Tag Archives: The Intelligence

Stories: Falling Food Prices, Polio Virus In The West, Tik Tok’s ‘Pink Sauce’

The worst predictions for costs have not come to pass, partly because Russia is selling plenty of wheat. But plenty of food-price woe may still await.

We examine the curious re-appearance of the polio virus in the West. And the trials of “Pink Sauce” reveal the perils of being a cottage-food producer—or consumer—in the social-media age.

Headlines: Trump’s Legal Woes, The Future Of Apple iPhone, French Mustard

Donald Trump endured an FBI raid, questioning in a civil lawsuit and an adverse court ruling, all in 48 hours.

But at least in the short-term, he’s making political hay from his legal woes. Why Apple’s future increasingly rests on services rather than just hardware. And how France is coping with a mustard shortage.

Morning News: Fed Lifts Rates By .75%, Alzheimer’s Research Was Fabricated

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point yesterday–its fourth hike this year, as inflation remains stubbornly high.

Jerome Powell, the Fed chair, also warned that the path to cooling the economy without tipping into recession has “narrowed”. The results of an experiment fundamental to the last decade of Alzheimer’s research may have been fabricated. And the region where the gender divide in obesity rates is the highest. 

Morning News: Brutal Imprisonment Of Alexei Navalny, Fertility Rates

Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, has been transferred to a brutal prison. Other Kremlin opponents have been imprisoned or exiled, as Russia has grown more repressive since invading Ukraine.

The world’s population will hit 8bn this year; we discuss which regions are growing and which are not. And why clear wine bottles are a bad idea.

Morning News: January 6 Panel Focus On Trump Role, Wolf Populations

The committee investigating the Capitol attacks of January 6th 2021 held the first of several public hearings last night, having gathered evidence for the past year.

The hearings may not break Donald Trump’s hold on the Republicans, but they are creating a vital record of an attempted coup. As wolf populations grow, humans are learning to live with them. And why the corporate world has taken an interest in psychedelic drugs.

Morning News: Abortion Rights At Supreme Court, Puerto Rico, Water Origin

The conservative supermajority on America’s Supreme Court looks likely to strip back rights enshrined since the Roe v Wade ruling in 1973. 

Beset by natural disasters, Puerto Rico did not seem ready for a pandemic—but our correspondent finds it has done better than the rest of America. And an intriguing new idea in the mystery of how Earth got its water.

Morning News Podcast: Zero Emissions by 2050, Somaliland, Stock Prices

The International Energy Agency has published a report explaining what needs to happen if the world is to get to net zero emissions by 2050. It points to a transition away from fossil fuels on an epic scale.

Today Somaliland celebrates its 30th anniversary. It has been a quiet success story in a sea of instability. But what it craves is international recognition as a state. And soaring share prices are normally cause for cheer—unless your computers can’t keep up.

Morning News Podcast: India’s Covid-19 Surge, Chad President’s Death

Mass gatherings and in-person voting continue, even as new case numbers smash records and fatalities spiral in public view. We ask how a seeming pandemic success has turned so suddenly tragic.

Chad’s president of three decades has been killed; that has implications for regional violence far beyond the country’s borders. And a deep dive on the international sea-cucumber trade.

Morning News Podcast: Vaccine Blood Clot Risks, Hostage Diplomacy

Scattered reports of blood clots have sparked curbs across Europe, even though the jab is almost certainly safe. We take a hard look at the risks in relative terms.

After Canada arrested a Huawei executive in 2018, China detained two Canadians—we examine the hostage diplomacy still playing out. And how “non-fungible tokens” may benefit digital artists of all sorts.

Politics & Foreign Affairs: Joe Biden And Iranian Protests (Podcast)

The race for the Democratic nomination looks much like it did a year ago—but previous contests prove that once voting starts, momentum can reshuffle the pack. 

The Economist Intelligence PodcastIran has been roiling with protests following the accidental downing of an airliner; what should Iranians and the wider world expect now? And we examine how Bogotá’s once-adored public-transport system went so wrong.