Battle acts: France beefs up its forces

After years of peacekeeping and counter-insurgency campaigns, the country is getting <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2021/03/31/the-french-armed-forces-are-planning-for-high-intensity-war?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">tooled up and trained up</a> for serious military conflict. The “baby bust” brought on by the pandemic has changed global population predictions; we look into the <a href="https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2021/03/27/the-economics-of-falling-populations?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">down sides</a> of a world with fewer people. And the Benin Bronzes have become a <a href="https://www.economist.com/books-and-arts/2021/04/03/the-looted-benin-bronzes-should-be-returned?utm_campaign=the-intelligence&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=third-party-host&utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">focal point</a> for the art world’s restitution push. 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>