The Intelligence from The Economist

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>

Arms within reach: Israel's vaccination lead

<p>Aggressive purchasing, solid logistics and a competitive health-care system have led to a world-beating rate of immunisation—but, as ever, politics is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2021/01/02/binyamin-netanyahu-faces-a-challenge-from-the-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">playing a role</a>, too. Big oil had a terrible 2020, but the sector’s troubles pre-date the pandemic; we look at the supermajors’ <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/16/big-oils-diverging-bets-on-the-future-of-energy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">varying approaches</a> to an uncertain future. And how covid-19 is <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/12/the-pandemic-has-changed-chinas-nightclubs?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">reshaping</a> China’s clubbing 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>

Isle talk to EU later: a vote on a scant Brexit deal

Britain’s parliament will vote today on its last-gasp agreement with the European Union. But that will only mark the start of more negotiations for years to come. And we examine the shortlist from <em>The Economist</em>’s annual “<a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/which-is-the-economists-country-of-the-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">country of the year</a>” debate—New Zealand, Malawi and Taiwan—and unveil the winner. 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>

Cheques, imbalances: America’s fraught stimulus

<p>After months of deadlock, a covid-19 relief package <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/12/27/donald-trump-relents-and-signs-an-economic-relief-bill?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has passed</a>, but the battles continue. We ask how things got so dire and what President-elect Joe Biden will inherit. A deadly shootout in London more than a century ago <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/a-stand-off-in-londons-east-end-in-1911-still-echoes-today?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still resonates</a> today; we examine one of the world’s first breaking-news stories. And the colour black reaches <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/07/for-centuries-the-colour-black-has-tested-artists-ingenuity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">new depths</a> in art. </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 around the bloc: Europe’s vaccination push

<p>The first inoculations are happening across the continent as part of a co-ordinated push—but levels of both supply and uptake <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/12/europe-prepares-for-its-first-batches-of-covid-19-vaccines?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">remain uncertain</a>. Our correspondent explores South Korea’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/south-koreas-hiking-culture-reflects-its-social-pressures?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">obsession with hiking</a> and why it means different things to different climbers. And looking back on a troubling year for <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/05/does-it-matter-if-the-crown-fictionalises-reality?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Britain’s royals</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>

Old acquaintance not forgot: the notable deaths of 2020

In a year marked by more than a million and a half deaths, mortality has rarely been so front of mind. Our obituary editor looks back through the notable figures she has memorialised, from <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/04/george-floyd-was-killed-on-may-25th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">George Floyd</a> to <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/06/25/vera-lynn-died-on-june-18th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vera Lynn</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>

Bubbles in the market: Mexico’s Coca-Cola obsession

<p>For decades, the country has been an almighty consumer of the fizzy drink. But amid a woeful covid-19 situation politicians are <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/29/politicians-step-up-the-fight-against-mexicos-coca-cola-habit?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">highlighting</a> the health concerns it brings. In getting to know a sleepy French village, our correspondent finds a <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/lockdowns-have-taught-the-world-about-isolation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nuanced view</a> of isolation in the pandemic age. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/04/a-lavish-set-of-books-brings-readers-closer-to-the-sistine-frescoes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lavish books</a> providing a never-before-seen perspective on the Sistine Chapel’s frescoes.</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>

Get the lead out: Zambia’s toxic mine

<p>A site that closed more than a quarter-century ago is still <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/12/10/how-a-lead-mine-in-zambia-has-blighted-a-town?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slowly poisoning</a> the residents of Kabwe with lead; a class-action lawsuit is at last seeking redress. Our correspondent visits the ancient monastery behind the international Shaolin brand, learning the <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/tales-of-a-ceo-monk-obscure-the-business-of-faith-in-china?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">subtle story</a> of its abbot and chief executive. And flicking through <em>The Economist</em>’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/12/05/our-books-of-the-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">staff picks</a> for books of the year.</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>

Rehousing project: Bangladesh’s Rohingya

<p>The country’s refugee camps are packed and squalid, so the government is moving perhaps 100,000 Rohingya Muslims to <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/12/bangladesh-is-moving-rohingyas-to-a-remote-island?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a tiny island</a>. Will life for them improve? Military tactics can be misleading; sometimes they are outright trickery. Our defence editor looks at the past and future of <a href="https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2020/12/19/democracies-need-to-re-learn-the-art-of-deception?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military deception</a>. And why Christmas dinner involves such different fare around the world.</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>

