The Intelligence from The Economist

Putin’s defiers: repression in Russia

<p>As the economy has deteriorated and the internet has bypassed television, <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/repression-in-putins-russia/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">persecution of opponents</a> has become the president’s main tool of political control. Even the pandemic has been harnessed to silence dissent. An <em>Economist</em> <a href="https://www.economist.com/russia-film" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">film</a> reports on the young women standing up to Vladimir Putin. And in China, there’s a more subdued background to the <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/11/10/will-singles-day-chinas-black-friday-be-different-this-year" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Singles’ Day</a> online shopping splurge. </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>

Trouble at the border: Belarus and the EU

<p>Around 2,000 people from the Middle East are at the European Union’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/2021/11/09/what-is-happening-on-the-poland-belarus-border" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eastern frontier</a>. Alexander Lukashenko, the autocratic Belarusian president, promised them passage to the EU. They are pawns in a long dispute and their plight is bleak. Tension is mounting in <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/11/06/things-are-heating-up-in-western-sahara" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">north Africa</a>, between Algeria and Morocco. And who said words were cheap? The cost of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/11/06/soaring-newsprint-costs-make-life-even-harder-for-newspapers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">newsprint</a> is soaring. </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>

Dream on: Biden and social mobility

Americans born at the bottom of the economic ladder find it harder than past generations—or their peers abroad—to climb to the top. The president has <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/11/06/the-democrats-social-spending-package-cannot-repair-the-american-dream" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">plans to change that</a>. But he’s already having to scale them back. <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/how-cement-may-yet-help-slow-global-warming/21806083" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Concrete</a> may be a super-spouter of carbon dioxide, but it can go green. And a new style of book review is flourishing on <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/11/06/booktok-has-passion-and-enormous-marketing-power" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TikTok</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>

Control the past: rewriting Chinese history

Over four days in Beijing, the political and military elite are meeting <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/11/06/xi-jinping-is-rewriting-history-to-justify-his-rule-for-years-to-come" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">to recast the past</a>. The revised version will depict Xi Jinping as a giant of the stature of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping—and justify his continued rule. More Africans are <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2021/10/30/many-more-africans-are-migrating-within-africa-than-to-europe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">migrating</a>, mostly within their own continent. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/10/18/a-short-history-of-hollywoods-poison-pen-letters-to-itself" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hollywood</a> is examining its navel. It doesn’t like what it finds. <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>

Tigrayans turn the tables: Ethiopia’s war

<p>Few imagined when Ethiopia’s civil war began a year ago that the capital, Addis Ababa, would come <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/ethiopias-capital-is-under-threat/21806092" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">under threat</a> from Tigrayan rebels. We explain why the tide has turned. At this time of year, India’s deadliest environmental problem—its <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/11/06/indias-toxic-air-is-its-most-immediate-environmental-problem" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">toxic air</a>—is at its worst. And the Chinese Comminust Party is cracking down on burning <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/10/14/how-xi-jinpings-china-differs-from-maos" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gifts for the dead</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>

Covering the ground: trees and COP26

<p>At the global climate summit, more than 100 countries have promised to end <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/the-world-should-prove-its-love-for-forests-by-putting-carbon-prices-on-them/21806086" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deforestation</a> by 2030. Similar promises have been made before, but might this time be different? America’s Supreme Court dives into the thorny topics of <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/the-supreme-court-seems-poised-to-rule-against-texass-six-week-abortion-ban/21806077" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">abortion</a> and gun rights. And we report on the peculiar <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/10/30/how-un-staff-are-reshaping-african-cities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economics</a> of African cities where the UN has set up shop. </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>

Power failure: South Africa’s ANC stumbles

<p>For the first time since the end of white rule, South Africa’s governing African National Congress is set to win less than half the vote, albeit in local polls. We explain <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/amid-blackouts-south-africas-ruling-party-of-27-years-is-losing-its-grip/21806073?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">its slide in popularity</a>. After a dreadful 2020, Italy has had a happier 2021; what’s prime minister <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/italys-new-prime-minister-has-had-a-good-first-nine-months/21806085" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mario Draghi’s</a> next move? And we check out the rhythm of Bangladesh’s underground club scene.</p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The Floyd factor: American police reform

