The Intelligence from The Economist

Nuclear inaction: the legacy of Fukushima

The cleanup effort in and around the melted-down power plant is still progressing, but rebuilding communities—and, crucially, trust—is proving <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/03/06/the-fukushima-disaster-was-not-the-turning-point-many-had-hoped?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">far more difficult</a>. As Rupert Murdoch turns 90 we look at how his businesses <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/03/06/rupert-murdoch-prepares-to-hand-over-his-media-empire?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">are faring</a>, and how they are likely to be run by his heirs. And the Victorian strongman who was arguably the world’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/03/01/the-worlds-first-fitness-influencer-was-a-victorian-strongman?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first fitness influencer</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>

Whither permitting? Vaccine passports

<p>Formalising systems to divide the vaccinated from the unvaccinated is neither as risky nor as useful as many people think. In any case, vaccine passports are coming. On the anniversary of Tibet’s uprising, we examine how pressure on Tibetan Buddhism is rising, with <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/02/13/as-in-xinjiang-china-is-tightening-its-grip-in-tibet?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dark parallels</a> to Uyghur Muslims’ plight. And why it’s time to <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/02/27/time-to-end-duty-free?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">close the gate</a> on duty-free shopping.</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>

Reconciled to it: America’s stimulus bill

<p>Thanks to a parliamentary contortion called reconciliation, the $1.9trn covid-relief plan is likely to sail through—we examine what is in it and what its passage <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/03/07/how-joe-biden-got-his-sizeable-stimulus-bill-through-the-senate?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">portends</a> for lawmaking in the Biden era. Unrest is unusual in Senegal, but citizens are <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/293131be3fe9d60523ebbc6dd0c2e5c3?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">out in force</a>; we ask about the roots of the protest mood. And what ever happened to <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/02/17/how-the-iphone-killed-the-custom-ringtone?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bespoke ringtones</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>

Despair and disparities: covid-19 consumes Brazil

State and local pandemic responses are scattershot; a national effort is all but nonexistent. A creeping sense of fatalism makes for peril far beyond the country’s borders. Aggregate American jobs numbers are promising, but our correspondent digs deeper to find <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/02/27/the-pandemic-has-pushed-working-mums-out-of-the-labour-force?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how much harder</a> women have it in the labour force. And <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/b5cfd61c1cbee98c213154d26400aeae?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the interview</a> set to widen Britain’s royal rift. 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>

Rubber-stamping ground: China’s parliament meets

<p>The National People’s Congress kicked off with two big signals of Beijing’s intentions: a <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/6147246665001872dd5a886d418f990c?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">return</a> to economic-growth targets and a plan to eradicate Hong Kong’s vestiges of democracy. On the first-ever papal visit to Iraq, Pope Francis hopes to give succour to the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/03/04/the-pope-is-heading-for-iraq-where-christians-remain-afraid?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">beleaguered Christians</a>. And the continued <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/02/06/even-before-covid-19-nightclubs-were-struggling?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tribulations</a> of the nightclub 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>

Exit stages left: America and the Middle East

The Biden administration would like to pull back from the region; America’s strategic interests have changed, as have regional dynamics. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/03/03/can-joe-biden-get-america-out-of-the-middle-east?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">careful exit</a> that is possible. To evade censors China’s cinephiles often turn to pirated versions of foreign films, but the volunteers who subtitle them are under <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/02/18/chinas-campaign-against-film-piracy-is-upsetting-hollywood-fans?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">increasing pressure</a>. And researchers <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/02/20/lucid-dreamers-may-be-able-to-talk-to-the-outside-world?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">make a connection</a> with the dream world. 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>

Owing to the pandemic: Britain’s budget

The finance minister has <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/149a11285a240705355ff4fe66dc3731?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a plan</a> that will keep many safeguards in place—for now. We ask how the country will then dig itself out of a financial hole. As countries aim for net-zero emissions, <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/02/22/what-is-the-cheapest-way-to-cut-carbon?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how to pick</a> the policies that do the most good for the least cash? And why every fruit tree in Zanzibar <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/18/the-complications-of-buying-land-in-zanzibar?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has an owner</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 dark picture emerges: atrocities in Ethiopia

<p>It is becoming more certain that war crimes are being committed in the northern region of Tigray. Yet, despite increasing international pressure, there is little hope the suffering will soon end. In China anti-capitalist sentiment is growing online; overworked youth have a decidedly <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/02/06/anti-capitalist-tirades-go-viral-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maoist view</a> of the country’s biggest businesses and tycoons. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/02/27/skiing-without-lifts-in-france?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">uphill struggles</a> of France’s skiing industry.</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>

Coup fighters: Myanmar’s persistent protesters

<p>The temperature keeps rising: as demonstrations continue to grow, the army is becoming <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2021/02/28/myanmar-records-its-deadliest-day-of-pro-democracy-protests?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more brutal</a>. We ask how the country can escape the cycle of violence. In a pandemic, laws against misinformation have their merits—but are also easily put to work for <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2021/02/13/censorious-governments-are-abusing-fake-news-laws?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">censorious governments</a>. And why British dependencies want to <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/02/20/growing-cannabis-on-britains-smallest-islands?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">get growing</a> in the medical-marijuana game.</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>

