logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2022
21m 54s

Judge, jury and executive: another power...

The Economist
About this episode

Last summer President Kais Saied nobbled the legislature; now he has abolished the judiciary. We ask where the country is headed, and why there is so little protest. Brazil’s modern-art scene, born a century ago this week, flourished despite rocky politics—but the current president has a chokehold on it. And the Thai army’s quixotic mission to evict Bangkok’s legendary street-food hawkers. For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, subscribe here www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer

 

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Up next
Yesterday
At your services: Britain’s economic bright spot
Growth is abysmal; wages are low. But seen from the outside, Britain is a great place to contract services and buy bargain-basement bonds. We explore the opportunities amid the challenges. After months of reporting, our correspondent shares what he learned about Austin Tice, a mi ... Show More
23m 14s
Jul 10
Migration roots: the broken asylum system
Immigration is a political lightning rod in part because the ageing global asylum pact is no longer fit for purpose. We examine how best to update it. As paycheques for top-notch AI researchers go stratospheric, demand for rank-and-file coders is quickly cooling. And what a gimmi ... Show More
21m 49s
Jul 9
Sprawl of duty: Trump’s tariff drama
Once again President Donald Trump extended the deadline for spine-stiffening tariffs to go into effect on trading partners. We look at the effects of all the uncertainty. Brazil once dominated the world of football; we ask where it went wrong and assess the route to a comeback. A ... Show More
21m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2021
The coup is on the other foot: Myanmar
A power-grab by the army’s commander, Min Aung Hlaing, is not turning out to be easy: the greatest protest movement in a generation is gathering steam. Debates over trans rights are particularly fraught in criminal-justice systems. We examine the balancing act going on in America ... Show More
22m 46s
Oct 2019
Poll dance: Boris Johnson’s election ploy
Britain’s prime minister is making a risky move by calling for a general election in December. Will it succeed any more than it did for his predecessor? In Japan, both the government and the people take a dim view of soft-drug use; we ask why. And tourists make a dangerous and de ... Show More
22m 6s
Jan 2023
Bibi’s gambit: Israel’s government v its judiciary
Israel’s right-wing coalition government has the country’s supreme court in its sights. Their proposal to effectively subjugate its independence to the legislature has sparked protests and stirred concern for the country’s democracy. Our correspondent reports from a newly reopene ... Show More
26m 22s
Jan 2022
On the edge of his seat: Stephen Breyer
The departure of one of America’s Supreme Court justices is an opportunity for President Joe Biden to choose a replacement, but the clock is ticking. We ask who might be in the running. West Africa’s latest coup, in Burkina Faso, bodes ill for an already stumbling campaign agains ... Show More
22m 42s
May 2023
New school Thais: a military establishment voted out
Largely thanks to young, liberal citizens, a reformist third party won the most seats in Thailand’s general election. But a powerful army and influential incumbents could look to prevent its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, taking charge. Bureaucracy is getting in the way of America’s ... Show More
25m 28s
Jul 2022
Editor’s Picks: July 4th 2022
A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, how to win the long war in Ukraine, why the Supreme Court’s judicial activism will deepen cracks in America (10:20), and beach reads for business people (17:55). Please subscribe ... Show More
22m 36s
Jul 2021
The political crisis unfolding in Tunisia
Tunisia’s president is on a firing spree. Kais Saied sacked the prime minister, froze parliament, and dismissed several senior officials in the span of a week, all in the name of anti-corruption. The political turmoil has many Tunisians wondering — should they view these latest d ... Show More
21m 13s