The Intelligence from The Economist

North poll: Boris Johnson’s election victory

<p>Boris Johnson, Britain’s prime minister, is celebrating a wave of election <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/05/07/a-conservative-triumph-in-hartlepool-is-a-bleak-day-for-labour" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">victories</a> for his Conservative Party in the north of England. But in Scotland, pro-independence parties continue to dominate. Judges in Germany have <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/05/08/a-court-ruling-triggers-a-big-change-in-germanys-climate-policy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">demanded</a> that the government take a more radical approach to climate change; their ruling could shake up climate policy around the world. And if you’re bored of cardigans, why not knit yourself a <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/05/08/knitting-a-road-with-stones-and-string" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">road</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>

Down to brash tax: Colombia’s protests grow

Demonstrations initially against tax reform have bloomed—and turned violent. The reforms have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/05/06/protests-in-colombia-derail-an-important-tax-reform?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shelved</a>, but the protests now threaten President Iván Duque’s rule. The emissions contributions of the world’s armed forces are rarely reported and largely overlooked; we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/04/27/the-wests-armies-are-getting-more-serious-about-climate-change?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">efforts</a> to make armies a bit greener. And an audio tour through popular music’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/28/in-music-accidents-are-the-mother-of-invention?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">accidental innovators</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>

Who’s to say? Facebook, Trump and free speech

<p>The social-media giant’s external-review body <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/2021/05/05/facebooks-oversight-board-says-donald-trump-can-be-kept-off-for-now?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">upheld</a> a ban on former president Donald Trump—for now. We ask how a narrow ruling reflects on far broader questions of free speech and regulation. America’s young offenders are often handed long sentences and face disproportionate harms; we examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/04/03/reforming-marylands-cruel-treatment-of-young-offenders?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reforms</a> that are slowly taking hold. And the Broadway mental-health musical that is a <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/04/16/an-american-musical-about-mental-health-takes-off-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surprise hit</a> in China.</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>

Cache and carry: American states’ gun-law push

<p>Today another state will enact a “permitless carry” law—no licence, checks or training required. We ask why states’ <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/05/01/many-states-are-pushing-through-more-permissive-gun-laws?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loosening</a> of safeguards fails to reflect public sentiment. Brexit has supercharged <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/04/15/brexit-has-reinvigorated-scottish-nationalism?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Scottish nationalism</a>, and this week’s elections may pave the way to another independence referendum. And a long-forgotten coffee species <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/04/22/how-to-save-coffee-from-global-warming?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may weather</a> the climate-change era.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Strait shooting? The growing peril to Taiwan

A decades-old policy of “strategic ambiguity” is breaking down; we ask about the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/05/01/the-most-dangerous-place-on-earth?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks and the stakes</a> of a potential Chinese bid to take Taiwan by force. The number of diseases jumping from animals to humans is set to keep rising; we look at why, and how to make the jump rarer. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/24/the-misguided-quest-to-interpret-canine-language?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">misguided mission</a> to understand canine communication. 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 turn at a century: Northern Ireland’s anniversary

The province’s largest party aligned with Britain has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/05/01/arlene-foster-northern-irelands-first-minister-is-ousted?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lost</a> its leader; in the 100 years since the island was split it has rarely seemed so close to reuniting. Diplomacy, as with so much else, had to go online during the pandemic—and <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/05/01/thanks-to-the-pandemic-diplomats-have-a-bigger-better-toolkit?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">emerged</a> more efficient and inclusive than many expected. And how art-lovers are getting ever more fully <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/17/a-change-in-how-people-consume-contemporary-art-is-under-way?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">immersed</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>

Illiberal-arts degrees: Hungary’s universities seized

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s proudly “illiberal democracy” has nobbled nearly every institution. Now that his ruling party <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/05/01/viktor-orban-seizes-control-of-hungarys-universities?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will run</a> the higher-education system, expect a propaganda blitz. We examine research that points toward a long-sought blood test for clinical depression—one that would identify targeted treatments. And remembering Native American historian and campaigner <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/05/01/ladonna-brave-bull-allard-died-on-april-10th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">LaDonna Brave Bull Allard</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>

A word in edgewise: Turkey, Armenia and genocide

<p>In calling the 1915 campaign against Armenians a genocide, President Joe Biden has rekindled tensions that never really faded—and has perhaps <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/27/turkey-and-armenia-show-no-signs-of-reconciling?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">delayed a rapprochement</a>. Chinese authorities fear religion, particularly when it is practised out of sight; we look at increasing <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/04/03/china-wants-to-make-its-christians-more-chinese?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">repression</a> of China’s tens of millions of Christians. And tracking the coronavirus’s spread by dipping into Britain’s sewers.</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 great deal to be desired: Europe-Britain trade