<p>More than a year after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis policeman, <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/10/30/george-floyds-city-votes-on-the-future-of-its-police-department?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the city votes</a> on an overhaul of its force. We examine America’s shifting debate over police reform. Cryptocurrencies have taken off in Cuba; but the communist authorities <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/10/30/cubas-communist-regime-is-trying-to-control-crypto?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">want control</a>. And light may be shed on the mystery of the reproductive habits—and extraordinary migration—of eels. </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>

Cool heads needed: COP26 begins

<p>World leaders are gathering in Glasgow for the UN climate summit. Can they agree on the path to meeting the goals set in Paris six years ago, to stabilise global temperatures? We weigh up the chances. Sex work is illegal almost everywhere in America; a growing movement wants that to change. And why Britain’s TV-production industry is booming.</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>

Going critical: Iran’s nuclear programme

<p>The Islamic Republic is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/israel-again-rattles-its-sabre-at-iran/21805921?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">closer than ever</a> to a bomb’s worth of fissile material. Talks with America and other countries will resume next month, but hopes of an agreement are fading. Is war inevitable? Chinese media are not allowed to report on the #MeToo movement, but the Communist Party is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/10/30/a-row-about-toilets-reveals-a-lot-about-womens-place-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taking up some feminist causes</a>. We consider the paradox of women’s rights in modern China. And we look back at <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/10/30/anne-saxelby-was-a-champion-of-artisan-farmers-and-their-wares?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the life of Anne Saxelby</a>, a pioneering American cheesemonger, who has died aged 40.</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>

Competitive spirit: tech after the pandemic

<p>After a year of breakneck growth, the big five tech companies—Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft—are coming back down to earth. We look at how the pandemic has changed the industry and spurred on smaller firms. Serbia’s military build-up is making its neighbours nervous. The country’s president tells us why he’s been amassing arms. And evolution usually unfolds over millions of years. But new research into <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/10/23/the-mozambique-civil-war-created-tuskless-elephants?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mozambique’s tuskless elephants</a> suggests that it can be turbocharged by humans. Additional audio used with permission from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.</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>

Winter is coming: Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis

<p>Two months after <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/23/the-taliban-find-themselves-on-the-wrong-side-of-an-insurgency?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Taliban’s</a> victory, civilians face a looming disaster. Will Western governments dig their heels in, or turn the aid taps back on? India’s government has increasingly turned to <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/16/indias-high-tech-governance-risks-leaving-behind-its-poorest-citizens?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">high-tech means</a> for delivering government services. But its digital-first solutions are inaccessible to millions of citizens. And we look at the business of renting clothing, as Rent the Runway goes public with a sky-high valuation.</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>

Trouble in Khartoum: Sudan’s coup

<p>Just as the country was moving towards democracy, its generals have overthrown the civilians—again. We look at what sparked the unrest, and why coups in Africa are on the rise. Ecuador declared a state of emergency last week over a wave of violent crime. It’s just one of several headaches for Guillermo Lasso, the country’s president. And we explain why you have an accent in a foreign language.</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>

You shall not pass: standardising vaccine passports

<p>Covid certificates are a global mess, with countries operating a patchwork of incompatible systems. We look at why it’s so difficult to standardise digital health passes. When the results of Uzbekistan’s elections are published today, the only surprise will be the margin of victory for Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country’s autocratic leader since 2016. The question is how far he can take his <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/10/21/why-we-are-selling-our-cover-as-an-nft?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">agenda of economic and political reform</a>. And Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), a way of representing ownership of digital media, have taken the art world by storm. Why <em>The Economist</em> is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/10/21/why-we-are-selling-our-cover-as-an-nft?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">getting in the game</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>

Flu into a rage: Brazil’s Bolsonaro inquiry

<p>President Jair Bolsonaro’s early dismissal of the pandemic as “a little flu” presaged a calamitous handling of the crisis. We ask how a congressional investigation’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/10/23/jair-bolsonaro-is-accused-of-crimes-against-humanity-in-brazil?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dramatic assessment</a> of his non-actions may damage him. China’s test of a hypersonic, nuclear-capable <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/10/23/chinas-test-of-a-hypersonic-missile-worries-america?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">glider</a> may rattle the global weapons order. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of level-headed American statesman <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/10/23/obituary-colin-powell-thought-america-should-tread-carefully-in-the-world?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Colin Powell</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>

