The Intelligence from The Economist

Banks note: the Jackson Hole meeting

<p>The message for central bankers at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/at-the-jackson-hole-meeting-the-fed-ponders-an-uneven-recovery?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">annual jamboree</a>: relax a bit about inflation and be loud and clear about plans to stanch the cash being pumped into economies. The halt to an Albanian hydroelectric-dam project <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/07/31/albanian-environmentalists-are-blocking-a-torrent-of-dams?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reflects</a> a growing environmental lobby in the country, which sees better uses for its waterways. And following <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/bolivia-has-thousands-of-dinosaur-footprints-but-few-bones-1/21803906?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dinosaur tracks</a>—but finding no bones—in Bolivia.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The terror of their ways: Kabul and global jihadism

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/26/suicide-bombings-hit-kabul-as-america-scrambles-to-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suicide-bombings</a> that have killed scores of people signal how the Taliban will struggle to rule Afghanistan; meanwhile the rest of the world’s jihadist outfits are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/28/after-afghanistan-where-next-for-global-jihad?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drawing lessons</a> from the chaos. The swift reversal of an explicit-content ban by OnlyFans, a subscription platform, reveals a <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/onlyfans-u-turns-on-its-porn-ban/21803924?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing tension</a> between pornography producers and payment processors. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technologythe-rise-of-3d-printed-houses/21803667?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">many merits</a> of 3D-printed homes.</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>

To all, appearances: Israel’s PM in Washington

<p>Naftali Bennett’s first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden will look calm and co-operative. But in time, sharp differences will strain the “reset” they project today. Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency is being <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/21/indonesias-president-promised-reform-yet-it-is-he-who-has-changed?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">defanged</a>; it was simply too good at routing the rot President Joko Widodo once promised to eradicate. And estimating the breathtaking <a href="https://www.eiu.com/n/campaigns/how-much-will-vaccine-inequity-cost?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">global cost</a> of vaccine inequality.</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>

Delta‘s force: Australia’s covid plans crumble

<p>For a while, closed borders and strict contact-tracing held the coronavirus at bay. What lessons to take now the Delta variant has <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/07/24/australias-covid-19-strategy-is-being-tested?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">broken through</a> in the region? The European Union once had few prosecutorial powers to tackle rampant fraud by member states’ citizens; we examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/08/19/the-eu-gets-a-prosecutors-office-of-its-own?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a new office</a> that can start cleaning house. And a look at Japan’s seasonal-sweet <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/21/in-japan-novelty-sweets-mark-the-seasons?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obsession</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>

How you like them: Apple’s decade under Tim Cook

<p>The tech firm has ballooned under his leadership, but Mr Cook’s next ten years <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/apple-has-had-a-successful-decade-the-next-one-looks-tougher/21803888?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will not be as rosy</a> as the first. We ask how he can maintain Apple’s shine. Activists, academics, journalists, now <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/21/hong-kongs-government-is-crushing-the-citys-pro-democracy-unions?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">labour unions</a>: Hong Kong’s authorities keep stifling democracy’s defenders wherever they turn. And why California <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/21/californias-coming-bacon-crunch?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may soon find it hard</a> to bring home the bacon.</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>

Annexed question, please: Ukraine’s summit on Crimea

<p>President Volodymyr Zelensky wants to draw attention to Russia’s continued occupation of Crimea, and its failure to look after the region’s citizens. A new <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/19/critics-of-bangladeshs-government-are-liable-to-vanish?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">report</a> attempts to put numbers to the “enforced disappearances” of Bangladesh’s opposition voices. And why <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/08/09/why-nasas-women-astronauts-cannot-fly-as-much-as-men?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so few</a> astronauts have been women, and how that is changing. </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>

Value-free investing: China and Afghanistan

<p>The Taliban’s takeover is a boon for China’s propaganda machine: America is tired, its policies disastrous, its values a distraction. Meanwhile China has <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/21/china-is-happy-to-see-america-humbled-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">its own interests</a> in the country. New <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/08/21/jabs-mostly-fend-off-the-delta-strain-but-breakthroughs-are-infectious?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> may explain rising covid-19 cases among the vaccinated: jabs’ effectiveness wanes with time, and “breakthrough” infections appear more contagious. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/21/should-you-work-a-little-on-your-holiday?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the case</a> for working, a bit, while on holiday.</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>

Fits and starts: SARS-CoV-2’s origin

<p>In the end, the World Health Organisation’s report in March revealed little. We ask why the coronavirus origin story is so crucial, and whether China will ever let it be told. Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson will <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/08/14/boris-johnsons-strained-love-affair-with-the-motorist?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">struggle</a> to square his current green promises with his past love—and his party’s—of cars. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/02/american-fried-chicken-has-its-origins-in-slavery?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">forgotten cooks</a> in fried chicken’s history.</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>

