous new dam in Ethiopia—and that has <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/07/02/egypt-ethiopia-and-sudan-must-learn-how-to-share-the-nile-river?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">soured relations</a> with Egypt downriver. And why Britain’s “<a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/07/30/britains-urban-explorers-worry-their-playgrounds-will-be-demolished?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">urban explorers</a>” may soon have far fewer derelict buildings to conquer.</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>