And then, winter: ten years after the Arab Spring

A revolutionary conflagration a decade ago has almost entirely <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/why-democracy-failed-in-the-middle-east?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flickered out</a>. We ask what happened to all the optimism and why real change has been so hard to achieve. A widely watched lawsuit reveals the slow march of <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/16/though-muffled-chinas-metoo-movement-still-has-support?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">feminism in China</a>, one case at a time. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/11/21/beethovens-triumphant-career-was-a-struggle-against-adversity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a look back</a> at Ludwig van Beethoven’s life and work, 250 years on. 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>

This market went a little piggy: a capital-raising frenzy

<p>Astonishingly, companies have raised more capital this year <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/12/09/companies-have-raised-more-capital-in-2020-than-ever-before?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">than ever before</a>. We ask how capital markets shook free amid the pandemic—and what will happen with all that cash now. Our correspondent finds just how dependent the world’s waste-management industry is on informal workers, whose hard jobs have been made far harder this year. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/12/12/super-loudhailers-are-becoming-louder-still?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the technology</a> making megaphones much more mega.</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>

Joe, College: Biden’s victory affirmed

America’s by-the-book electoral-college vote calmed concerns about another Trump-camp bid to <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/12/09/the-final-countdown-to-donald-trumps-election-defeat?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">overturn the election</a>—but that is not to say the ructions are over. On an unannounced visit to a suspected forced-labour camp in China’s Xinjiang province, our correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/12/10/china-is-doubling-down-in-xinjiang?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">runs into trouble</a> when witnessing evidence of a far wider social-engineering effort. And Cuba’s beloved sweet, milky treat <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/12/10/cuba-extends-the-shelf-life-of-a-national-favourite-dulce-de-leche?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gets a freshen-up</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>

So long, and we’re keeping all the fish: Brexit

<p>Britain’s divorce from the European Union still hinges on sticky matters of fishing rights and the enforcement of fair competition, and time is rapidly <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/12/a-thin-last-minute-brexit-trade-deal-is-better-than-no-deal-at-all?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">running out</a> to strike a deal. India’s fantastical “love <em>jihad</em>” <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/11/19/indias-ruling-party-invents-a-muslim-plot-against-hindu-women?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">conspiracy theory</a> is just another Muslim-marginalisation move—one that the government seemingly approves of. And a hermit-crab <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/12/the-thai-authorities-find-shelter-for-homeless-crustaceans?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">housing shortage</a> in Thailand.</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>

Taking the temperature: a climate chat with the UN chief

Ahead of a weekend meeting to assess and bolster the Paris Agreement, our correspondent speaks with Antonio Guterres about his reasons for <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead/2020/11/16/the-world-could-turn-a-corner-on-climate-change?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cautious optimism</a>. The founder of an upstart far-right Dutch party has been consumed by scandals; we discuss a disastrous <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/05/thierry-baudet-a-populist-prodigy-blows-up-the-party-he-created?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">downfall</a>. And following AirBnB’s stonking stockmarket debut, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/12/08/airbnb-guests-seek-out-cleaner-properties-in-the-pandemic?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">revealed preferences</a> of pandemic-era bookers. 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>

If you already joined ‘em, beat ‘em: Facebook gets sued

American regulators have put mergers that they approved years ago at the heart of antitrust lawsuits—a tricky bid to curb the social-media giant’s market power. We examine the surge of an artist-led <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/12/05/the-movimiento-san-isidro-challenges-cubas-regime?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">protest movement</a> in Cuba, where dissent on any scale is a dangerous proposition. And what a cross-border, <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/12/05/to-ski-or-not-to-ski?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ski-slope spat</a> reveals about European co-operation. 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>

Laïcité, égalité, fraternité? France’s secularism bill

<p>President Emmanuel Macron’s draft bill walks a fine line balancing the country’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2020/11/23/what-is-french-laicite?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">foundational secularism</a> and worries about Islamist terrorism. Amid slumping economies everywhere, Taiwan’s looks surprisingly <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/12/02/covid-19-has-ravaged-economies-all-over-the-world-but-not-taiwans?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">buoyant</a>; we ask how that might continue after the pandemic. And how managers can best <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/28/why-office-morale-will-be-hard-to-maintain-this-year?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-note" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">navigate</a> the holiday-party season in a cheerless year.</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>

Granting immunity: America weighs vaccine approval

<p>As Britons receive the first doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, authorities in America are meeting this week to authorise its emergency use. We examine the approaches on both sides of the pond. Despite pandemic prescriptions of social distancing, multigenerational living is on the rise. And how Advent calendars became so very extra.</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>

Fairly unusual: Ghana’s elections

<p>In a region racked by dodgy polls, the country looks to continue a trend of uncontested handovers of power. That is not to say, however, that there aren’t sticking points. As tortuous Brexit negotiations drag on, we look at how British farming can and should change under a new regulatory regime. And the starving deer of a Japanese tourist hotspot.</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>