Stymie a river: the American West dries up

<p>The first-ever water shortage declared for the Colorado River is just one sign of troubles to come; as the climate changes, century-old water habits and policies must change with it. Israel’s Pegasus spyware has raised concerns the world over, but the country is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/31/israel-is-loth-to-regulate-its-spyware-exports?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loath</a> to curb its exports of hacking tools. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/31/a-tangy-nigerian-cooking-ingredient-is-cheering-the-diaspora?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resurgence</a> of a beloved and funky Nigerian seasoning.</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>

It rains, it pours: Haiti’s tragedy compounds

<p>A president’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/07/15/it-is-still-unclear-who-murdered-haitis-president?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">assassination</a>, a cratered economy and now this: a tropical depression that will hamper rescue efforts after a massive earthquake. The country cannot catch a break. India and Pakistan parted ways 74 years ago this week; we discuss how the tensions that defined their division still <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/08/13/why-the-partition-of-india-and-pakistan-led-to-decades-of-hurt?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resonate</a> today. And why Indonesia is so good at <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/14/how-indonesia-became-the-home-of-badminton?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">badminton</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>

Nothing to break the fall: Afghanistan

<p>The fall of Kabul, the capital, <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/15/the-talibans-terrifying-triumph-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sealed</a> the country’s fate: after 20 years, the Taliban are back in charge—a fearsome outcome for its <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/08/13/hiding-books-buying-burqas-kandahar-prepares-for-taliban-rule?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">people</a> and for the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/08/15/america-may-pay-dearly-for-defeat-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Biden administration</a>. As capital punishment fades, life sentences proliferate; that comes with its own <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/07/06/as-the-death-penalty-becomes-less-common-life-imprisonment-becomes-more-so?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">costs and iniquities</a>. And visiting an <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/07/in-uruguay-few-descendants-of-russian-emigres-want-to-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">enclave</a> in Uruguay that is in many ways more Russian than Russia.</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>

Thicket and boarding pass: travel’s tangle of rules

<p>Restrictions are opaque, fickle and often <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/14/most-covid-19-travel-restrictions-should-be-scrapped?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">illiberal</a>—and it is not even clear how much they help curb the coronavirus. Chinese officials want to boost the economy of the province of Xinjiang, but our correspondent says plans predicated on repressing the Uyghur minority are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/08/07/chinas-efforts-to-lift-xinjiangs-economy-may-smother-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely to work</a>. And bidding <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/14/flexibility-is-the-key-to-success?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">farewell</a> to our work-and-management columnist, who still hates useless meetings.</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>

Bridges and divides: America’s infrastructure push

<p>The Senate has <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/joe-bidens-splurge-on-infrastructure-moves-a-step-closer-1/21803517?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">passed</a> the first part of President Joe Biden’s mammoth plan, which is now tied to a far more ambitious part two. We examine their prospects for passage. Zambia is undertaking a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/08/07/zambias-election-is-crucial-but-its-not-a-fair-fight?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pivotal election</a>—but it seems far from a fair fight to oust the incumbent. And our Germany-election <a href="https://economist.com/germany-model?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tracker</a> cuts through reams of data and tricky electoral politics.</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>

Blazed and confused: Turkey’s raging fires

<p>Across the Mediterranean and beyond, flames are consuming the landscape. Our correspondent says Turkey’s government helped make the country a tinderbox and was caught <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/08/07/turkeys-deadly-fires-raise-the-heat-for-erdogan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flat-footed</a> by the blaze. State secrets, business intelligence, even conservation data: it’s all online, and freely available. We examine the pros and cons in an era of <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/08/07/open-source-intelligence-challenges-state-monopolies-on-information?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">open-source intelligence</a>. And the “murder hornet” <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/07/insect-wars-murder-hornets-v-the-american-honeybee?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threatening</a> America’s north-west.</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>

Shots or fired: America’s vaccine mandates

<p>Inoculation or testing requirements are <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/vaccine-mandates-are-spreading/21803404?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spreading</a> nearly as fast as the Delta variant. But it is not clear they will actually drive more people to get vaccinated. A broad semiconductor shortage has hit plenty of industries; we examine supply-chain <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/semiconductors-pose-an-unwelcome-roadblock-for-carmakers/21803287?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subtleties</a> that have made it particularly bad for carmakers. And why Mumbai is suffering from a plague of <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/08/07/snake-sightings-are-becoming-increasingly-common-in-mumbai?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">snakes</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>

