The Intelligence from The Economist

No Capitol punishment: Trump’s acquittal

<p>Donald Trump was all but certain to be cleared in his Senate trial, and so it went. But the few Republican votes to convict are <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/02/14/donald-trumps-second-impeachment-ends-in-a-second-acquittal?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">telling</a>. What next for the former president? A look into Swiss efforts to track down a missing $230m raises <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/01/23/a-swiss-money-laundering-probe-raises-disturbing-questions?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">disturbing questions</a>. And why women <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/01/09/stand-up-is-booming-in-china-with-women-centre-stage?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">aren’t getting the laughs</a> as stand-up comedy grows 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><p>Listen and subscribe to “<a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2021/02/08/the-jab-a-new-podcast-from-the-economist?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Jab from Economist Radio</a>”, our new weekly podcast at the sharp end of the global vaccination race.</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>

Exit-stage plight: Brexit’s costs come due

Stock-trading is shifting to the continent; businesses are bound up in <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/01/30/absurdities-on-the-border-between-great-britain-and-northern-ireland?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">red tape</a>; border issues are still simmering. There is far more than mere “teething problems” as Britain and Europe adjust to their new relationship. Our correspondent looks at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/01/30/why-do-some-people-risk-their-lives-for-fun?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slippery nature</a> of risk by speaking with wing-suited daredevils. And in Kenya the flower-industry bounce-back is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/13/kenyas-floral-exports-are-blooming-once-more?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">blooming great news</a>.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The coup is on the other foot: Myanmar

<p>A power-grab by the army’s commander, Min Aung Hlaing, is not turning out to be easy: the greatest protest movement in a generation is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/02/10/myanmars-generals-face-growing-protests-against-their-coup?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gathering steam</a>. Debates over trans rights are particularly fraught in criminal-justice systems. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/30/putting-trans-women-in-female-prisons-sets-up-a-clash-of-rights?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">balancing act</a> going on in America. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/02/04/the-throne-behind-the-power-from-putins-toilet-brush-to-trumps-golden-bowl?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">historical tour</a> of autocrats’ luxuriant bathrooms reveals there’s a lot to loos. </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 hell out of a bat: SARS-CoV-2’s origin

<p>The World Health Organisation <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/087b5a89313a3e21fee1b7f0e9395e89?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unveiled</a> preliminary findings, suggesting the coronavirus probably jumped to humans via an intermediary animal and all but ruling out a laboratory leak. We examine the many remaining questions. Nefarious regimes find it ever easier to <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/02/04/repressive-regimes-are-tightening-their-grip-on-their-citizens-abroad?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reach across borders</a>, subjecting dissidents to repression and surveillance abroad. And why it’s so <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/04/what-a-shortage-of-cars-says-about-algeria?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hard to buy a car</a> in Algeria. </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p><p>“The Jab from Economist Radio” is our new weekly podcast at the sharp end of the global vaccination race. <a href="https://www.economist.com/podcasts/2021/02/08/the-jab-a-new-podcast-from-the-economist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen to the trailer and subscribe now</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>

Very long covid: the lasting risks to Africa

So far it seems the continent has weathered the pandemic well. But current numbers mask a <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/02/06/the-pandemic-could-undercut-africas-precarious-progress?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">future reckoning</a> that is likely to have dire human and economic costs. We look into the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/02/02/why-the-wallstreetbets-crowd-are-able-to-profit-from-predatory-trading?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">predatory trading</a>” that in part explains recent, frenzied action in stockmarkets. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/02/06/deep-ocean-plastic-is-a-haven-for-life?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surprising discovery</a> about the plastics that sink to the oceans’ depths. 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 art of the done deal: Trump on trial, again

The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/16/donald-trumps-reckoning?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will make history</a>, but its outcome is assured. We ask what the proceedings say about the Republican Party. China’s youth are making their own way, even as the Communist regime tries to win greater loyalty from them; we examine the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/special-report/2021/01/21/young-chinese-are-both-patriotic-and-socially-progressive?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">future leaders</a>. And another, overlooked pandemic: that of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/01/28/youll-often-walk-alone?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">loneliness at work</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>

Ballot bonanza: Latin America’s year of elections

<p>Ecuador’s elections on Sunday kick off a <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/02/04/latin-americas-year-of-elections-will-test-the-regions-democracies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">packed year of polls</a> in the region. Democracy’s foothold in South America looks assured; in Central America, less so. Engineers are <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/25/television-makers-are-pitting-rival-technologies-against-each-other?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">vastly improving</a> the core technologies in televisions. We preview the viewing pleasure to come. And remembering <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/02/06/nikolai-antoshkin-died-on-january-17th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Nikolai Antoshkin</a>, a Soviet general who faced unknowable danger to save untold lives.</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>