Europe’s parliament has overwhelmingly voted to extend a stopgap trade agreement. But the rancour behind the vote, and the deal’s thin measures, say much about <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/03/27/hopes-of-a-better-post-brexit-relationship-with-the-eu-are-fading?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">future relations</a>. Female soldiers are entering armed forces in big numbers, but they still face <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/04/24/female-soldiers-are-changing-how-armed-forces-work?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">barriers</a> both in getting the job and in doing it. And China’s homegrown Oscar-winning director is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/04/27/news-of-chloe-zhaos-nomadland-oscar-win-is-censored-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">scrubbed</a> from its internet. 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>

SPAClash: the buzz and the bust

<p>Special-purpose acquisition companies offer a novel way for companies to list on stockmarkets. We look behind the buzz, and something of a recent <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/04/24/making-sense-of-the-spac-spectacle?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bust</a>, to discover why they are a useful innovation both for investors and markets. President Jair Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/04/17/jair-bolsonaro-wants-every-brazilian-to-have-a-gun?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wants</a> every Brazilian citizen to have a gun—especially his supporters. And a visit to the world’s largest magazine <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/04/06/inside-hymag-the-worlds-largest-collection-of-magazines?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">archive</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>

Extremist prejudice: rebranding Navalny

<p>Russian courts’ bid to designate opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s movement as a terrorist organisation is unsurprising: it fits <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/04/24/russias-president-menaces-his-people-and-neighbours?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a narrative</a> of increasing repression at home and sabre-rattling at the borders. Africa’s vaccination drive is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/24/africas-covid-19-vaccination-drive-is-off-to-a-slow-start?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beset</a> by shortcomings in both supply and demand; we examine the rising number of bottlenecks. And a forgotten African-American composer at last <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/03/31/reinstating-florence-prices-place-in-western-music-history?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gets her due</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>

Carbon date: Biden’s climate summit

<p>President Joe Biden laid out ambitious emissions targets yesterday, but in order to be taken seriously on climate change, America has some <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/04/24/joe-biden-asserts-americas-role-in-the-fight-against-climate-change?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reputation rebuilding</a> to do. Researchers are starting to <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/04/10/love-them-or-hate-them-virtual-meetings-are-here-to-stay?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">understand</a> why online meetings are so exhausting—and are pinpointing the up sides of work lives lived increasingly online. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/24/and-the-winner-iswho-cares?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">waning influence</a> of awards shows such as this Sunday’s Oscars.</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>

Growth negligence: India’s covid-19 failings

<p>Mass gatherings and in-person voting continue, even as new case numbers smash records and fatalities spiral in public view. We ask how a seeming pandemic success has turned so suddenly tragic. Chad’s president of three decades has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/20/chads-strongman-president-idriss-deby-is-killed-by-rebels?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">killed</a>; that has implications for regional violence far beyond the country’s borders. And a deep dive on the international <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/17/how-covid-19-walloped-sea-cucumber-catchers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sea-cucumber trade</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>

Insuperable: Europe’s football fiasco

<p>A “Super League” <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/04/19/europes-top-football-clubs-plan-a-super-league-of-their-own?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plan</a> wrong-footed fans, clubs, even governments. We examine what the failed bid says about the sport’s economics. We return to the George Floyd case and the landmark <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/04/20/derek-chauvin-is-found-guilty-of-murdering-george-floyd?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conviction</a> of his murderer. The Kurds have long sought their own state in the Middle East; that now looks as <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/04/10/the-kurdish-spring-did-not-happen?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely as ever</a>. And why spelling is so persistently <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/10/why-its-so-hard-to-fix-maddening-spelling-systems?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">counter-intuitive</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 case rests, a city does not: Derek Chauvin’s trial

<p>The former police officer involved in George Floyd’s death awaits a verdict. What would conviction mean in <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/04/18/the-meaning-and-value-of-derek-chauvins-trial?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a case</a> emblematic of a far wider racial-justice movement? Internal migration has left a third of China’s young people separated from one or both parents—with serious <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/04/08/the-plight-of-chinas-left-behind-children?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">costs and risks</a> to those children. And the bid to make the art of tasting the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/04/09/a-byte-to-eat-will-ai-super-tasters-disrupt-food?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">province of engineering</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>