States of emergency: Nigeria

<p>Criminal gangs in north-western states, jihadists in the north-east, a rebellion in the south-east: kidnappers, warlords and cattle rustlers are making the country <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/how-kidnappers-zealots-and-rebels-are-making-nigeria-ungovernable/21805737?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ungovernable</a>. The new head of Samsung Electronics has a legacy to build—and aims to do so by breaking into the cut-throat business of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/10/17/samsung-electronics-wants-to-dominate-cutting-edge-chipmaking?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">processor chips</a>. And the sci-fi classic “Dune” gets a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/06/denis-villeneuve-has-produced-the-first-great-dune-adaptation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">good cinematic treatment</a> at last.</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>

Gas-trick distress: a visit to Ukraine

<p>Russia continues to pile pressure on the country, and will soon have the power to cut off its natural gas. Our correspondent pays a visit to find <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/ukrainians-are-coping-stoically-with-russian-aggression/21805700?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how Ukrainians cope</a>. The simplest solution to renewables’ intermittency is to move electricity around—but that requires vast new international networks of <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/10/16/the-booming-business-of-knitting-together-the-worlds-electricity-grids?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seriously beefy cables</a>. And Canada’s version of American football is <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/10/09/a-venerable-canadian-sport-is-wasting-away?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wasting away</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>

Meeting them where they are: a British MP’s murder

<p>Sir David Amess was killed doing what he loved: speaking directly with voters. We examine the dangers inherent in the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/10/16/the-murder-of-sir-david-amess-will-change-the-nature-of-british-democracy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">constituency surgeries</a>” that British politicians cherish. The fight against tuberculosis is made harder by mutations that confer drug resistance; we look at <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/10/19/most-resistance-causing-mutations-in-tb-have-now-been-identified?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">research</a> that has traced nearly every one of them. And why Andy Warhol is big in Iran, again.</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>

Chinese draggin’: growth slows

<p>A paltry GDP rise is down to the pandemic, power and property. We ask what growing pains President Xi Jinping will endure in the name of economic reforms. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, will probably end up in the second round of next year’s election; who will stand against him is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/eric-zemmour-the-anti-immigrant-radical-who-could-supplant-marine-le-pen/21805511?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ever more unpredictable</a>. And fixing meeting inefficiency with <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/10/16/how-to-run-better-meetings?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an 850-year-old idea</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>

Port, and a storm: sectarian violence in Lebanon

<p>The effort to <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/a-year-after-the-beirut-blast-still-no-bottom-to-lebanons-crisis/21803288?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">investigate</a> last year’s port explosion in Beirut has fired up political and religious tensions—resulting in Lebanon’s worst violence in years. We speak with Dmitry Muratov, a Russian journalist who shared this year’s Nobel peace prize, about what the award <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/10/14/a-russian-editor-says-he-won-the-nobel-because-his-slain-colleagues-could-not?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">means to him</a>, and to press freedom. And why autocratic regimes like to <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/10/08/why-do-authoritarian-regimes-like-to-buy-english-football-clubs?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">snap up</a> English football clubs.</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>

For watt it’s worth: energy markets’ squeeze

<p>A fossil-fuel scramble reveals energy markets in <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/10/16/dont-expect-big-oil-to-fix-the-energy-crunch?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">desperate need</a> of a redesign. We examine what must be done to secure a renewable future. Throngs of Hong Kong residents fleeing China’s tightening hand are <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/09/23/britains-newest-immigrant-group-is-unlike-any-that-came-before?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">settling in Britain</a>; our correspondent finds an immigrant group unlike any that came before. And the boom in <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/1b984659debd729d742b0035a987f069?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">“femtech” entrepreneurs</a> at last focusing on women’s health.</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>

Keep your friends close: Pakistan’s shifting role

<p>As the Taliban’s closest ally, the country bears a big responsibility for Afghanistan’s fate. We examine its diplomatic <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/07/pakistan-got-its-way-in-afghanistan-now-what?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">risks and opportunities</a>. Mastercard is pressing porn purveyors this week; we look at how financial companies are reluctantly <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/credit-card-firms-are-becoming-reluctant-regulators-of-the-web/21805450?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stepping up</a> as the internet’s police. And a timely social-inequality take drives South Korea’s “<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/09/south-koreans-are-bemused-by-the-global-success-of-squid-game?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Squid Game</a>” to the top of Netflix's charts worldwide.</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>

