In from the cold: Assad’s diplomatic redempti...

As Israel continues to pound Iran and expands its offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon, there are rumblings of disunity with America over the path and goal of the conflict. Why now is the time to buy rubbish stocks. And celebrating the life of grand-clown Philippe Gaulier. Gues ...  Show more

Iran continues to retaliate against attacks with ferocity. Though many of its ballistic missile facilities have been razed, its vast drone armoury is powerful and destructive. Who will benefit from India’s boom in data centres? And why giant board games are not child’s play. Gues ...  Show more

Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in Jeddah. Is this the dictator’s first step in a journey to restore ties with the rest of the world? America’s small banks are capturing rural communities in a way that the big one ...

Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman says a presence in <a href="https://www.economist.com/briefing/2023/08/10/saudi-arabia-is-spending-a-fortune-on-sport?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_ ...

South Africa’s leader says a pile of cash stashed in a sofa represents no wrongdoing. The outcome of an investigation <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/12/01/a-sofa-stuffed-with-cash-imperils-south-africas-president?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=aud ...

A policy of ambiguity is swiftly shifting; the country is <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/02/19/why-south-africa-is-drifting-into-the-sino-russian-orbit?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discover ...