Lai of the land: Hong Kong’s democrats quashed

<p>Some of the territory’s most outspoken activists—from media mogul Jimmy Lai to “father of democracy” Martin Lee—have been sentenced. We look at <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/03/20/how-to-deal-with-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what’s left</a> of Hong Kong’s protest spirit. Scientists have been making hybrid animal “chimeras” for decades, but newly developed <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/04/15/researchers-have-created-embryos-that-are-part-human-and-part-monkey?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">human-monkey embryos</a> raise serious ethical questions. And how the Arab world is changing channels as propaganda <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/10/how-egyptian-entertainment-has-changed-under-military-rule?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">consumes</a> Egyptian television.</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 path of increased resistance: Myanmar

Protests against February’s military coup are only growing, even as the army becomes more murderous. The economy is paralysed. <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/04/15/myanmar-could-be-asias-next-failed-state?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What can be done</a> to put the country back together? In Cuba, the end of the Castro-family era is <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/af78d2a38e4953c40fe70c54195c83b3?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nigh</a>; a new leader inherits a cratered economy and an ambitious vaccine-development effort. And some surprising road-fatality <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/04/03/americans-are-driving-less-but-more-are-dying-in-accidents?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">statistics</a> from America. 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>

Boots off the ground: America’s Afghanistan drawdown

Few believe President Joe Biden’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/04/13/joe-biden-gives-up-on-the-war-in-afghanistan-leaving-a-weak-ally?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">withdrawal plan</a> is wise; it is already prompting allied forces to go. We ask about the risks of that untimely vacuum. Much climate-change angst focuses on carbon dioxide, but addressing sources of methane would be an <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/04/03/governments-should-set-targets-to-reduce-methane-emissions?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">easy way</a> to slow warming—and even to save money. And Bhutan’s world-beating vaccination drive took just <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/04/10/bhutan-vaccinated-almost-all-adults-against-covid-19-in-a-week?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">one week</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>

Arms’ reach: Russia flexes at Ukraine border

The troops and hardware piling up at the border are probably just posturing. But look closely: Russia’s military is swiftly getting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/02/russian-military-forces-dazzle-after-a-decade-of-reform?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">better-equipped and better-trained</a>. Outsized <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/04/13/american-inflation-shoots-up-to-26?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflation numbers</a> in America are partly a statistical quirk—but also a sign of the tricky balance pandemic-era policymakers must navigate. And why you may soon be getting a lift from a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/04/03/flying-taxis-are-about-to-take-off-at-last?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flying taxi</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>

Fission expedition: nuclear-site attack in Iran

An apparent act of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/12/israel-apparently-strikes-an-iranian-nuclear-facility-again?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sabotage</a> at an Iranian nuclear site, blamed on Israel, has complicated the prospect of America returning to the 2015 nuclear deal; we ask what happens next. Many of Europe’s public-service broadcasters are being <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/08/populists-are-threatening-europes-independent-public-broadcasters?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">squeezed</a> by populist movements and illiberal governments. How to keep them independent? And an <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/31/latvias-ancient-poetry-is-getting-its-first-major-translation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">effort</a> to translate Latvia’s short but dense ancient poems.  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>

Plagued by uncertainty: German politics

<p>As the country <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/03/germanys-management-of-covid-19-is-growing-shakier?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrestles</a> with another covid-19 wave, the battle to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel is building. We look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/14/germanys-ruling-party-takes-a-serious-hit-in-two-state-elections?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">political</a> and epidemiological races. Prince Philip was a loyal consort to Britain’s queen for seven decades; our correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/04/09/prince-philip-duke-of-edinburgh-is-dead?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recalls</a> meeting him at a difficult time for the family. And why Kenyans are at last <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/08/kenyans-are-starting-to-drink-their-own-coffee?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">indulging</a> in their own coffee.</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>

Like a tonne of bricks: violence in Northern Ireland

<p>The ostensible reason for continuing clashes relates to a well-attended funeral. But the terms of Brexit have <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/04/08/brexit-is-the-catalyst-for-rioting-in-northern-ireland?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raised tempers</a>, inflaming centuries-old tensions; we ask what might calm them. Alexei Navalny’s condition is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/10/does-the-kremlin-want-andrei-navalny-to-die-in-prison?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">worsening</a> in prison: does it really serve the Kremlin’s interests to let him perish? And “poetry slams” are a welcome <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/10/spoken-poetry-finds-fans-in-eastern-congo?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">release</a> in the Democratic Republic of Congo. </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>

