The Intelligence from The Economist - Binary choice: a tech cold war looms

Tensions between China and America are hastening a global technology-industry split. That is not just inefficient; it will have far-reaching geopolitical implications. Today’s scheduled federal execution in America runs counter to the public’s growing discomfort with the death penalty. And a look back at the composer Ennio Morricone and his most profound working relationship.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Return to centre? Poland’s presidential run-off

Integration or isolation? Conservative family values or liberal ones? The knife-edge election will decide Poland’s direction for years, and will send a signal to populist leaders throughout Europe. We examine the long battle against HIV/AIDS and what lessons it holds for dealing with covid-19. And why some penguins like ice less than you might think. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Centrifugal force: attacks on Iran

Another strike, evidently on a nuclear-fuel centrifuge facility, is being blamed on Israel—and, by extension, America. It is just the kind of tactic that the abandoned nuclear deal would have obviated. Eastern Europe’s treatment of its drug users runs counter to the “harm-reduction” policies that Europe pioneered decades ago. And faith-based streaming services get a big slice of the pious.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - In front, and centred: Joe Biden

The former vice-president has shifted leftward with his party, but it is his centrist tendencies that make him electable—and could permit him to effect radical change. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, is reshuffling the government; why has he chosen a largely unknown mayor as the new prime minister? And the rhymes and reasons behind rap music’s surge in the Arab world. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Off like a shot: the race for a covid-19 vaccine

A British team is leading the race for the one innovation that could, in time, halt the coronavirus crisis. But once a vaccine is approved, who would get it, where, and how fast? An Ethiopian musician’s murder has inflamed the ethnic tensions that threaten the country’s transition to democracy. And a rollicking tale of sloppy spycraft in Fiji.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Attention deficit: China’s campaign against Uighurs

Unparalleled surveillance, forced labour, even allegations of ethnic cleansing: atrocities in Xinjiang province carry on. Why are governments and businesses so loth to protest? The field of economics is, at last, facing up to its long-standing race problem. And how covid-19 is scrambling Scandinavians’ stereotypes about one another.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Into left field? America’s chief justice

Recent Supreme Court rulings might seem like a leftward shift. But Chief Justice John Roberts is leaving loopholes for future conservative challenges. China’s video-sharing social network TikTok was wildly popular in India, until the government pulled the plug this week. And why high-end Bordeaux wines are so (relatively) cheap.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Unsettled question: Israel’s annexation threat

A once-fringe position on annexing the West Bank is now a real prospect. But both international support and opposition are lukewarm; not even Israelis think it a priority. For years, war-crimes allegations hung over Kosovo’s president. Now a court has weighed in—undercutting long-running territorial talks with Serbia. And why flashy homes in Sierra Leone’s capital are taxed the same as tin-roofed shacks.

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - Two systems go: a new law grips Hong Kong

A sweeping new national-security law deeply undermines Beijing’s “one country, two systems” approach in the territory; under it, arrests have already been made. What next for Hong Kong’s activists and its businesses? Malawi’s overturned election is a ray of hope that democracy can survive both incumbents’ strongman tactics and covid-19. And the varied successes of pro- and anti-Trump tell-all books. 

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

The Intelligence from The Economist - The next threat: confronting global risks

Six months on from the first reports of the coronavirus, this special episode examines the catastrophic and even existential risks to civilisation. Work is already under way to head off future pandemics, but how to prepare—and who can take on preparing—for the gravest threats with the longest odds?

For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer