In little more than a year, three of Latin America’s four most populous countries have expanded access to abortion. We ask what is driving that change in the region. Austin is the destination for many fleeing Silicon Valley; our correspondent examines the risks posed to the hot new tech spot. And the sugarloaf pineapple: the lucrative fruit of Benin’s branding labours . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Host...
Feb 23, 2022•22 min
President Vladimir Putin has declared the independence of the two Ukrainian provinces of Donbas —and sent in "peacekeepers" . We ask what is next. The African Union was founded two decades ago this year; its early integration and diplomatic successes have since sharply faded . And our deep, interactive dive into Spotify reveals the slipping global dominance of English-language lyrics. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelli...
Feb 22, 2022•23 min
The Gambia’s first-of-its-kind case at the International Court of Justice might bring a rebuke and shine light on Myanmar’s brutal tactics. It might not, alas, bring succour for the Rohingyas. Our correspondent considers a grand geopolitical gamble from exactly 50 years ago, seeking lessons for today from Richard Nixon’s visit to China. And research reveals that noise stresses plants out . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/in...
Feb 21, 2022•24 min
We unpick the week’s torrent of headlines; an invasion may yet come but either way President Vladimir Putin has already harmed Russia. The country’s digital self-isolation project is quietly forging ahead; we examine its home-grown “tech stack” with everything from chips up to apps. And we hear from a Ukrainian woman whose life has been upended by the conflict’s uncertainties. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoff...
Feb 18, 2022•26 min
BioNTech, the German firm behind the first licensed coronavirus jab, reveals its attempts to stuff its technology into shipping containers —to be used where they are most needed. In the second instalment of our French-election series, we ask what is left of the country’s left. And, as the Olympics wrap up, putting numbers to judges' biases that favour their compatriots. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Host...
Feb 17, 2022•22 min
Last summer President Kais Saied nobbled the legislature; now he has abolished the judiciary. We ask where the country is headed , and why there is so little protest. Brazil’s modern-art scene, born a century ago this week, flourished despite rocky politics—but the current president has a chokehold on it. And the Thai army’s quixotic mission to evict Bangkok’s legendary street-food hawkers. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/i...
Feb 16, 2022•22 min
Today’s figures showing the first annual economic growth in three years may seem promising. But the grand plans of Prime Minister Kishida Fumio resemble past policies that have not worked. The finely tuned government of Bosnia is under grave threat from some of the same forces that caused its brutal war. And why roadkill is now on the menu in Wyoming. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Feb 15, 2022•21 min
It has become much more than a fight against proof-of-vaccination strictures. The anti-government mood has spread in Canada and abroad. What happens next? Haiti has received billions upon billions in foreign assistance but its situation remains dire; we ask why all that aid has not aided much. And Reader’s Digest , a surprisingly influential American snappy-excerpts magazine, turns 100. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intel...
Feb 14, 2022•22 min
Since American forces left, pessimism has skyrocketed—and with good reason. Starvation is driving Afghans to sell their organs and even their children in order to eat. The artificial snow of this year’s winter Olympics is unsustainable and environmentally troubling; we meet a “ snow consultant ” pioneering a better way. And remembering Lata Mangeshkar , who gave voice to a newly liberated India. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist....
Feb 11, 2022•24 min
The state-legislature poll in Uttar Pradesh is in effect a vote on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s increasingly stringent Hindu-national agenda—and will hint at his party’s chances in 2024. Oil majors are getting points for selling off their dirtiest oil-and-gas operations; we ask who is buying them . And which countries are up and which are down in our annual Democracy Index . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoff...
Feb 10, 2022•23 min
So far Germany’s new chancellor has been all but invisible at home and on the international stage. We examine the motives behind his reticence—and his abilities during a European crisis. As space becomes a battleground and satellites become targets, new research aims to bring nuclear power to bear . And visiting a red-hot art exhibition in three ways at once. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast...
Feb 09, 2022•24 min
For years, the big tech firms Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google were seen as a collective good bet; investors will soon judge them each on their merits—or demerits . After Israel’s creation, Jews were shunned in the Arab world; that now seems to be changing, and quickly . And, on the frozen ground at Ukraine’s border, there will be mud . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast....
Feb 08, 2022•23 min
After protracted negotiations, at last a conclusion appears nigh—but depending on whom you ask, a breakthrough is as likely as a breakdown. The regime in Bangladesh has been growing more brutal, yet some American sanctions seem to have had a swift and surprising effect . And Japan focuses on healthier, happier sunset years. 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 inf...
Feb 07, 2022•23 min
Our correspondent describes the fraught effort to attend the opening ceremony. It is a pageant highlighting a divided world , with party leaders aiming for zero covid, zero mistakes and zero dissent. An investigation reveals the brutal treatment meted out by Libya’s coast guard dealing with Europe-bound migrants—an outfit bankrolled by the European Union itself. And America’s gun-owners become surprisingly diverse . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscrib...
Feb 04, 2022•26 min
In the first instalment of the series, we unveil our forecast model and visit one of the quiet suburbs where the vote’s outcome will probably be decided . Debt has soared as borrowing costs stayed low; we examine who will foot the enormous interest bills as rates rise. And the one place where marriages increased in the pandemic era. You can find all of our ongoing coverage of the French election at https://www.economist.com/french-election-2022 For full access to print, digital and audio edition...
