The Intelligence from The Economist

Intensive scare: covid-19 ravages America

<p>Numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths are rocketing across the country. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/28/the-midwest-is-americas-covid-19-hotspot?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">situation in the Midwest</a>, as a microcosm of a wider unfolding tragedy. Venezuela’s ruling party will take over the National Assembly after <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/11/26/venezuelas-regime-will-win-the-legislative-election-by-a-lot?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sunday’s vote</a>, sidelining the self-proclaimed legitimate leader Juan Guaidó and cementing Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship. And the fruitful life and ignominious death of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/25/with-the-death-of-arecibo-an-era-ends-for-radio-astronomy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Arecibo telescope</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>

Your planet, or mines? Kicking the coal habit

<p>In the West market forces are squeezing coal—even as its use rises in Asia. We examine how the world can wean itself off the dirtiest fossil fuel. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Belarus’s probable presidential-election winner, never expected to run for office. Our correspondent visits her in exile, asking about the country’s prospects for democracy. And how candy-floss machines may help make better face masks.</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>

Trans formative: a landmark children’s-rights ruling

<p>Britain’s High Court has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/12/01/a-court-makes-it-harder-to-prescribe-puberty-blockers-to-children?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ruled</a> that puberty blockers for children with gender dysphoria have been dispensed too readily, fuelling a debate that will be keenly watched abroad. A vote today on a law tightening accounting rules on <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/17/why-chinese-firms-still-flock-to-american-stock-exchanges?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">American-listed Chinese companies</a> has a political dimension—and implications for investors. And Poland’s populist leaders seize on the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/28/why-polish-politicians-fear-to-sneer-at-rural-music?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">resurgence</a> of “disco polo” music.</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>

Nuclear-war head: assassination in Iran

<p>The <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/27/the-father-of-irans-nuclear-programme-is-assassinated?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">killing</a> of the country’s top nuclear scientist comes at a tricky time: violent retribution may threaten hoped-for diplomacy with the incoming American administration. An artificial-intelligence <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/30/deepmind-is-answering-one-of-biologys-biggest-challenges?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">breakthrough</a> may transform protein science, with implications for everything from industrial processes to tackling disease. And why Europe’s lighter-touch, second round of lockdowns have been <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/28/why-europes-second-less-severe-lockdowns-are-working?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so effective</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>

No show of force: France’s controversial police-protection bill

<p>Protesters are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/29/a-gagging-bill-could-shield-french-police-from-charges-of-brutality?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raging</a> against a proposed bill that would outlaw posting videos of alleged police brutality—just as two videos expose more such violence. High-stakes exams for students have been delayed, modified, even cancelled during the pandemic; we look at how all those varying results <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/26/exams-are-grim-but-most-alternatives-are-worse?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stack up</a>. And, South Africa’s growing trend of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/21/livestock-theft-is-becoming-more-common-in-south-africa?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">livestock theft</a>—and rebranding.  </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>

One party to rule them all? India’s fraying democracy

Many of the country’s institutions are being <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2020/11/28/narendra-modi-threatens-to-turn-india-into-a-one-party-state?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slowly hobbled</a> by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government; we ask whether the world’s largest democracy is in peril. Sweden has a surprisingly entrenched problem with <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/28/why-sweden-struggles-to-curb-gang-violence?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">gang violence</a>, revealing the social costs of its segregated populations. And how <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/26/black-friday-isnt-what-it-used-to-be?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Black Friday</a> is playing out in the pandemic era. 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>

At his majesty, displeasure: Thailand’s anti-monarchy push

<p>A long string of pro-democracy protests are railing more and more <a href="http://espresso.economist.com/4de7729ea5daf28540ee79b3dca73d19?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">against the king</a> himself—and the protesters are younger and more fearless than ever before. The arrest of Bobi Wine, Uganda’s popular singer-turned-opposition-hero, has sparked deadly violence. He won’t win January’s election, but his movement <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/07/bobi-wine-the-pop-star-who-would-be-president-of-uganda?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">isn’t going away</a>. And a Thanksgiving Day look at the globe-trotting <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/11/18/the-thanksgiving-turkey-is-actually-an-immigrant-where-does-it-come-from?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">history of the turkey</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>

Tigray area: Ethiopia’s deadly standoff

<p>The northern region’s surrounded forces are ignoring Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s deadline to disarm. More regions are being <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/16/ethiopias-civil-war-is-spreading-outside-its-borders?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drawn in</a>—and a conflagration across the Horn of Africa looms. Artificial-intelligence pilots have shown serious dogfighting skills, but for reasons both technical and ethical humans are <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/19/fighter-aircraft-will-soon-get-ai-pilots?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still needed</a> in the cockpit. And the rise of mixed martial arts on <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/15/mixed-martial-arts-is-on-the-rise-in-britain-and-on-the-right?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">both sides of the Atlantic</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>

