The Intelligence from The Economist

The 300,000 body problem: Russia mobilises and threatens

<p>This morning Vladimir Putin <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/20/vladimir-putins-situation-looks-ever-more-desperate?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> that Russia would call up more troops to fight in Ukraine, said his goal of “liberating” eastern Ukraine remained unchanged and accused the west of “nuclear blackmail.” Our correspondent parses his speech. Our midterm series heads to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/18/democrats-are-wrong-to-give-up-on-rural-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maine</a>, to see how Democrats are fighting for rural voters. And a new <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/09/07/humans-were-performing-amputations-earlier-than-thought?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discovery</a> in Borneo rewrites the history of surgery.</p><br><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>

Charles in charge: the future of the Commonwealth

Elizabeth II was devoted to <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/09/09/the-commonwealth-will-miss-queen-elizabeth" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Commonwealth</a>, a club of countries that are home to one-third of the world’s population. What is its future under Charles III? <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/08/the-ancient-city-of-jeddah-is-being-bulldozed" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jeddah</a> is Saudi Arabia’s most charming and cosmopolitan city, which Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Muhammad bin Salman, is swiftly bulldozing. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/06/will-chinas-economy-ever-overtake-americas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">China’s economy</a> may struggle to overtake America’s. <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 first draft is history: Chile’s rejected constitution

<p>Two years in the making, the country’s new foundational document was summarily <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/09/05/common-sense-prevails-as-chileans-reject-a-new-constitution?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">swatted down</a> in a referendum. We ask how it went so wrong, and what comes next. Data show a long-held view on fertility and prosperity is <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/15/richer-societies-mean-fewer-babies-right?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">not as straightforward</a> as thought; we examine the policy implications. And learning about <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/11/what-are-harm-the-air-to-surface-missiles-destroying-russian-air-defence-radar?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HARM</a>—the missiles causing so much harm to Russian forces.</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>

Minority report: the Rohingya, five years on

<p>Five years after a brutal campaign that drove nearly 750,000 out of Myanmar and into Bangladesh, conditions for the Muslim minority remain appalling on <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/18/the-rohingyas-are-being-wiped-out-in-slow-motion?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">both sides of the border</a>. Central Asian countries are laying <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/06/two-new-railway-lines-could-transform-central-asia?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plans for railways</a> that would fill their coffers, distance Russia and empower China. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/15/why-britons-love-to-queue?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economics lessons</a> in London’s queue to see Queen Elizabeth II.</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>

Xi sells sanctuary: a telling Putin meeting

<p>As the presidents of China and Russia <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/09/08/xi-jinping-will-at-last-venture-abroad-again?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">meet in Uzbekistan</a>, we examine their friendship. They have much in common—but Russia’s prosecution of the war in Ukraine may strain relations. Islamic State and al-Qaeda may be less in the news but their foothold in Africa only keeps <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/11/how-al-qaeda-and-islamic-state-are-digging-into-africa?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing</a>. And why so many young Korean city-slickers are <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/01/young-koreans-are-moving-to-the-countryside-to-farm?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">becoming farmers</a> in the countryside.</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>

Cautiousness in the Caucasus: Azerbaijan and Armenia clash

<p>A conflict smouldering since a war in 2020 has again <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/13/why-azerbaijan-and-armenia-are-fighting-again?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">caught alight</a>; Azerbaijan may feel emboldened by a distracted Russia and its own energy prospects. Gulf countries are swimming in <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/07/an-oil-windfall-offers-gulf-states-one-last-chance-to-splurge?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">piles</a> of unexpected, oil-derived cash: we ask whether they will sock it away or splurge on citizens and pet projects. And why many Lebanese couples are choosing to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/09/08/lebanese-seeking-civil-marriages-are-getting-wed-online?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wed online</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>

Joule of denial: Russia’s energy games

<p>Vladimir Putin hopes the threat of cutting off fuel supplies this winter will weaken Europe’s support for Ukraine. European leaders are trying to cobble together<a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/how-to-deal-with-europes-energy-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> a collective response </a>to prevent such fracturing. Before Russia invaded, Ukraine’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/08/the-war-has-thrown-ukraines-surrogacy-industry-into-crisis?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surrogacy industry</a> was booming. It has since been disrupted, but not ended. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/25/a-few-bird-species-are-faring-amazingly-well-in-britain?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Britain’s bird populations</a> are changing: we ask why.</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>

