The Intelligence from The Economist

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>

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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>

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>

<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>

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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>

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>

<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>

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>

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

<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>

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>

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>

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>

<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>

<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>