Ballot from the blue: will Ukraine hold a poll?

The Chinese leader who took over a squabbling party following the Tiananmen Square massacre surprised the world by stifling dissent, overseeing a staggering economic awakening—and occasionally breaking into song. We examine the lessons to be drawn from his legacy. After scores of failures, a new Alzheimer’s treatment shows real promise. And our annual ranking of the world’s most expensive cities.Help us make the show better: take our listener survey at http://economist.com/intelligencesurvey. 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.

1 Dec 202225min

The Horn of Africa’s resurgent jihadists of al-Shabab pose the biggest problem to Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. He tells us his plans—political, economic and principally ideological—to calm tensions. Western pilots have been training their Chinese counterparts, to widespread consternation. And looking back on the best footballers never to have appeared in a World Cup.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.

30 Nov 202228min

Behind the pageantry, Presidents Joe Biden and Emmanuel Macron will have much to chew over, from a unified response in Ukraine to tricky trade negotiations. Our modelling suggests that Russia’s weaponisation of energy might ultimately kill more people than its efforts on the battlefield will. And a Ghanaian brewer’s struggles reveal the difficulty of business-building in sub-Saharan Africa.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.

29 Nov 202223min

Protests have become as bold as they are widespread—mostly against the country’s unsustainable zero-covid policies, but increasingly against the ruling regime itself. California’s wildfires have been growing more intense, and a new analysis shows just how much those blazes undo the good work of the state’s green policies. And a look at the evolution of the Great British Lad.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.

28 Nov 202225min

Players’ refusal to sing their national anthem at the World Cup has brought their country’s protests onto the global stage. We ask whether the discontent back home threatens the regime. A sober look at global economic data reveals a probable global recession—one that may not even tame raging inflation. And remembering Hebe de Bonafini, Argentina’s icon of resistance.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.

25 Nov 202228min

Grief about the deaths of more than 150 people in a crush has turned to anger, and the investigation into what actions were taken—or not taken—has turned political. Our correspondent looks into the vast effort to remake the car industry as automobiles turn into software platforms on wheels. And how Britain’s twee National Trust has waded into the culture wars. 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.

24 Nov 202226min

The power station in Zaporizhia has served as an impromptu military base for Russian forces—but danger is mounting and there are signs that troops may soon give it up. The sportswear-industry boom that has much of the world wearing high-performance kit may soon come to an end. And why teenage angst is such a good fit for horror films. 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.

23 Nov 202223min

Executives have squeezed out Bob Chapek and re-anointed Bob Iger as boss. But the firm’s woes are less about leadership and more about the new economics of Hollywood. We ask why Zimbabwe’s teen mothers find it so hard to stay in school, and what can be done about it. And pigs prove their intelligence, again, by making up after confrontations.For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceofferRuntime: 22 min Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

22 Nov 202222min