Russian rush-out: Ukraine’s stunning gains

<p>Russia has lost in a week what cost it months to gain in eastern Ukraine. We ask what the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/09/11/is-russia-on-the-run?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lightning counter-offensive</a> means for the war. What is more surprising than Mississippi’s capital <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/09/06/a-water-crisis-in-mississippis-capital-is-a-harbinger-of-worse?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lacking access</a> to clean drinking water is that millions of other Americans face the same struggle. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/09/01/why-investors-are-reaching-for-the-astrology-of-finance?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">quasi-astrological methods</a> some investors use to predict market movements.</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>

Beyond the call of duty: Britain’s queen dies

<p>The death of Queen Elizabeth II marks the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/the-death-of-elizabeth-ii-marks-the-end-of-an-era?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">end of an era</a>. We explore her long, <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/09/08/elizabeth-ii-never-laid-down-the-heavy-weight-of-the-crown?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dutiful reign</a> and how it shaped the modern monarchy. The country has <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/09/08/elizabeth-ii-was-the-longest-reigning-monarch-in-british-history?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changed substantially</a> during her time, but one parallel remains: her successor, King Charles III, will also take over at a time of uncertainty for the country and <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/09/08/britains-longest-serving-ruler-strengthened-the-monarchy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">for the monarchy</a> itself.</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>

Playing his Trump card: Bolsonaro and the election

<p>In Brazil, fears are growing that if <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/09/08/win-or-lose-jair-bolsonaro-poses-a-threat-to-brazilian-democracy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jair Bolsonaro </a>loses in October, as polls suggest is likely, he may try to stage a coup or foment violence. He’s been sowing distrust in the country’s electoral system, and many of his supporters are well-armed. Should <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/09/01/should-every-schoolchild-eat-free?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">school lunches</a> be free? And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/09/01/why-is-indias-sex-ratio-normalising?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the gap</a> between the number of boys and girls born in India is narrowing.</p><br><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>

America’s next top model: predicting the midterm results

<p>Our model, built to predict the outcome of this year’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/mid-terms-2022" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">midterm elections</a>, tips Republicans to take the House and Democrats to retain control of the Senate. The model’s architect discusses how and why he built it, and our polling guru explains why polls matter. Why there’s no nuclear-arms race in <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/11/the-nuclear-arsenals-of-china-india-and-pakistan-are-growing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Asia</a>—yet. And Egypt wants the <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/01/egyptians-want-britain-to-return-the-rosetta-stone" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rosetta Stone</a> back, but it’s not that simple.</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>

Deed of Truss: Britain’s new leader

<p>As Liz Truss becomes prime minister, we ask whether her meat-and-potatoes <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/09/05/what-kind-of-prime-minister-will-liz-truss-be?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tax-slashing agenda</a> will work for a crisis-stricken Britain. Japan’s prison population is ageing just as its wider society is—and that is at last prompting <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/09/01/japans-prisons-are-adapting-to-cope-with-ageing-inmates?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reforms</a> to its punitive penal system. And why Ukraine’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/23/why-ukraines-supply-of-anti-tank-weapons-may-tail-off?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">short supply</a> of anti-tank missiles is not as worrying as it would once have been. </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>

Cereal numbers: the fall in food prices

<p>The worst predictions for costs have <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/22/against-expectations-global-food-prices-have-tumbled?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">not come to pass</a>, partly because Russia is selling plenty of wheat. But plenty of food-price woe may still await. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/19/why-has-polio-returned-to-london-and-new-york?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">curious re-appearance</a> of the polio virus in the West. And the trials of “<a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/25/pink-sauce-and-the-fashion-for-homemade-food-in-america?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pink Sauce</a>” reveal the perils of being a cottage-food producer—or consumer—in the social-media age.</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>

No quiet on any front: Ethiopia’s clash of conflicts

<p>After a five-month hiatus, violence has returned to the northern region of Tigray—but that is just one of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/25/two-ethnic-revolts-rack-ethiopia-at-the-same-time?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conflicts</a> threatening to pull the country to pieces. China’s Belt and Road Initiative has made it a prominent developing-world lender. <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2022/08/24/faced-with-an-overseas-debt-crisis-will-china-change-its-ways?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">How will it deal</a> with so many of its loans souring? And our obituaries editor reflects on Issey Miyake’s fashion-for-the-masses philosophy.</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>

Ready, steady, slow: Ukraine’s bid for Kherson

<p>The long-trailed counter-offensive to retake the Russian-occupied regional <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/30/why-does-kherson-matter?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">powerhouse</a> and symbolically powerful provincial capital <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/08/29/ukraine-starts-a-push-to-recapture-kherson-a-crucial-russian-occupied-city?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has begun</a>. But Ukraine’s forces are in no hurry. Visa and Mastercard are two of the world’s most profitable companies; we look at efforts to break their <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/17/can-the-visa-mastercard-duopoly-be-broken?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">iron grip</a> on the payments market. And the blue-blooded horseshoe crabs that are needlessly bled in their millions.</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><p><br></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>

