Prime Minister Boris Johnson has re-allocated a number of key government posts. We ask how the changes reflect his political standing and what they mean for his agenda. A first-of-its-kind study that deliberately infected participants with the coronavirus is ending; we examine the many answers such research can provide. And the rural places aiming to capitalise on their dark skies.
Tag Archives: The Economist Podcasts
Morning News: Economic Collapse In Afghanistan, Apple Lawsuit, Polluters
Economic collapse and halting international aid following the Taliban’s takeover have compounded shortages that were already deepening; we examine the unfolding disaster.
The verdict in a blockbuster case against Apple might look like a win for the tech giant; a closer read reveals new battle lines. And the data that reveal how polluters behave when regulators are not watching.
Political Analysis: Bitter Legacy Of 9/11, Nations Failing Women & Pottery
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, America then and now: the bitter legacy of 9/11. Why nations that fail women fail, (9:42) and a forgotten revolution in pottery (17:58)
Morning News: Bitcoin In El Salvador, The Academic Arms Race, Great Fiction
President Nayib Bukele thinks obliging businesses to take the cryptocurrency will help with remittances, inclusion and foreign investment. So far, few are convinced.
From after-school tutoring to endless extracurricular activities, education is an increasingly cut-throat affair; we examine the costs of these academic arms races. And Sally Rooney’s new novel and the question of what makes great contemporary fiction.
Morning News: Germany’s Unpredictable Election, Untraceable Firearms
The party of Angela Merkel, the outgoing chancellor, is flailing in polls. We ask why the race has been so unpredictable and what outcomes now seem probable.
In America, obtaining a kit to make an untraceable firearm takes just a few clicks; we examine efforts to close a dangerous legal loophole. And as sensitivities change, so do some bands’ names.
Morning News: Suicide-Bombings In Kabul, 3D- Printed Homes, OnlyFans
The suicide-bombings that have killed scores of people signal how the Taliban will struggle to rule Afghanistan; meanwhile the rest of the world’s jihadist outfits are drawing lessons from the chaos.
The swift reversal of an explicit-content ban by OnlyFans, a subscription platform, reveals a growing tension between pornography producers and payment processors. And the many merits of 3D-printed homes.
Morning News: Israel PM Visits U.S., Indonesia Anti-Corruption Effort Stalls
Naftali Bennett’s first face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden will look calm and co-operative. But in time, sharp differences will strain the “reset” they project today.
Indonesia’s anti-corruption agency is being defanged; it was simply too good at routing the rot President Joko Widodo once promised to eradicate. And estimating the breathtaking global cost of vaccine inequality.
Political Analysis: Fiasco In Afghanistan, Work On Holidays, Dante’s Wisdom
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: the fiasco in Afghanistan is a grave blow to America’s reputation, Bartleby asks whether you should work (a little) on your holiday (10:00) and, 700 years on, how Dante can still help people find hope amid adversity (15:40)
Morning News: Haiti Reels, India-Pakistan Tensions, Indonesia & Badminton
A president’s assassination, a cratered economy and now this: a tropical depression that will hamper rescue efforts after a massive earthquake. The country cannot catch a break.
India and Pakistan parted ways 74 years ago this week; we discuss how the tensions that defined their division still resonate today. And why Indonesia is so good at badminton.
Morning News: America’s Infrastructure, Zambia Election, GErman Politics
The Senate has passed the first part of President Joe Biden’s mammoth plan, which is now tied to a far more ambitious part two. We examine their prospects for passage.
Zambia is undertaking a pivotal election—but it seems far from a fair fight to oust the incumbent. And our Germany-election tracker cuts through reams of data and tricky electoral politics.
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