Feb 03, 2022•24 min
Our correspondent speaks with Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, who says the alliance’s involvement in de-escalating Russia tensions is a sign of its resurgent relevance . After tortuous votes, Italy’s lawmakers elected a president: the incumbent who did not want the job. No posts have changed, but the political balance surely has . And we meet the nuns racking up followers on TikTok. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.c...
Feb 02, 2022•23 min
A long-awaited report confirms rumours that have consumed Boris Johnson’s premiership. He may be weakened, but early signs suggest he will not fall. One year after Myanmar’s military coup, the protest mood has not faded; the murderous junta is failing to rule and the country is falling apart. And the pain of losing one’s native tongue in a foreign land. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See ...
Feb 01, 2022•23 min
Talk of a presidential run for the governor is growing. We examine the state’s rightward lurch as a bellwether of his intent and his political strength. Our correspondent finds that divorce is getting easier, cheaper and a little less adversarial across the rich world. And the wider ecosystem risks posed by the looming extinction of the Sumatran rhino. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See a...
Jan 31, 2022•24 min
Huge swings and downward trends: markets are forward-looking, and it is clear they do not see much to look forward to in 2022. Warnings about infectious bugs resistant to antibiotics have long been around; to see the effects just look to South Asia . And our data journalists reveal another benefit of widespread veganism: huge tracts of habitable land. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See ac...
Jan 28, 2022•23 min
The departure of one of America’s Supreme Court justices is an opportunity for President Joe Biden to choose a replacement, but the clock is ticking. We ask who might be in the running. West Africa’s latest coup , in Burkina Faso, bodes ill for an already stumbling campaign against jihadism in the region. And why countries change their capitals . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Jan 27, 2022•23 min
As the country celebrates its secular constitution, we examine the rising bigotry of Hindu nationalists—at best tolerated and at worst encouraged by the ruling party. China’s propagandists are onto something: after years of dull jingoism, the entertainment they put out now is glossy, big-budget and ever more watchable . And why South-East Asia’s obsession with otters poses a threat to them. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/i...
Jan 26, 2022•23 min
More Russian troops piling in . Embassy staff pulling out. American forces on alert and sober diplomacy still on the docket. We examine Vladimir Putin's ways, means and motivations. The Omicron variant is making its mark in Mexico, a place that our correspondent says never really shut down. And considering the merits and the risks of work-related drinks . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. Se...
Jan 25, 2022•23 min
This week’s secretive votes will determine the next president and the current prime minister looks to be a favourite. But that move would be bad for Italy. Many African countries that are rife with resources remain persistently underdeveloped ; we dig into the reasons. And we meet the chefs bringing unsung Native American cuisine to the table. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Jan 24, 2022•22 min
The Omicron variant is destined to test the limits of a policy that has already proved costly: consumption, growth and confidence are all flagging . The effects of Russia’s gulag did not stop when the labour camps closed: there appear to be long-term benefits for nearby areas. And why cycling in the Arab world is on the rise . 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 ...
Jan 21, 2022•20 min
Shoppers across the developed world face sharply rising prices, and leaders are reaching for all manner of remedies —but that’s what central banks are for. Behind the story of Myanmar’s brutal military leadership is a slow stream of defectors ; our correspondent meets the support network they rely on. And cover songs muddle the notion of who can call it their tune.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on ...
Jan 20, 2022•24 min
America’s biggest oil firm has long been recalcitrant on climate matters, so its new net-zero targets may seem surprising. We examine the substance of its pledges—and motivations . For an economist, tipping is an odd practice; whether you love it or hate it may be a question of control . And how unusual Novak Djokovic’s refusenik vaccine stance is among elite athletes. Additional audio courtesy of Tennis Australia. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe...
Jan 19, 2022•23 min
Austria is set to enact a bold policy of levying fines on the unvaccinated. We look at what is driving governments to such measures, and whether they will work. Japan’s shift in thinking about its growing elderly population holds lessons for countries set for a similar demographic shift. And why the Mormon church is struggling to retain its foreign converts. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast....
Jan 18, 2022•23 min
Democrats will spend the week battling for a tightening of laws on casting votes; that will overshadow Republicans’ worrying push into how those votes are counted and certified. Earthquakes remain damnably unpredictable, but new research suggests a route to early-warning systems. And why hammams, the declining bathhouses of the Arab world, will cling on despite even the challenge of covid-19. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com...
Jan 17, 2022•23 min
The queen’s second son has been stripped of his titles—an apparent bid to insulate the crown from his legal troubles. But dangers to the prince and to the monarchy remain . A blockade of Mali, intended to force a return to democratic order, may worsen security and entrench foreign influences . And the genre of “eco-horror” evolves alongside environment-driven anxieties. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Host...
Jan 14, 2022•23 min
While Britons followed covid strictures, the prime minister’s residence hosted boozy gatherings; widespread fury hints that his prevarications this time may be his last as leader. Religious institutions struggled during the pandemic, as all businesses did—so they are selling assets and courting new customers in innovative ways. And road rage is common, but in America it is getting decidedly deadlier . For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist , subscribe here www.econ...
Jan 13, 2022•23 min