Iron Curtain call: Mikhail Gorbachev

<p>The leader who oversaw the Soviet Union’s collapse had only intended to reform it. But the propaganda and repression <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2022/08/30/mikhail-gorbachev-has-died?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">he abhorred</a> were what held it together. A speed bump lies ahead for electric vehicles: manufacturing and mining capacity <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/14/could-the-ev-boom-run-out-of-juice-before-it-really-gets-going?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may not keep up</a> with battery demand. And visiting a <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/20/a-vast-sculpture-in-the-nevada-desert-is-finished-at-last?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vast landscape sculpture</a> in Nevada’s desert ahead of this week’s public opening.</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>

Home truths: a global property wobble

<p>As interest rates rise, lots of pandemic-era property trends are fading—but not every market is equally vulnerable as the boom <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2022/08/01/the-global-housing-boom-is-running-out-of-steam?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">peters out</a>. Generals have long avoided fighting in cities: it is messy and dangerous. Increasingly, though, they have <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2022/08/17/armies-are-re-learning-how-to-fight-in-cities?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">no choice</a>. And our language columnist on the subtle question of whether “data” is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/11/should-data-be-singular-or-plural?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plural or singular</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><p><br></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 third horseman: famine stalks Somalia

<p>Our correspondent reports from <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/07/25/somalia-is-on-the-brink-of-starvation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Somalia</a>, which stands on the brink of famine thanks to a drought, soaring food costs and infrastructure destroyed by decades of fighting. Old Hollywood studios are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/21/game-of-thrones-v-lord-of-the-rings-a-tale-of-old-v-new-hollywood?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">waging</a> an epic battle against their upstart streaming rivals. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/18/londons-cemeteries-are-selling-second-hand-graves-they-need-to?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">London’s cemeteries</a> are selling used graves.</p><br><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>

Them that’s got shall have: student-debt relief

America’s federal government will spend hundreds of billions of dollars <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/25/biden-spends-hundreds-of-billions-on-reducing-student-loan-debt?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cancelling</a> student-loan debt—fulfilling a long-standing progressive wish. But while it may be good politics, the policy rationale makes less sense. Too many Nigerian children are sent to beg on the streets by their religious teachers. And celebrating the music and <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/25/lithuania-embraces-the-music-of-the-karaims?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">culture</a> of one of Europe’s oldest ethnic minorities. 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>

Cell-by date: Malaysia’s ex-PM is jailed

Najib Razak, prime minister during the massive 1MDB scandal in which billions went missing, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/23/malaysias-disgraced-former-prime-minister-is-going-to-prison?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lost</a> his final appeal against corruption convictions. We ask what that means for Malaysia’s politics. Many American voters want the law changed on livestock welfare—but the law is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/18/a-push-for-more-space-for-americas-farm-animals-is-thwarted?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pushing back</a>. And past and present <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/18/prey-offers-lessons-for-other-historical-sci-fi-films?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">collide</a> in the latest from the “Predator” film franchise. 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>

Putin on the fritz: Six months of war in Ukraine

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin expected to seize Ukraine easily. Instead he met fierce resistance. Ukraine has fought bravely, Russia poorly. We reflect on lessons learned in the past <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2022/08/23/the-war-where-almost-nothing-is-what-it-seems?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">six months</a>. <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/18/a-dictators-ghost-haunts-angolas-upcoming-elections?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Angola’s presidential election</a> today is the most competitive since the country gained independence in 1975. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/08/the-edinburgh-festival-fringe-celebrates-75-years-of-revelry?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edinburgh Festival Fringe</a> turns 75 this year. 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>

How the father figures: a mysterious Moscow killing

Speculation is rampant as to who killed Darya Dugina, the pundit daughter of a Russian ultra-nationalist. We ask how the murder will be spun in the absence of answers. When it comes to gay rights, Singapore’s government takes more than it gives. And why some minority languages thrive while others wither. 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>

Plant of attack: Ukraine’s occupied nuclear-power station

Tensions are rising at Zaporizhia, which Russian forces are using as a military base. We ask what <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/19/what-is-at-stake-at-ukraines-zaporizhia-nuclear-plant?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the risks</a> are, and whether they can be headed off. Britain’s summer heatwave was deadly—but figuring out <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/08/09/julys-heatwave-may-have-killed-thousands-of-britons?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how deadly</a> was no easy task. And discovering the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2022/08/01/a-new-study-shows-how-much-social-capital-matters?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">real value</a> of the “social capital” outside family and work relationships. 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>