What funds we’ll have: green venture capital

<p>The boom-and-bust of environmental-technology investing has settled out, and money is <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/29/climate-conscious-venture-capitalists-are-back?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flooding in</a>—both individual and institutional. We examine the green fields that lie ahead. Many Arab countries have long been suffering an <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/21/much-of-the-arab-world-is-short-of-doctors?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">exodus</a> of medical professionals—a problem only magnified by the pandemic. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/11/21/jonathan-sacks-died-on-november-7th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a reflection</a> on the life of Jonathan Sacks, a tirelessly unifying British rabbi. 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><br></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>

Playing his Trump cards: Biden’s China policy

<p>The tone of America’s president-elect on China changed markedly through the campaign; his policies, at least at the outset, <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/11/19/joe-bidens-china-policy-will-be-a-mix-of-trumps-and-obamas?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">may differ little</a> from those of his predecessor. We examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/21/a-lack-of-data-on-race-hampers-efforts-to-tackle-inequalities?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stark racial disparities</a> in covid-19 outcomes around the world. And the clever use of a waste product to make <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/14/better-disposable-coffee-cups?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a better takeaway coffee cup</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>

Undercut a deal: the threat to Afghan peace

<p>Peace talks continue in Doha but on the ground the Taliban are consolidating control. America’s rush to withdraw its forces could <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/11/21/donald-trump-risks-handing-afghanistan-to-the-taliban?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">undo</a> the good work of getting them to the negotiating table. As DoorDash heads to a public listing, we look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/21/doordash-is-a-dish-served-piping-hot-will-it-cool?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">rapidly shifting fortunes</a> of the food-delivery business. And why golf has <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2020/11/21/how-new-swing-techniques-are-revolutionising-golf?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a long-shot problem</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>

Quit it cold, Turkey: policy tightens at last

<p>Now that the economic reins have been taken back from the president’s son-in-law, the country is making <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/11/14/will-turkeys-new-economic-officials-win-over-investors?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the right policy noises</a>—and just in time. China’s anti-poverty drive is not disinterested charity; it is about <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/09/19/chinas-anti-poverty-drive-is-not-disinterested-charity?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">transforming citizens’ thoughts</a>. And chronicling Pepe the Frog’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/prospero/2020/10/26/the-transmogrification-of-pepe-the-frog?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">descent</a> into alt-right memedom.</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>

Concession stand: Trump’s intransigence

<p>America’s outgoing president is sticking with <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/14/the-republican-party-and-donald-trumps-alternative-election-fantasy?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an insidious fiction</a>, lashing out at those who deny it. That frustrates a stable handover of power—and will cost lives. Egypt has a long-standing problem with sexual harassment and abuse. A reckoning <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/14/egyptian-women-speak-up-about-sex-crimes?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">has begun</a> this year, revealing some deeply conservative views among both men and women. And why streaming-era television programmes have got <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/11/11/never-ending-story-why-do-todays-tv-shows-go-on-and-on?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">so long</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>

Out on a LegCo: Hong Kong under pressure

<p>Following a purge based on a harsh new security law, the territory’s Legislative Council lacks a single opposition voice. That will make the work of pro-Beijing lawmakers easier. As promising vaccines start to emerge, we examine the role of so-called T-cells in granting <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/07/the-t-cell-immune-response-to-covid-lasts-at-least-six-months?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">long-lasting immunity</a> to the coronavirus. And why employers are relying more and more on <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/05/questionable-behaviour?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">psychometric tests</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>

Disrupter, disrupted: Britain’s government

<p>The chief aide to the prime minister had been a driving force in policy but a dividing force in government. What will happen now that he has <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/11/13/dominic-cummings-boris-johnsons-chief-aide-stands-down?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stood down</a>? We examine how Canada’s response to the pandemic has <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/11/05/jobs-are-coming-back-in-canada-thanks-to-subsidies?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shielded its economy</a>—so far. And lockdowns bring <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/14/stockpiling-pasta-boosts-italys-foodmakers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the market for pasta</a> to a rolling boil. </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 to cede: Armenia and Azerbaijan

