February 27, 2023: A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how to win the war in Ukraine, Joe Biden’s sensible new border policies (11:15) and Nigeria’s scorpion trade (15:30).
Category Archives: Analysis
Putin’s Hidden War: The Russians Fighting Back
The Economist (February 23, 2023): The invasion of Ukraine left Russians with a stark choice: carry on as normal or make a stand against the war. But speaking out in Russia carries huge risks. How is the opposition managing to resist the regime – and at what personal cost?
Video timeline: 00:00 – One year on 01:37 – The first wave of protests 05:43 – Crackdown on dissent 10:04 – Individual acts of rebellion 13:51 – Partial mobilisation 16:20 – Russia’s mass exodus 23:06 – The future of Russian rebellion
Opinion: Inflation Stays High, Obi Remakes Nigeria, Male Contraception Pills
February 20, 2023: A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, why inflation will be hard to bring down, Peter Obi’s plans to transform Nigeria (9:55) and a promising step towards a male contraceptive pill (15:20).
Opinion: Searching With Chatbots, Adani & India’s Capitalism, Lazy In France
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how chatbots will influence the lucrative business of internet search, the parable of Adani (11:25) and why France is arguing about work, and the right to be lazy (19:50).
Fashion: The High Cost Of Handmade Bespoke Shoes
Insider Business (February 4, 2023) – Handmade bespoke dress shoes take months to make. Shoemakers transform rough measurements of a customer’s feet into a one-of-a-kind shoe. One pair can cost over £5,000.
London has been a hub for shoemaking for centuries, and while the industry has shrunk over time, an increase in demand from Japan and the US has helped to reignite interest in this craft. So, why would someone buy bespoke dress shoes? And what makes them so expensive?
Opinion: Disney Turns 100, A Dictator In Turkey, How The Young Spend Money
The Economist ‘Editor’s Picks’ (January 23, 2023) – A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, Disney’s second century, Turkey’s looming dictatorship (10:25) and how young people spend their money (17:35).
Politics: Biden’s Classified Documents, Debt Ceiling
New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Geoff Bennett to discuss the week in politics, including the latest on President Biden’s classified documents investigation and the debt ceiling debate in Congress.
Opinion: Global Order In Danger, Insurrection In Brazil, Prince Harry Book
January 16, 2023 – Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist: the destructive new logic that threatens globalisation, how Brazil should deal with the bolsonarista insurrection (11:55) and a review of Prince Harry’s autobiography (16:45).
Technology: The Global Impact Of OpenAI ‘ChatGPT’
Chat GPT is the world’s most powerful AI chatbot. It offers a human-like alternative to search engines and can do everything from compile a menu to writing a TV script to explaining quantum physics. Could it also transform the jobs of hundreds of millions of people?
Opinion: China Reopens & Disrupts World, Britain-EU, Indo-Pacific Revived
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how China’s reopening will disrupt the world economy, a realistic path to a better relationship between Britain and the EU (8:54) and reinventing the Indo-Pacific (17:35).