Debtor luck next time? Meeting Sri Lanka’s new president

We pay a visit to the presidential offices just weeks after protesters stormed them. Things seem calm and the new leader has <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/16/how-sri-lankas-new-president-plans-to-revive-the-economy?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clear plans</a>; can the country put its years of economic crisis behind it? We investigate the <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2022/07/21/how-has-turkeys-economy-kept-growing-despite-raging-inflation?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">curious case</a> of Turkey’s growth amid screaming inflation. And the “shadow regency” in Britain as the Queen <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2022/08/06/queen-elizabeth-is-doing-less-and-less?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slows down</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>

Tax brakes: Britain’s PM contenders on the economy

As a <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/next-prime-minister-uk?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clear lead hardens</a> and the appointment of a new prime minister looms, both contenders are making noises about cutting taxes. But would either have a firm grip on the country’s long-term woes? The <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/06/16/ethiopias-capital-is-a-showcase-for-its-leaders-ambition?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vast makeover</a> of Ethiopia’s capital city—despite a grinding civil war—is an idealised vision of the country’s future. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/08/11/how-thinking-hard-makes-the-brain-tired?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">figuring out</a> why thinking hard is so exhausting. 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 WY and the wherefore: Liz Cheney’s loss

Wyoming’s sole representative in the House, once a Republican leading light and now a pariah for her views on Donald Trump, has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/17/liz-cheney-is-vanquished-by-donald-trump?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ousted</a> from Congress. We attend her election-night defeat. The science behind behavioural nudges seems to be on increasingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2022/07/27/evidence-for-behavioural-interventions-looks-increasingly-shaky?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shaky ground</a>. And investigating the UAE’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/11/the-emirates-hope-to-jolt-clouds-into-sharing-their-bounty?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">questionable plans</a> to make more rain. 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>

Class action: Kenya gets a new president

The names are familiar but the establishment-choice and rabble-rouser roles are reversed. That the vote was along class lines rather than ethnicity marks an important shift. Will <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/08/15/william-ruto-is-declared-kenyas-next-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the result</a> stand? For years Mexico was seen merely as a conduit for illegal drugs; now it has a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/07/21/mexicans-are-increasingly-consuming-illegal-drugs?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing user base</a> as well. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/11/more-americans-are-trying-to-take-their-weapons-on-planes?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rising number</a> of Americans bringing guns onto flights. 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>

Poorer, hungrier, safer? Afghanistan one year on

<p>Rights for women and girls have regressed by decades; the economy is cratering. Yet, for many rural Afghans, things are actually <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2022/08/11/afghanistan-is-poorer-and-hungrier-than-a-year-ago?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">better</a> than they were before America scarpered. Silicon Valley types once righteously spurned the military-industrial establishment—now they’re <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/08/08/can-tech-reshape-the-pentagon?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">queuing up</a> to fund defence startups. And the surprising truth about the most famous scene in “Bambi”, which is <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/08/11/bambi-offers-a-horrifying-portrait-of-eco-catastrophe?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">turning 80</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><p><br></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>

Crimea punishment: A Russian airfield in ruins

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2022/08/11/wrecked-planes-smoulder-at-russias-saky-airbase-in-crimea?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">airbase in Crimea</a> lies in ruins. Ukraine hasn’t claimed credit, many suspect they carried out the daring attack more than 100 miles behind enemy lines. Our defence editor explains why the war has entered a new phase. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/25/state-run-oil-giants-will-make-or-break-the-energy-transition?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">state-owned firms</a>, not oil supermajors, are the biggest impediment to a green-energy transition. And pondering the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2022/08/09/of-meat-and-men-why-the-american-barbecue-is-about-friendship-not-food?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pleasures of barbecue</a>.</p><br><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>

Teflon Don: Trump’s legal woes

<p><a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2022/08/10/the-raid-on-mar-a-lago-could-shake-americas-foundations?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Donald Trump</a> endured an FBI raid, questioning in a civil lawsuit and an adverse court ruling, all in 48 hours. But at least in the short-term, he’s making political hay from his legal woes. Why <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2022/07/31/apple-already-sold-everyone-an-iphone-now-what?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Apple’s future</a> increasingly rests on services rather than just hardware. And how France is coping with a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/08/09/why-there-is-a-shortage-of-dijon-mustard-in-france?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mustard shortage</a>.</p><br><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>