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 Maj 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 Maj 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 Maj 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 Maj 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 Maj 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 Apr 202020min
Those who can, teach! The case for reopening schools
The world’s students are falling behind and lockdown is only exacerbating prior disparities in their progress; we examine a compelling back-to-school argument. America’s Environmental Protection Agenc...
29 Apr 202020min
First, pass the post: Ohio’s vote-by-mail experiment
The state’s all-postal primaries vote could be seen as a trial run for November’s presidential election. Might voting by mail be the least-bad option? The BBC’s canny response to covid-19 has quietene...
28 Apr 202022min