Hot prospects: a sobering IPCC report

<p>The UN climate body’s latest <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/08/09/the-ipcc-delivers-its-starkest-warning-about-the-worlds-climate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">doorstopper report</a> is unequivocal: climate change is human-caused, and already here—and 1.5°C of warming is looking ever harder to avoid. In Bolivia, debate <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/08/07/is-evo-morales-staging-a-comeback-in-bolivia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still rages</a> as to whether a 2019 election was rigged, or a coup; the people want pandemic relief, not paralysed politics. And investigating the received wisdom of the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/07/16/is-the-myth-of-the-difficult-second-novel-fact-or-fiction?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">difficult second novel</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>

Coming in harder: Iran’s new president

<p>Ebrahim Raisi <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/08/02/what-an-attack-on-an-oil-tanker-says-about-iran?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">takes office</a> as the country is blamed for multiple attacks in the region; a more mistrustful, hardline and aggressive regime awaits. Our correspondent meets a woman first trafficked into a sprawling Bangladeshi brothel at age 12 and who is now <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/02/19/she-was-trafficked-into-a-giant-brothel-now-she-runs-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in charge of it</a>. And the high-tech <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/07/14/new-running-shoes-are-smashing-records?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shoes</a> that may be contributing to tumbling world records in Tokyo.</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 consent of the governed: Andrew Cuomo on the brink

<p>After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/findings-of-sexual-harassment-put-andrew-cuomo-in-jeopardy/21803290?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">damning report</a> into sexual-harassment allegations, support for New York’s governor has cratered. He is hanging on—for now. LinkedIn seems to do a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/07/24/linkedin-faces-awkward-choices-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">brisk trade</a> in China, without revealing how it keeps on the right side of the censors. So users increasingly censor themselves. And the mutual appreciation of Chechnya’s brutal dictator and a star mixed-martial-arts fighter.</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 port, still a storm: Lebanon a year after the blast

<p>The explosion at Beirut’s port was a symptom, not a cause, of the country’s malaise. We find more questions than answers about the blast and a political class <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/a-year-after-the-beirut-blast-still-no-bottom-to-lebanons-crisis/21803288?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unshaken by it</a>. For half a century, one Beirut resident has, from the same apartment, witnessed a history pockmarked by <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/30/my-grandmothers-home-survived-last-years-blast-beirut-may-never-recover?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unexpected disaster</a>. And our Big Mac index <a href="https://www.economist.com/big-mac-index?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reveals</a> the depth of Lebanon’s economic crisis. </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>

Block off the old chips? Nvidia’s fraught merger

<p>The semiconductor giant wants to acquire ARM—a British firm that is more complement than competitor—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/08/01/will-nvidias-huge-bet-on-artificial-intelligence-chips-pay-off?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">regulators may balk</a>. We look at what’s at stake in chips. Something is changing in Americans’ spiritual lives: a drift away from organised religion. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/07/08/nothing-in-particulars-are-americas-fastest-growing-religious-group?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">startling rise</a> in the “nothing in particular” denomination. And how women are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/07/24/female-surfers-ride-the-wave-to-chinas-hainan-island?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">leading</a> China’s growing surfing scene.</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-sanctuary cities: the Taliban’s latest surge

<p>Sweeping <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/07/26/the-taliban-grab-more-of-afghanistan-as-america-slips-out?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rural gains</a> made as American forces have slipped out are now giving way to bids for urban areas; an enormous, symbolic victory for the insurgents looms. Singapore has enjoyed relative racial harmony for decades, but shocking <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/07/29/racial-prejudice-rears-its-head-in-singapore?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recent events</a> have revealed persistent inequalities. And why chewing gum has <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/26/bursting-the-bubble-how-gum-lost-its-cool?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lost its cool</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>

Neither borrower nor renter be: America’s coming foreclosures

<p>America’s pandemic-driven measures granting relief on mortgages and rent arrears will soon expire, and millions of people <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/07/24/as-moratoriums-lift-will-america-face-a-wave-of-foreclosures-and-evictions?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are in danger</a> of losing their homes. The Netherlands’ history of slavery is often overlooked; a new exhibition goes to <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/06/03/a-new-exhibition-illuminates-the-history-of-dutch-slavery?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">great lengths</a> to confront it. And how Marmite’s love-it-or-hate-it reputation represents an <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/06/17/marketing-marmite-how-an-advertising-agency-started-a-culture-war?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely marketing coup</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>