Clotting factors: the AstraZeneca vaccine

<p>British and European regulators have addressed a possible link with blood clots. Expect more rare side-effects <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/04/07/with-millions-vaccinated-rare-side-effects-of-jabs-are-emerging?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to emerge</a>; what seems clear for now is that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh any risks. A new analysis shows that a racist American film from 1915 left a long <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/03/27/how-a-racist-film-helped-the-ku-klux-klan-grow-for-generations?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">legacy</a> of racial violence. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/04/06/the-geeky-origin-of-your-cool-sunglasses?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shady history</a> of the function and fashion of sunglasses.</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>

Deaths spiral: America’s spike in murders

<p>Estimates suggest that last year’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/03/27/in-2020-america-experienced-a-terrible-surge-in-murder-why?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rise</a> in murder rates was the greatest in perhaps half a century, reversing a long decline; we ask what is behind it. Amid Europe’s woefully slow vaccine rollouts, Serbia <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/04/03/serbia-is-outpacing-nearly-every-country-in-the-eu-at-vaccination?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stands out</a> as an unlikely success story. And the pandemic’s natural experiment on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/04/03/the-benefits-of-part-time-work?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ideal number</a> of working hours.</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>

Crown and thorn: Jordan’s royal ruckus

Pressure on the king’s half-brother may represent a mere family feud, but Prince Hamzah’s complaints <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/04/05/a-feud-in-jordans-royal-family?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resonate</a> with the country’s people. We ask what will happen next. Study the fast-growing list of India’s billionaires: who has joined it and who has left are <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/03/27/who-are-indias-newest-billionaires?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">signs</a> of the country’s shifting economy. And an indigenous group’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/03/27/how-a-canadian-indigenous-group-could-outwit-nimbys?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tall order</a> in Vancouver’s property market. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

He said, Xi said: America-China ructions

The Biden administration’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/03/20/a-hostile-meeting-sets-the-tone-for-us-china-relations?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">early moves</a> suggest no “reset” in relations; we recall a time when the game of ping-pong brought the countries back to the table. Although economics has transformed in the past quarter-century, the way it is taught has not; we examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/03/20/efforts-to-modernise-economics-teaching-are-gathering-steam?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">efforts</a> to rewrite the textbooks. And a forgotten <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/02/26/disco-se-aagay-fused-synth-pop-and-the-sounds-of-the-subcontinent?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">album</a> by British-Pakistani teenagers gets another lease of life. 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/intelligenceoffe</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>

Battle acts: France beefs up its forces

After years of peacekeeping and counter-insurgency campaigns, the country is getting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/31/the-french-armed-forces-are-planning-for-high-intensity-war?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tooled up and trained up</a> for serious military conflict. The “baby bust” brought on by the pandemic has changed global population predictions; we look into the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/03/27/the-economics-of-falling-populations?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">down sides</a> of a world with fewer people. And the Benin Bronzes have become a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/03/the-looted-benin-bronzes-should-be-returned?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">focal point</a> for the art world’s restitution push. 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>

Cresting: India’s second covid-19 wave

<p>Case numbers are on the rise—at a more worrying rate even than the first wave. We ask why, and what is being done to slow the spread. As revenues at wildlife-tourism spots have dried up, so has security—and now poaching is even more rampant than before. And scientists’ increasingly audacious bids to see around corners. </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>

Takeaway lessons: Deliveroo’s listing disappoints

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/03/29/deliveroos-listing-is-less-appetising-than-hoped?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tepid debut</a> of Britain’s dominant food-delivery app signals doubts not only about the gig economy but also about London’s ability to lure tech-firm listings. Chinese officials <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/03/27/cloud-seeding-will-not-solve-chinas-water-shortages?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">love to deploy</a> “cloud seeding” to water the country’s parched lands, but even if it works, it distracts from better water-management policies. And why tweets so often come back to <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/03/27/whatever-you-tweet-may-be-used-against-you?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">haunt their authors</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>

High threat-count: boycotts in China

<p>Western fashion brands are in Chinese consumers’ crosshairs, the victims of political wranglings over sanctions and human-rights issues—a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/03/27/china-boycotts-western-clothes-brands-over-xinjiang-cotton?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">spat</a> that may soon consume other industries. A striking number of people in the criminal-justice system have had traumatic brain injuries; our correspondent investigates how much <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/03/27/a-huge-share-of-prisoners-have-brain-injuries-they-need-more-help?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">that link</a> has been overlooked. And why the audio app Clubhouse has stormed the Middle East.</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>