Cheques notes: getting America’s stimulus right

<p>Congress is on the cusp of pushing through a $1.9trn stimulus bill. But would it be money well spent? We examine the economics. Nearly half of India’s students attend cheap, efficient private schools that have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/07/private-schools-that-educate-50-of-indian-children-are-folding?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hit harder</a> by the pandemic than the state-run kind. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/12/removing-space-junk?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">latest bid</a> to clean up Earth’s celestial neighbourhood—and how to finance it.</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>

Rise above the cloud: Amazon’s new chief executive

<p>Jeff Bezos is relinquishing the reins—partly—of the firm he founded. We take a look at Andy Jassy, who will replace him as chief executive at a profitable but <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/06/18/can-amazon-keep-growing-like-a-youthful-startup?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tricky time</a>. Our annual <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/02/global-democracy-has-a-very-bad-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Democracy Index</a> isn’t brimming with great news; we examine how democratic norms are faring worldwide. And the capture of the biggest <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/28/one-of-asias-biggest-crime-bosses-is-arrested?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drug lord</a> you’ve probably never heard of. </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>

As a general rules: Myanmar’s coup

The army already had plenty of political power, but following a landslide election loss it dramatically <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/02/01/aung-san-suu-kyi-is-arrested-as-myanmars-generals-seize-power?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seized more</a>. After five years of democracy, will the country abide a return to military rule? The wind-power boom has driven a scramble for balsa wood—<a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/01/30/the-wind-power-boom-set-off-a-scramble-for-balsa-wood-in-ecuador?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">harming</a> the Ecuadoreans who live where it grows. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/01/30/how-to-design-language-tests-for-citizenship?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">better way</a> to test the language skills of would-be citizens. 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>

More needles in the haystack: vaccine candidates proliferate

<p>That a coronavirus vaccine could be developed in a year is astonishing—and promising candidates <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/29/more-covid-19-vaccines-pass-clinical-trials?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">just keep coming</a>. How will the virus’s variants change the dynamic? Palestine may at last hold elections, after 15 years of promises. But Mahmoud Abbas, the incumbent president, <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/30/mahmoud-abbas-calls-for-elections-in-palestine?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may end up</a> as the only viable candidate. And the probable <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/30/pets-may-soon-be-fed-laboratory-grown-meat?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first big market</a> for lab-grown meat.</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>

Tug of warheads: the nuclear order

Successful arms-control diplomacy has kept proliferation at bay for decades. But many states now have nuclear ambitions; we look at an <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/30/the-world-is-facing-an-upsurge-of-nuclear-proliferation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increasingly worrying shift</a>. Rapid development in sub-Saharan Africa has led to a “double burden” of malnutrition: obesity is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/30/why-obesity-is-spreading-across-africa?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">skyrocketing</a> even as undernourishment continues. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/14/in-search-of-greenlands-rare-earths?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">riches and the tensions</a> to be found at a Greenland rare-earth-minerals mine. 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>

Conte’s inferno: political crisis in Italy

<p>The president is scrambling to pull together a workable government following Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/26/giuseppe-conte-resigns-as-italys-prime-minister?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resignation</a>—and the instability has big implications for Europe’s post-pandemic plans. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/01/27/day-traders-have-sent-gamestops-share-price-sky-high?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">staggering rise</a> of shares in GameStop and the day traders trying to stick it to the hedge-funders. And the sport of back-country skiing gets a lift in America.</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>

Vials and tribulations: the EU’s vaccine push

The European Union’s vaccine rollout was <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/23/the-eu-should-stop-ignoring-the-vaccine-race-to-try-and-win-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slow and fragmented</a> even before pharma companies warned of supply shortfalls; we ask what’s gone wrong. Australia’s proposed law that would force tech titans to pay news providers is just one front in a battle that might upend a foundational principle of the internet. And the bawdy baked goods that have <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/23/egypts-patisserie-police-crack-down-on-depraved-desserts?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">captured</a> Egyptians’ attention. 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>

Party down: Vietnam’s Communist leaders meet

<p>At this week’s five-yearly congress there will be pride in the handling of the pandemic—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/21/vietnams-communist-party-is-in-a-weaker-position-than-it-seems?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">broader discontent</a> and mounting protests should worry party bigwigs. We ask our education correspondent why so many American schools <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/19/why-america-has-done-such-a-poor-job-of-keeping-schools-open?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remain empty</a> and what the long-run costs will be. And differentiating the difficult character of <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/01/20/a-poisonous-person-patricia-highsmith-was-an-enduring-writer?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Patricia Highsmith</a> from the litany of difficult characters she conjured.</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>