Exit Poles? A bold challenge to the EU

<p>After a court ruling in Poland that is <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/10/10/governments-fall-as-the-eu-battles-corruption?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an affront</a> to a core European Union principle, Poles hit the streets—fearing a “Pol-exit” they do not want. Who will back down? Hydrogen has been touted for decades as a fuel with green credentials. At last its time <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/10/09/hydrogens-moment-is-here-at-last?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has come</a>. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/10/09/mexico-is-finally-seeing-a-startup-bonanza?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">herd of unicorns</a> popping up in Mexico.</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>

Zero-to-some game: Asia-Pacific covid-19 plans crack

<p>Where governments enacted zero-tolerance coronavirus strategies, numbers indeed stayed low. That was before the Delta variant. We ask how countries can now <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/09/asian-countries-are-at-last-abandoning-zero-covid-strategies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wind back</a> those policies. A <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/10/09/the-french-catholic-church-acknowledges-a-staggering-pattern-of-sexual-abuse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shocking report</a> of sexual abuse within France’s Catholic church further threatens the institution’s connection with society. And countering the notion that the “<a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/10/02/dont-ditch-standard-english-teach-it-better?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">standard English</a>” taught the world over is the only proper one. </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 of tension: Chinese jets test Taiwan

<p>China has sent more than 100 planes to probe Taiwan’s air-defence zone. We explain why Beijing has chosen this moment to send a message across the strait. The WHO has approved a vaccine against malaria—a turning-point in fighting a disease that kills 260,000 African children a year. And if you want a Nobel prize, it helps to be lauded by a laureate.    </p><p>For full access to print, digital and audio editions of <em>The Economist</em>, subscribe here <a href="http://www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer</a></p> <hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

How to lose friends and alienate people: Ethiopia’s civil war

<p>Abiy Ahmed is sworn in again as prime minister, even as continuing strife increases the country’s isolation. Our correspondent witnesses the gruesome aftermath of a telling battle. China once encouraged, even forced abortions. Now, as it frets about declining birth rates, it’s discouraging them. And we report on India’s “godmen” and “godwomen”, their moneyspinning schemes and their fanatical followers.</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>

Ticker shock: London’s wheezing stockmarket

<p>A global financial centre must move with the times, and—so far—London has not. Our correspondent lays out the causes of the malaise, and <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/10/02/how-to-revive-britains-stockmarket?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to fix it</a>. For many years compulsory military service was on the decline; we ask why so many countries are <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/10/02/the-military-draft-is-making-a-comeback?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bringing it back</a>. And why Europe is the destination for a growing class of <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/10/02/why-europe-is-a-great-place-for-digital-nomads?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">digital nomads</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>

When it goes dark: Facebook’s terrible week

<p>Yesterday’s global outage is not even the worst of it: today’s congressional testimony will examine a whistleblower’s <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/4f372ad0cb173caf4691d83696b3b08a?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">allegations</a> that the company knows its products cause widespread harm. The modern food-industrial complex is great for eaters but appalling for the planet; we examine technological <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/10/02/new-ways-to-make-food-are-coming-but-will-consumers-bite?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fixes</a>, and whether consumers will bite. And how Afghanistan's embassies abroad are—<a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/10/02/afghan-embassies-dont-recognise-the-taliban?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">or aren’t</a>—dealing with the Taliban.</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>

Docket launch: a new term for America’s Supreme Court

<p>The court will be <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/10/02/the-new-supreme-court-term-is-about-to-begin?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tackling</a> just about every judicial and social flashpoint in the country during the term that starts today; our correspondent lays out the considerable stakes. A vast and costly die-off of Britain’s trees could have been averted simply and cheaply: just let them stay put. And why hotels are such <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/24/why-do-hotels-make-for-such-good-drama?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ideal backdrops</a> for filmmakers and scriptwriters.</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 courage of two convictions: Nicolas Sarkozy

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/01/nicolas-sarkozys-jail-sentence-shocks-frances-political-class?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first conviction</a> of France’s former president shocked the nation; the second confirms for citizens that, these days, politicians will be held to account. Our correspondent meets a Burmese hipster who, after this year’s military coup, has become a somewhat conflicted <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/09/27/killing-informants-is-cool-how-a-myanmar-hipster-became-a-guerrilla-fighter?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">freedom fighter</a>. And the record label whose name you may never have heard but whose music you <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/09/22/kpm-music-is-one-of-the-most-important-record-labels-in-history?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">certainly have</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>