Mutual-appreciation anxiety: Putin and Erdogan

The presidents of Turkey and Russia make an odd couple; their former empires have clashed over centuries. We look at the fragile—but nonetheless worrisome—<a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/02/23/putin-and-erdogan-have-formed-a-brotherhood-of-hard-power?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">alliance</a> between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. India’s economy is recovering but a longstanding drag on growth persists: the overwhelming fraction of women <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/02/20/only-7-of-urban-indian-women-have-paid-jobs?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">absent</a> from the labour force. And an unlikely <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/02/27/a-music-video-rattles-cubas-regime?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protest anthem</a> rattles Cuba’s regime. 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 for Tether: a cryptocurrency crimped

<p>The notionally dollar-pegged “stablecoin” quietly underpins many crypto-market moves. We ask what the currency issuer’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/02/23/tether-is-fined-by-regulators-in-new-york?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clash</a> with New York authorities means for the wider crypto craze. In many African countries, parliamentarians are asked to fill public-service gaps—at great personal cost. We examine moves toward a fairer forking out of funds. And why physical-education exams are <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2021/02/06/officials-in-china-make-pupils-take-sport-seriously-with-exams?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">popping up</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>

Let the games be thin: Tokyo’s Olympic tussles

<p>Planners are in a corner. Delaying or cancelling the summer tournament looks like defeat; pressing ahead looks like a danger. We take a look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/02/13/the-obstacles-to-holding-the-tokyo-olympics-in-july-are-daunting?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sporting chances</a>. Britain has decarbonised <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/02/15/how-britain-decarbonised-faster-than-any-other-rich-country?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">faster</a> than any other rich country, but getting to “net zero” will be a whole lot harder. And why South Koreans have <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2021/02/13/south-koreans-are-being-driven-mad-by-noisy-neighbours?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">such trouble</a> with noisy neighbours.</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>

Confirmation biases: Biden’s cabinet picks

President Joe Biden’s top posts are shaping up as Senate confirmation hearings continue—but some <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/02/22/how-deb-haaland-would-change-the-interior-department?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">controversial nominations</a> await a vote. We look at who is on the docket. Politics in the Democratic Republic of Congo <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/09/congos-president-cuts-free-of-his-would-be-puppetmaster?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has become messy</a>, at the expense of some promised and much-needed reforms. And why the global rap scene is picking up <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2021/01/30/grime-and-uk-drill-are-exporting-multicultural-london-english?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a London accent</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>

Contrary to popular opinion: Mexico’s president

<p>Andrés Manuel López Obrador roared into office with a grand “fourth transformation” agenda. Even after two years of <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/02/20/mexicos-president-has-yet-to-make-peoples-lives-better?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">policy failures and power-grabbing</a>, he remains wildly popular. An eye-catching new report <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/02/06/how-should-economists-think-about-biodiversity?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 take biodiversity into account—and puts some sobering limits on growth. And a chat through the state of the art in <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/02/11/conversational-computers-have-come-a-long-way?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conversational computers</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>

Have I not news for you: Facebook’s Australian battle

<p>A media code that would obligate tech giants to pay for linking to news stories looks set to pass. In response, Facebook pre-emptively <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2021/02/18/facebook-walks-as-google-caves-in-australia?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">took down</a> those links—and a whole lot more. So-called <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/02/06/arab-governments-are-doing-too-little-to-end-honour-killings?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">honour killings</a> persist in the Arab world; we examine the support for such murders and look at attempts to reform lax laws. And remembering the jazz-fusion giant <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2021/02/18/chick-corea-died-on-february-9th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chick Corea</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>

Watts the problem: Texas’s energy failings

<p>Crippling blackouts can be explained in part by the state’s unique energy market, but the disaster exposes <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/02/17/the-freeze-in-texas-exposes-americas-infrastructural-failings?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wider failures</a> that must be confronted amid a changing climate. Today’s landing of another Mars rover broadens the hunt for evidence of extraterrestrial life—an effort that is <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2021/02/13/the-search-for-et-may-soon-yield-an-answer?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">expanding</a> faster and farther than ever before. And soft rock <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2021/02/11/soft-rock-has-rediscovered-its-hard-interior?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shakes off</a> its milquetoast manner.</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>

The next of 1,000 cuts: Hong Kong activists on trial

<p>It is not violent young protesters in the dock: the accused are the architects of the territory’s democracy. Our correspondent examines the city’s descent into authoritarian rule. In Colombia, activists are disappearing or being killed at <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2021/02/13/why-colombias-social-leaders-are-being-murdered?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a horrific rate</a>. We ask why, and what can be done. And weighing up Oregon’s daring <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/02/13/oregon-decriminalises-drugs-for-personal-use?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drug-decriminalisation experiment</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>

Desert stands: France in the Sahel

Terror groups and separatists run riot in the sprawling region, and France has had <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/9f5a14374960400c7f537198d1e26acd?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">some success</a> in keeping the peace. But how, and when, to draw down its troops? Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the World Trade Organisation’s history-making new leader, has <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/81517079882bbb04ab3b2c1fb244f336?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">quite the task</a> ahead to rebuild trust in and among the institution’s members. And the <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/4f4c7d3dd85ea84eb208d7cd031dbfe7?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">worrying shifts</a> in subsea soundscapes. Additional audio courtesy Jana Winderen. 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>

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>