For the first time since the end of white rule, South Africa’s governing African National Congress is set to win less than half the vote, albeit in local polls. We explain its slide in popularity . After a dreadful 2020, Italy has had a happier 2021; what’s prime minister Mario Draghi’s next move? And we check out the rhythm of Bangladesh’s underground club scene. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on ...
Nov 03, 2021•21 min
More than a year after George Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis policeman, the city votes on an overhaul of its force. We examine America’s shifting debate over police reform. Cryptocurrencies have taken off in Cuba; but the communist authorities want control . And light may be shed on the mystery of the reproductive habits—and extraordinary migration—of eels. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Ac...
Nov 02, 2021•21 min
World leaders are gathering in Glasgow for the UN climate summit. Can they agree on the path to meeting the goals set in Paris six years ago, to stabilise global temperatures? We weigh up the chances. Sex work is illegal almost everywhere in America; a growing movement wants that to change. And why Britain’s TV-production industry is booming. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Nov 01, 2021•21 min
The Islamic Republic is closer than ever to a bomb’s worth of fissile material. Talks with America and other countries will resume next month, but hopes of an agreement are fading. Is war inevitable? Chinese media are not allowed to report on the #MeToo movement, but the Communist Party is taking up some feminist causes . We consider the paradox of women’s rights in modern China. And we look back at the life of Anne Saxelby , a pioneering American cheesemonger, who has died aged 40. For full acc...
Oct 29, 2021•23 min
After a year of breakneck growth, the big five tech companies—Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft—are coming back down to earth. We look at how the pandemic has changed the industry and spurred on smaller firms. Serbia’s military build-up is making its neighbours nervous. The country’s president tells us why he’s been amassing arms. And evolution usually unfolds over millions of years. But new research into Mozambique’s tuskless elephants suggests that it can be turbocharged by human...
Oct 28, 2021•22 min
Two months after the Taliban’s victory, civilians face a looming disaster. Will Western governments dig their heels in, or turn the aid taps back on? India’s government has increasingly turned to high-tech means for delivering government services. But its digital-first solutions are inaccessible to millions of citizens. And we look at the business of renting clothing, as Rent the Runway goes public with a sky-high valuation. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist ,...
Oct 27, 2021•21 min
Just as the country was moving towards democracy, its generals have overthrown the civilians—again. We look at what sparked the unrest, and why coups in Africa are on the rise. Ecuador declared a state of emergency last week over a wave of violent crime. It’s just one of several headaches for Guillermo Lasso, the country’s president. And we explain why you have an accent in a foreign language. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.co...
Oct 26, 2021•23 min
Covid certificates are a global mess, with countries operating a patchwork of incompatible systems. We look at why it’s so difficult to standardise digital health passes. When the results of Uzbekistan’s elections are published today, the only surprise will be the margin of victory for Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the country’s autocratic leader since 2016. The question is how far he can take his agenda of economic and political reform . And Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), a way of representing ownership of ...
Oct 25, 2021•20 min
President Jair Bolsonaro’s early dismissal of the pandemic as “a little flu” presaged a calamitous handling of the crisis. We ask how a congressional investigation’s dramatic assessment of his non-actions may damage him. China’s test of a hypersonic, nuclear-capable glider may rattle the global weapons order. And our obituaries editor reflects on the life of level-headed American statesman Colin Powell . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.e...
Oct 22, 2021•22 min
Criminal gangs in north-western states, jihadists in the north-east, a rebellion in the south-east: kidnappers, warlords and cattle rustlers are making the country ungovernable . The new head of Samsung Electronics has a legacy to build—and aims to do so by breaking into the cut-throat business of processor chips . And the sci-fi classic “Dune” gets a good cinematic treatment at last. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelli...
Oct 21, 2021•24 min
Russia continues to pile pressure on the country, and will soon have the power to cut off its natural gas. Our correspondent pays a visit to find how Ukrainians cope . The simplest solution to renewables’ intermittency is to move electricity around—but that requires vast new international networks of seriously beefy cables . And Canada’s version of American football is wasting away . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intellig...
Oct 20, 2021•20 min
Sir David Amess was killed doing what he loved: speaking directly with voters. We examine the dangers inherent in the “ constituency surgeries ” that British politicians cherish. The fight against tuberculosis is made harder by mutations that confer drug resistance; we look at research that has traced nearly every one of them. And why Andy Warhol is big in Iran, again. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hoste...
Oct 19, 2021•21 min
A paltry GDP rise is down to the pandemic, power and property. We ask what growing pains President Xi Jinping will endure in the name of economic reforms. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, will probably end up in the second round of next year’s election; who will stand against him is ever more unpredictable . And fixing meeting inefficiency with an 850-year-old idea . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hos...
Oct 18, 2021•20 min
The effort to investigate last year’s port explosion in Beirut has fired up political and religious tensions—resulting in Lebanon’s worst violence in years. We speak with Dmitry Muratov, a Russian journalist who shared this year’s Nobel peace prize, about what the award means to him , and to press freedom. And why autocratic regimes like to snap up English football clubs. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Ho...
Oct 15, 2021•23 min
A fossil-fuel scramble reveals energy markets in desperate need of a redesign. We examine what must be done to secure a renewable future. Throngs of Hong Kong residents fleeing China’s tightening hand are settling in Britain ; our correspondent finds an immigrant group unlike any that came before. And the boom in “femtech” entrepreneurs at last focusing on women’s health. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Ho...
Oct 14, 2021•23 min
As the Taliban’s closest ally, the country bears a big responsibility for Afghanistan’s fate. We examine its diplomatic risks and opportunities . Mastercard is pressing porn purveyors this week; we look at how financial companies are reluctantly stepping up as the internet’s police. And a timely social-inequality take drives South Korea’s “ Squid Game ” to the top of Netflix's charts worldwide. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.c...
Oct 13, 2021•21 min
After a court ruling in Poland that is an affront to a core European Union principle, Poles hit the streets—fearing a “Pol-exit” they do not want. Who will back down? Hydrogen has been touted for decades as a fuel with green credentials. At last its time has come . And the herd of unicorns popping up in Mexico. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 12, 2021•20 min
Where governments enacted zero-tolerance coronavirus strategies, numbers indeed stayed low. That was before the Delta variant. We ask how countries can now wind back those policies. A shocking report of sexual abuse within France’s Catholic church further threatens the institution’s connection with society. And countering the notion that the “ standard English ” taught the world over is the only proper one. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here ww...
Oct 11, 2021•21 min
China has sent more than 100 planes to probe Taiwan’s air-defence zone. We explain why Beijing has chosen this moment to send a message across the strait. The WHO has approved a vaccine against malaria—a turning-point in fighting a disease that kills 260,000 African children a year. And if you want a Nobel prize, it helps to be lauded by a laureate. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acas...
Oct 08, 2021•22 min
Abiy Ahmed is sworn in again as prime minister, even as continuing strife increases the country’s isolation. Our correspondent witnesses the gruesome aftermath of a telling battle. China once encouraged, even forced abortions. Now, as it frets about declining birth rates, it’s discouraging them. And we report on India’s “godmen” and “godwomen”, their moneyspinning schemes and their fanatical followers. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.eco...
Oct 07, 2021•20 min
A global financial centre must move with the times, and—so far—London has not. Our correspondent lays out the causes of the malaise, and how to fix it . For many years compulsory military service was on the decline; we ask why so many countries are bringing it back . And why Europe is the destination for a growing class of digital nomads . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Oct 06, 2021•24 min
Yesterday’s global outage is not even the worst of it: today’s congressional testimony will examine a whistleblower’s allegations that the company knows its products cause widespread harm. The modern food-industrial complex is great for eaters but appalling for the planet; we examine technological fixes , and whether consumers will bite. And how Afghanistan's embassies abroad are— or aren’t —dealing with the Taliban. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscri...
Oct 05, 2021•21 min
The court will be tackling just about every judicial and social flashpoint in the country during the term that starts today; our correspondent lays out the considerable stakes. A vast and costly die-off of Britain’s trees could have been averted simply and cheaply: just let them stay put. And why hotels are such ideal backdrops for filmmakers and scriptwriters. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Aca...
Oct 04, 2021•22 min
The first conviction of France’s former president shocked the nation; the second confirms for citizens that, these days, politicians will be held to account. Our correspondent meets a Burmese hipster who, after this year’s military coup, has become a somewhat conflicted freedom fighter . And the record label whose name you may never have heard but whose music you certainly have . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligence...
Oct 01, 2021•21 min
From chicken to petrol, Britons are facing long queues and bare shelves . We ask about the multifarious reasons behind the shortfalls, and how long they will last. Tunisia’s democracy has been looking shaky for months ; we examine what may change with yesterday’s appointment of its first-ever female prime minister. And India’s beleaguered unmarried couples at last are getting some privacy . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/i...
Sep 30, 2021•23 min
The ruling party’s choice for its president—a shoo-in for prime minister—seems to overlook the people’s will. We ask how Kishida Fumio is likely to lead, and for how long. Some of Nigeria’s megachurches are larger than stadiums, and have considerable assets—as do many of their charismatic pastors. And keeping up with demand for vinyl records presents pressing problems. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hoste...
Sep 29, 2021•19 min
America’s crash of deadlines carries risks for the government’s budget and just possibly its sovereign debt , and threatens Joe Biden’s presidency-defining social-spending reforms. We ask what happens next. South Korea’s government is ostensibly cracking down on fake news; in practice it may be hobbling real journalism . And the hopeful view provided by a French conceptual artist’s latest work . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist....
Sep 28, 2021•22 min
The country heads for a three-party government after a nail-biting election . We cut through the flurry of letters and colours to ask what is likely to happen next. The technology swiftly deployed to combat the coronavirus may also crack a four-decade-old problem: vaccinating against HIV . And evidence that the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex may have liked a love bite. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on A...
Sep 27, 2021•20 min
Leaders of “the Quad” are meeting in person for the first time; drama from the AUKUS alliance still simmers. Our Beijing bureau chief discusses how Chinese officials see all these club ties. As Chancellor Angela Merkel’s time in office wanes, we assess Germany’s many challenges she leaves behind. And the sweet, sweet history of baklava , a Middle Eastern treat gone global. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer H...
Sep 24, 2021•23 min
The annual United Nations General Assembly is more than just worthy pledges and fancy dinners; we ask where the tensions and the opportunities lie this time around . Last year’s fears of a crippling “twindemic” of covid-19 and influenza proved unfounded—and that provides more reason to worry this year. And why “like” is, like, really useful . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...
Sep 23, 2021•22 min