Vlad tidings: demonstrations across Russia

The arrest of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny—and an exposé he released alleging deep corruption—fuelled vast <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/24/thousands-of-russians-protest-against-alexei-navalnys-imprisonment?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">weekend protests</a>, chipping away at President Vladimir Putin’s legitimacy. Having left the European Union Britain must find a new foreign-policy foothold in the world; we examine its options and its <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/britain-has-lost-the-eu-can-it-find-a-role?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moves so far</a>. And a shocking <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/01/21/sorry-scotland-haggis-is-actually-english?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revelation</a> about haggis ahead of Scotland’s Burns Night celebrations. 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>

Biting the hands that would feed: Ethiopia

There are signs that the federal government is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/23/after-two-months-of-war-tigray-faces-starvation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obstructing</a> humanitarian aid to the war-torn region of Tigray, putting millions of civilians at risk of famine. We draw <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/23/how-fast-can-vaccination-against-covid-19-make-a-difference?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lessons</a> from Israel’s vaccine rollout to predict what still lies ahead for many countries. And what can be learned by <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/14/balinese-temple-monkeys-are-sophisticated-thieves?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">striking a deal</a> with Bali’s larcenous monkeys. 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>

Much to repair: Biden’s first day on the job

<p>The watchword was unity as Joe Biden took office—he struck <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/20/joe-biden-seeks-to-heal-the-wounds-inflicted-by-donald-trump?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a calming tone</a> and got immediately to work. We analyse the gargantuan tasks that lie ahead. Messaging services such as WhatsApp provide a needed online forum; as users flood to new apps we examine questions of privacy and security. And the Parisian street artist depicting brutal protests to unsettling effect.</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>

Costly disbelief: covid-19 ravages Brazil again

Desperate scenes in the city of Manaus may foretell a dire wave throughout the country. A misguided sense of “herd immunity” has worsened matters, as has the president’s persistent scepticism. We examine history to see how lasers progressed from practical impossibility to utter ubiquity—and the scientific frontiers they are still illuminating. And how clams are protecting lives in Poland. 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>

Hell no, we won’t grow: Indian farmers’ mass protests

Hundreds of thousands of farmers have participated in <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/16/the-failure-of-indias-farm-reforms-is-a-parable-of-mismanagement?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protests around Delhi</a>, demonstrating against laws that they say threaten their livelihoods. We ask how the standoff will end. Today America will designate Yemen’s Houthi militants <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/417346143631ba772ccbbb20c6c4151b?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">as terrorists</a>, but that is likely only to harm a population already facing starvation. And what’s behind a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/14/new-platforms-are-bringing-african-comics-to-a-broader-audience?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boom</a> in African comics. 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>

Landed, in trouble: Alexei Navalny returns to Russia

<p>The opposition leader was detained as soon as he arrived—but President Vladimir Putin has no good options for dealing with <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/02/russia-menaces-alexei-navalny-after-he-exposed-its-agents-ineptitude?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">his most vocal opponent</a>. Germany’s ruling CDU party has a new leader; we examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/01/16/germanys-christian-democrats-choose-armin-laschet-as-their-leader?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the challenges</a> that lie ahead for him, his party and his country. And the kerfuffle behind an <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/01/13/minari-sets-off-a-debate-about-awards-and-foreign-language-films?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American-made film</a> relegated to the Golden Globes’ foreign-language category. </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>

Bold Wine in new battles: Uganda’s election

<p>After a <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/16/ugandas-violent-election-has-exposed-divisions-of-age-and-class?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">violent campaign</a> in which the opposition candidate Bobi Wine was extensively intimidated, authorities imposed an internet blackout. President Yoweri Museveni will almost certainly cling to power—a worry for Uganda and the wider region. Wikipedia turns 20 today; we ask how, against long odds, it has <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/09/happy-birthday-wikipedia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">survived and grown</a>. And the video game that’s sparking a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/14/a-popular-video-game-sparks-a-moral-panic-in-afghanistan?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moral panic</a> in Afghanistan.</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>

Two-timer: Trump impeached, again

<p>Some House Republicans broke ranks, joining Democrats to hand President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/13/donald-trump-is-impeached-for-inciting-an-attack-on-the-capitol?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an ignominious distinction</a>. Our deputy editor lays out why the Senate should now <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/16/donald-trumps-reckoning?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">convict and remove him</a>. Under South Africa’s ruling ANC party a powerful black middle class bloomed, but the party’s fiscal mismanagement <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/07/south-africas-black-middle-class-has-prospered-under-democracy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">threatens their loyalty</a>. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/01/04/the-puritans-progress-time-to-slosh-back-the-non-alcoholic-spirits?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boom</a> in “spirits” with no booze but plenty of branding. </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>