Good news, ad news: Facebook’s big bucks and bets

<p>The social-media behemoth revealed huge profits and stressed <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/07/27/facebook-eyes-a-future-beyond-social-media?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">even bigger plans</a>: to become an e-commerce giant and a hub for digital creators, and to pioneer something called the “metaverse”. After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/07/08/the-clash-in-peru-over-the-election-result-continues?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bruising election</a>, Peru has an inexperienced new president; matching policy to his hard-left platform will be a dangerous game. And the publisher trying to bring <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/08/mills-and-boon-wants-to-diversify-its-hero-base?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ethnic diversity</a> to romance novels.</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>

Borderline disorder: the UN’s refugee treaty at 70

<p>An international convention devised after the second world war is ill-suited to the refugee crises of today—and countries are <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/07/27/who-counts-as-a-refugee?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increasingly unwilling</a> to meet their obligations. Vancouver’s proposed response to a spate of drug overdoses is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/07/24/vancouver-wants-to-decriminalise-possession-of-many-hard-drugs?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sweeping decriminalisation</a>; we ask whether the plan would work. And the bid to save a vanishingly rare “<a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/05/22/the-struggle-to-save-a-south-african-language-with-45-click-sounds?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">click language</a>” in Africa.</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>

Alight in Tunisia: a democracy in crisis

<p>The president has sacked the prime minister and suspended parliament. It is clear that the country needed a shake-up in its hidebound politics—but is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/26/tunisias-democracy-totters-as-the-president-suspends-parliament?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this</a> the right way? A sprawling <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/07/10/a-cardinal-goes-on-trial?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trial</a> starting today involving the most senior Catholic-church official ever indicted is sure to cast light on the Vatican’s murky finances. And how climate change is already <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/07/15/climate-change-is-affecting-wine-flavours?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changing</a> winemaking.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The blonde leading: Britain’s two years under Boris Johnson

<p>As the country tests a <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/20/britain-tests-the-limits-of-mass-vaccination?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bold reopening strategy</a> in the face of the Delta variant, our political editor charitably characterises the prime minister’s tenure as <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/24/boris-johnson-marks-his-second-anniversary-in-number-10?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a mixed bag</a>. Hong Kong’s national-security law has now <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/07/21/academics-in-hong-kong-suffer-curbs-on-their-freedoms?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">come for its universities</a>, sending shudders through the territory’s last bastion of pro-democracy fervour. And why the alcohol-free beer industry is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/07/07/alcohol-free-beer-is-fizzing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fizzing</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>

A dangerous games? A muted start to the Olympics

<p>Tokyo is under a state of emergency; covid-19 cases are piling up. But for Japan, a super-spreader event is just one of the potential <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/07/22/why-do-so-few-cities-want-to-host-the-olympics?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">costs</a> of this year’s games. We ask why Britain’s government has essentially given <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/15/an-amnesty-for-northern-irish-killers-is-supposed-to-draw-a-line-under-the-troubles?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">amnesty</a> to those involved in Northern Ireland’s decades of deadly violence. And our obituaries editor <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/07/15/esther-bejarano-died-on-july-10th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reflects</a> on the life of an Auschwitz accordionist.</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>

Three-degree burn: the warmer world that awaits

<p>It seems ever more certain that global temperatures will <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/03/30/what-would-different-levels-of-global-warming-look-like?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sail past</a> limits set in the Paris Agreement. We examine what a world warmed by 3°C would—or will—look like. Our correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/07/15/a-general-a-warlord-and-an-economist-vie-to-run-sudan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">speaks</a> with Sudan’s three most powerful men; will they act in concert or in conflict on the way to democracy? And why Liverpool has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/07/17/liverpools-changing-skyline-defies-unesco?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">booted</a> from UNESCO’s world-heritage list.</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>

Changing horses mid-streaming? Netflix’s next act

<p>On the face of it, the streaming giant’s quarterly results were lacklustre. But our media editor explains why its international growth looks promising, and how it is spreading its bets. A largely uncontested purge of LGBT accounts from China’s social-media platform WeChat reveals much about a growing Chinese-nationalist narrative online. And why researchers are cataloguing the microbes of big cities.</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>

Joint pain: a rare rebuke of China’s hackers

<p>The European Union, NATO and the “Five Eyes” intelligence partners have all joined America in <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/07/20/america-and-its-allies-admonish-but-do-not-sanction-china-for-hacking?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">accusing</a> China’s government of involvement in hacking campaigns. Now what? Away from the spectacle of billionaires’ race to the heavens, many African countries are <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/06/17/africa-is-blasting-its-way-into-the-space-race?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">establishing</a> space programmes—with serious innovation and investment opportunities on the ground. And why Australia is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/06/22/why-is-australia-suffering-from-a-plague-of-mice?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suffering</a> from a plague of mice.</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>