Spend, sometime: Germany’s economic shift
After decades as the continent’s penny-pincher, the country seems to be splashing out. That isn’t just a covid-19 response; a big thrift shift was already under way. Burundi’s brutal outgoing president of 15 years has died. Will his chosen successor be any better? And after some serious number-crunching, The Economist launches its US presidential forecast.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
11 Jun 202021min
Haftar be going now: the balance shifts in Libya
Tripoli has long been under siege by Khalifa Haftar, a warlord bent on toppling the internationally backed government. At last he has been pushed back from the capital; now what? North Korea is no longer taking calls from the South, but that is probably a diplomatic distraction from big problems at home. And how Ikea is assembling its post-covid future. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
10 Jun 202020min
Cops, a plea: police reform in America
George Floyd will be laid to rest today; our obituaries editor reflects on his life and untimely death. His murder has fuelled a long-overdue discussion of America’s fragmented and unaccountable police forces. How much could yesterday’s sweeping congressional bill actually fix? For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
9 Jun 202021min
Say his name, and others’: American protests spread globally
Far beyond America’s shores demonstrators are calling for justice in their own countries. It’s an awkward time for America’s allies, and a fortuitous one for its rivals. Labour-market swings during recessions are normally a measure of male employees’ moves—but not this time. And why the video-games industry is raiding its own back catalogue.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
8 Jun 202021min
Not everything in moderation: Twitter v Facebook
The seemingly similar social networks have quite different business models—and that goes some way in explaining why they choose to police their content differently. Emmanuel Macron again finds himself changing course after members of his party defect. And move over, doctors: literature by nurses is at last hitting bookshelves.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
5 Jun 202022min
This, too, shall impasse: Brexit talks resume
The pandemic has made negotiations more difficult and changed the political calculus on both sides. Prospects for a deal before year’s end are dimming. After more than two decades on the lam, an alleged architect of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide is headed to court. And how archaeologists use “soundscapes” and replica instruments to examine past civilisations. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
4 Jun 202021min
Forgoing the distance: covid-19 spreads in Brazil
Even those who can distance themselves are unsure whether to do so—in part because President Jair Bolsonaro mocks the science and rails against lockdowns. The private-equity industry has ballooned since the last financial crisis; does that make it weaker or stronger in this one? And our correspondent investigates a Mexican-mummy mystery. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
3 Jun 202022min
An epidemic of hunger: covid-19 and poverty
The pandemic is driving up the number of impoverished people for the first time in more than two decades. Lockdown-policy calculations are simply different in the poor world. The ill effects of China’s hydropower boom are trickling down to the tens of millions who depend on the Mekong River. And a meditation on the merits of reading others’ diaries. Additional audio from 'caquet' at Freesound.org. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/radiooffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
2 Jun 202019min