Trial ensnarer: human-rights law’s new tool

War criminals and their ilk often evade justice solely because of squabbling over who can be tried where. But a rise in “<a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/01/02/laws-to-catch-human-rights-abusers-are-growing-teeth?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">universal jurisdiction</a>” trials is tightening the net. Recent lockdowns’ hits to global economies are not nearly as deep as they were the first time around; we explore why. And Cambodian rat-catchers reckon with <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/02/jobless-cambodians-are-catching-rats-to-feed-vietnamese-city-dwellers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">boom and bust</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>

You don’t say: tech’s Trump bans

<p>Moves to shutter the president’s accounts and to crimp corners of the internet given to right-wing extremism raise <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/01/10/the-expulsion-of-donald-trump-marks-a-watershed-for-facebook-and-twitter?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thorny questions</a>, both about free speech and social-media firms’ business models. Our public-policy editor takes a broad look at girlhood: how women’s adolescence has changed for the better but is <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/covid-19-threatens-girls-gigantic-global-gains?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">challenged mightily</a> by covid-19. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/02/how-to-simplify-the-treatment-of-snake-bites?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">science’s bid</a> to save more snake-bite victims’ lives.</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>

Wrest wing: the bid to oust Trump

Today Democratic lawmakers will begin attempts to remove President Donald Trump. It <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/08/why-donald-trump-will-serve-out-his-remaining-term-in-office?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">could fail</a>, or be delayed—or Republicans could see a political opportunity. Even amid a global vaccination drive, the hunt for covid-19 treatments continues; we examine two existing arthritis drugs that appear to <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/01/07/another-life-saving-treatment-is-found-for-covid-19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">save lives</a>. And the synthesiser that <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/12/31/yamahas-dx7-synthesiser-changed-modern-music?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conquered music</a> in the 1980s and then stuck around. <em>Additional audio courtesy of Nate Mars and Daniel Reid. </em>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 longer arm of the law: Hong Kong

<p>A national-security law imposed by Beijing had not, until this week, bared its teeth; <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/01/09/hong-kong-arrests-dozens-of-pro-democracy-activists?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the arrests</a> of dozens of pro-democracy figures reveals how much it can crimp opposition. At the American Economics Association’s annual shindig, a scholar <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/01/06/could-the-pandemic-cause-economists-to-rethink-welfare?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">implores</a> economists to recalibrate just how self-interested they take people to be. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/01/07/agitu-gudeta-was-killed-on-december-29th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inspiring life</a> and untimely death of a beloved, goat-herding refugee. </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>

Riot act: Biden confirmed amid chaos

After previously unthinkable scenes played out in Washington’s legislature, we ask what the violence <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/09/trumps-legacy-the-shame-and-the-opportunity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">will mean</a> for the president, Republican lawmakers and American democracy. Argentina’s move to <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/12/30/argentina-legalises-abortion-joining-a-small-latin-american-group?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">liberalise</a> its abortion laws reflects slowly changing attitudes across Latin America, and may spur wider change. And examining the history of Ethio-jazz, a unique <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/01/02/ethio-jazz-is-a-product-of-migration-and-heroic-ingenuity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">musical melting pot</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>

Run-off, their feat: Georgia’s Senate races

<p>Democrats look <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/06/democrats-are-set-to-win-two-run-offs-in-georgia-and-control-of-the-senate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">set to win</a> both the run-off elections that will determine control of the Senate—and how President-elect Joe Biden will be able to govern. Quantum computing is still nascent, its power yet to be truly tapped. But the finance sector is already <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/12/19/wall-streets-latest-shiny-new-thing-quantum-computing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">looking to squeeze it</a> for analytical advantage. And how Confucianism <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/01/02/confucianism-has-become-a-political-punchbag-in-south-korea?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still influences society</a> in South Korea.</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>

Stresses of strains: emerging coronavirus variants

<p>It is no surprise that more-transmissible coronavirus variants are <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/01/02/what-the-new-variants-of-covid-19-mean-for-human-health?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cropping up</a>. We ask how worrisome the strains found in Britain and South Africa are. American authorities have lodged a landmark <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/01/02/the-justice-department-accuses-walmart-of-fuelling-the-opioid-crisis?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">case against Walmart</a> for its role in the country’s worsening opioid crisis—a problem with clearly more than one cause. And dealing with the pile of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/01/02/how-to-deal-with-leftover-leave?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unused vacation days</a> from 2020.</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>