The Trump administration’s bid to block the Chinese app has been stymied—for now. The tussle reflects a change in how America does business, and how the internet itself may evolve. Migration in the Mediterranean is picking up again; the pandemic is making it even more perilous and political. And Japan’s canned-coffee obsession steams ahead in foreign markets. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stumbling block: the battle over WeChat

Every weekday our global network of correspondents makes sense of the stories beneath the headlines. We bring you surprising trends and tales from around the world, current affairs, business and finance &mdash; as well as science and technology. &nbsp; Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News & Politics

News

Narendra Modi’s reputation for prosperity is likely to propel him to a third term. But for India’s economic successes to last, the country needs a set of new reforms. Despite a host of sanctions from the West, Russia still has a booming arms industry. Where are all the weapons coming from (09:50)? And, the perils of trying to work on a plane (13:54).
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intelligence: Supercharging India’s economy

The ceasefire deal, which Hamas has agreed to, prompted celebrations in Gaza. But Binyamin Netanyahu isn’t satisfied and the fighting continues. Video game adaptations are getting better, and becoming a more popular choice with Hollywood’s directors (10:01). And the best-selling literary love-child of romance and fantasy (14:27).
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+
For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intelligence: Truce talk

Thirty years of democracy have not led to uniform prosperity, and nearly everyone disagrees about the equality of opportunity. How will the disenchantment manifest at the polls? How two small Texas towns became the patent-law centre of America (12:16). And a tribute to Eleanor Coppola, mastermind of the award-winning behind-the-scenes look at her husband’s epic, “Apocalypse Now” (19:26).
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Intelligence: Mandela’s vision, tested

When a story about UFOs came across the desk of The Economist’s Michelle Hennessy, she was sceptical. A powerful cultural legacy of flying saucers and aliens is hard to ignore. But a recent flurry of interest from U.S defence agencies and NASA, stress the serious and scientific task of shedding light on what’s happening in the skies above.
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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Weekend Intelligence: Capturing UFOs

France’s president is known for pronouncements of grand scope with one eye toward history. But when our journalists visited him at his residence his assessment of the state of the world was bleak—a dark, prophetic call to arms. In this special episode, we ask whether his view is accurate, whether his proposed solutions would work and whether he is the person to enact them.
Read the full transcript of our interview here.
Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stumbling block: the battle over WeChat

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