<p>The longest-running conflict in the Caucasus could well be over. We examine <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/10/armenia-and-azerbaijan-end-a-30-year-conflict-with-a-tense-peace-deal?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a peace deal</a> that benefits outside powers and chips away at regional identities. The hipster aesthetic long ago permeated rich countries; our correspondent <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/11/07/even-as-traditional-globalisation-has-slowed-a-new-kind-has-sped-up?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">finds it creeping</a> even into impoverished and war-torn corners of the world. And reflecting on the life of James Randi, a <a href="https://www.economist.com/obituary/2020/11/14/james-randi-died-on-october-20th?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tireless debunker</a> of charlatans.</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>

Sahel of a mess: France’s impossible peacekeeping mission

Jihadism is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/10/15/malis-civilian-government-has-rather-a-lot-of-soldiers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">growing</a> in a continent-wide strip of Africa, and the riskiest operations to contain it fall to French troops. Our correspondent witnesses a fraught and seemingly endless mission. Peru has <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/11/10/perus-congress-topples-martin-vizcarra-on-its-second-attempt?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ousted</a> yet another president, at a woeful time: the pandemic is raging, the economy cratering and politics fracturing. And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/11/07/a-proposal-to-water-down-swedens-state-monopoly-on-booze?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">movement</a> to water down Sweden’s state monopoly on booze. 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>

We’ll again have Paris: Biden’s ambitious climate plans

President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign had the environment front and centre. We analyse <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/09/19/global-warming-and-the-presidential-election?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">his pledges</a>—and his prospects for implementing them. As the video-gaming industry releases its <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/11/07/playstation-5-v-xbox-series-x?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">next round of consoles</a>, it is eyeing a far larger prize: high-end gaming with no console at all. And the red poppy of Remembrance Day turns into something of <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/11/05/competitive-remembrance-day-celebrations?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an armistice race</a> in Britain. 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>

Nine out of ten, doctors say: a promising coronavirus vaccine

A vaccine claimed to be 90% effective represents <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/11/09/pfizers-and-biontechs-vaccine-is-the-start-of-the-end-of-the-pandemic?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an enormous achievement</a>. We discuss what questions remain and the regulatory and distribution challenges ahead. A string of <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/05/democracy-is-faltering-in-tanzania-and-ivory-coast?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">recent African elections</a> reveals strongmen bending democracy to stay in office; will upcoming polls break it altogether? And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/22/indian-stoners-face-a-moral-crusade?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">moral crusade</a> in India doesn’t fit the country’s chill relationship with weed. 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>

Brought to heal: Biden’s chance to unite America

<p>President Donald Trump will go, but Trumpism will remain. Our editor-in-chief considers how President-elect Biden can <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/08/joe-biden-and-the-new-art-of-world-leadership?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">repair</a> the divided country he will inherit. Denmark aims to cull 17m mink that could represent a reservoir of a mutated coronavirus—why didn’t it do so when <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/09/05/covid-19-ends-dutch-mink-farming?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">other countries did</a>? And the <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/11/05/whats-bigger-than-k-pop?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">old-timey Korean music</a> that might just challenge K-pop.  </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>

Abiy damned: Ethiopia’s looming civil war

<p>Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has taken <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/11/04/ethiopia-lurches-towards-civil-war?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">drastic steps</a> to quieten a state stacked with trained militias. The conflict could draw in more states—or the whole of the Horn of Africa. China’s increasing push for self-reliance in a globalised economy has its complications—made clear by a vast influx of precision-bred <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/10/29/high-tech-chickens-are-a-case-study-of-why-self-reliance-is-so-hard?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">super-chickens</a>. And the macabre tale of books <a href="https://espresso.economist.com/55b815e096cacb06e3e556d22e8d106c?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bound with human skin</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>

The lawyers of diminishing returns: America’s election

As President Donald Trump’s re-election path <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/04/joe-bidens-recovery-in-the-midwest-brings-him-closer-to-victory?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">slims</a>, his pledges to fight the results in court are multiplying. We look at the cases that may eventually decide the election. Global crises tend to affect birth rates, and covid-19 is no different—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/10/28/the-pandemic-may-be-leading-to-fewer-babies-in-rich-countries?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the effects</a> are not evenly spread. And a <a href="https://www.economist.com/business/2020/10/29/how-hotels-are-trying-to-attract-remote-workers?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">suite alternative</a> for business types tired of working from home. 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>

Tally forth: America’s elections

The outcome remains unclear as vote-counting continues. We look at some of the <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/04/donald-trump-does-better-than-predicted-but-joe-biden-has-a-slight-edge?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">surprise results</a>, ask what happens next and examine how <em>The Economist</em>’s <a href="https://projects.economist.com/us-2020-forecast/president?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">election forecast</a> has held up. And we tag along with our American correspondents for the thrill of election-night reporting.The latest results are here <a href="http://www.economist.com/us2020results" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/us2020results</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>

Poles’ position: an abortion-law backlash

Poland already had some of the strictest laws on terminations, but the ruling party’s bid to tighten them further has sparked <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/31/polands-abortion-rules-are-now-among-the-strictest-in-any-rich-country?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">national outrage</a>. We lay out what to expect on election night in America—the denouement will not be simple, and is <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/11/02/biden-or-trump-americans-may-have-to-wait-days-to-know-who-won?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">unlikely to be quick</a>. And a historical look at the <a href="https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/10/20/movie-night-at-the-white-house-a-century-of-screenings-decoded?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">films</a> screened in the White House’s private cinema. 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>

Lock step: England to shut down, again

<p>Prime Minister Boris Johnson all but ruled out a second lockdown, but his hand has been forced by England’s caseload. What are the political costs of his U-turn? Myanmar’s coming election will almost certainly be marred by <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/22/in-myanmar-facebook-struggles-with-a-deluge-of-disinformation?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">disinformation on Facebook</a>—principally because so many Burmese people get their only news there. And examining the current <a href="https://www.economist.com/britain/2020/10/15/political-biographies-are-dislodging-celebrity-books?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">glut of political biographies</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>

Net losses: plunder of the oceans

The staggering extent of illegal fishing, and its human and environmental costs, are only just becoming clear. We ask how to put a shadowy industry <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/22/illicit-fishing-devastates-the-seas-and-abuses-crews?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on a more even keel</a>. The old guard likes to mock millennial investors, but they’re <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/10/24/in-defence-of-millennial-investors?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">changing finance</a>, possibly for the better. And as Berlin’s shiny new airport opens we ask: why is it <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/17/berlins-long-delayed-airport-is-finally-opening?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nine years late</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>

What Xi said: China’s five-year plan

<p>The party’s Fifth Plenum sets out a five-year vision; we mine the plan for clues about how China views itself in the world—and how long Xi Jinping <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/10/31/chinas-most-senior-officials-endorse-economic-plans-for-years-ahead?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">intends to lead</a>. The pandemic has the rich world <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/10/10/covid-19-is-helping-wealthy-countries-talk-about-death?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">thinking and talking about death</a> in a way not seen since the second world war. And <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/31/singapores-government-helps-old-food-hawkers-but-not-young-ones?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">an uncertain future</a> for Singapore’s famed street-food hawkers.</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>

Stumbling bloc: Europe’s second wave

<p>Across the continent, covid-19 cases are rising steeply and containment measures are <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/10/22/a-second-wave-of-covid-19-sends-much-of-europe-back-into-lockdown?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">still divergent</a>. We look at the challenges of finding policies that are efficacious and sustainable. Tanzania’s election today is all but zipped up; President John Magufuli has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/10/22/president-magufuli-is-likely-to-win-an-unfair-vote-in-tanzania?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">trampling</a> the country’s hard-won democratic traditions. And what the florid language of wine experts <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2020/10/17/does-naming-a-thing-help-you-understand-it?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">says</a> about human perception.</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>

Chagrin, and Barrett: America’s Supreme Court

Amy Coney Barrett’s <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/10/26/amy-coney-barrett-is-set-to-transform-americas-supreme-court?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">confirmation</a> marks the first time since the 1930s the court has leaned so conservative, and has stoked another partisan battle that may further reshape the court. Following the announcement of <a href="https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/10/26/there-is-now-cast-iron-evidence-for-water-on-the-moon?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">water on the Moon</a>, we look at a looming, broader battle: who will own the water rights? And why Australia’s aboriginal flag is <a href="https://www.economist.com/asia/2020/10/17/a-copyright-dispute-ensnares-the-aboriginal-flag?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">flying less and less</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>

Coming write-up: Chile votes to overhaul its constitution

<p>The country has roundly rejected its dictatorship-era charter and mapped out how to fashion a new one. What do Chileans <a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2020/10/22/chiles-momentous-referendum-on-its-constitution?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">stand to gain</a>—and to lose? Rising populations of the elderly in the world’s prisons are creating <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2020/09/07/the-pandemic-is-boosting-efforts-to-get-the-old-out-of-prison?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deepening problems</a>, both for jailers and the jailed. And we explore <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/10/24/can-too-many-brainy-people-be-a-dangerous-thing?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a theory</a> that blames political chaos on too many would-be elites.</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>