Back to the furore: protests set to reignite
The pandemic overshadowed a striking spate of uprisings around the world. In Lebanon economic conditions have only worsened since—and the protesters are back. A look at urban architecture reveals how ...
11 Touko 202021min
Rises and false: markets v the economy
How can stockmarkets be so healthy when many businesses are so unwell? We look at the many risks that are clearly not priced in. China’s documentary-makers are having to find clever ways to get past c...
8 Touko 202022min
Hitting a Vlad patch: 20 years of Putin
As Russia’s leader marks two decades in power, he faces almighty headwinds—not only covid-19 but also cut-price oil and an increasingly leery citizenry. The pandemic is hitting different tech firms in...
7 Touko 202020min
Disarming revelation: a chance at a global ceasefire
Many were shocked when armed groups heeded a call for a global ceasefire; given a squabble at the UN it would now be shocking if those pockets of peace continue to hold. We examine a century-old techn...
6 Touko 202021min
Degrees of separation: universities and covid-19
Many universities were on thin ice financially before the pandemic. Now, with foreign travel slumping and distancing measures the norm, a global reckoning is coming. In many Asian countries, Ramadan s...
5 Touko 202020min
Lives v livelihoods: Africa’s covid-19 tradeoffs
As Nigeria tentatively lifts its lockdown today, we examine the decisions African leaders face: pandemic policies may do more harm than the pandemic itself. There’s a curious dearth of smokers among c...
4 Touko 202020min
Nature, or nurtured? A politicised virus-origin hunt
Scientists may soon understand how the new coronavirus got its start; that could help head off future outbreaks. In the meantime, politicians are clouding the discussion. America and Europe are taking...
1 Touko 202022min
Submerging markets: developing economies and covid-19
The pandemic is hitting emerging markets particularly hard, and the crisis is likely to widen the gap between the strongest and the weakest among them. Physical distancing is making life even harder f...
30 Huhti 202020min
