The Intelligence from The Economist

Flávio Bolsonaro, populist-right son of the imprisoned coup architect Jair, received the most votes in the presidential first round. We ask why Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the incumbent, fell behind—and what is at stake when they go head-to-head. We examine Americans’ growing anger at automatic number-plate-reading cameras. And the demanding but lucrative business of nannying the children of the super-rich.

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If Artificial Intelligence results in job losses or lower salaries, government revenues will fall. Our correspondent explains how best to tax the windfalls from AI. Paint is a surprisingly cheap way to cool buildings. And remembering the life of Stanislas Hutin, who revealed France’s barbarity in Algeria.

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Russia has embarked on a new campaign to quell Ukraine, focused on supermarkets, playgrounds and other civilian targets. Our correspondent reports on the toll on daily life in Kyiv. Despite the backlash against “pervert glasses”, companies continue to develop AI-enabled smart specs. And how the pen changed history.

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An independent commission has found Manchester City guilty of breaching over 100 rules. What penalty will the Premier League exact? Russia’s increasingly brazen attempts to provoke and undermine Europe. And why cute Chiikawa, star of a Japanese blockbuster, gives comfort in anxious times.

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On October 4th, Brazil faces a polarising general election: re-elect the octogenarian incumbent or pick the son of a former president jailed for attempting a coup. In some countries honour culture holds women back from even entering the workplace. And why artists are banning phones from concerts.

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Five men are in custody under suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after being arrested near a British military base used by American aircraft. This could mark a significant escalation in Iranian hybrid warfare. What oil firms are doing with their profits from the Gulf conflict. And why women’s wages rise after their male managers have daughters.

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Not much of real substance appears to have emerged from the get-together. But our correspondent says there are clues of how both sides view an evolving relationship. Tommy Robinson, a British far-right influencer, is increasingly well known to MAGA types in America; we examine his rise to prominence. And remembering Bob Mackie, daring dressmaker to the stars.

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Rich-world house prices survived the last fit of interest-rate rises; our correspondent lays out why they may not this time. Nine months after Australia banned social media for under-16s, we ask if anything has changed. And a critical look at Israel’s hit show “Fauda” as it tackles the atrocities of October 7th.

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Marine Le Pen, party leader of France’s populist-right National Rally, starts her fourth presidential bid with a commanding lead. The country’s political centre is broad, fragmented—and flagging. A buffer zone against so-called infiltrators in India’s West Bengal state is making life miserable also for Indian citizens. And how Argentina’s supply of horses and cowboys led to world dominance in polo.

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An illicit shadow economy, rampant extortion and the capture of the criminal justice system: mafia members and tactics are eating away at the state. Oura seems to have captured the market for smart rings; we ask whether it can keep its lead finger-tight. And our correspondent finds convention upended, for good and bad, at the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.

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Two more state-election results reveal surging support for both the far-right AfD and the populist-left Die Linke parties. Chancellor Friedrich Merz himself described the outcome as a disaster; what will it mean for him? Our correspondent looks into why there is so much enthusiasm for African stocks. And what the science says about blue-light exposure and sleep. 

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After a visit to Ukraine last week, our defence editor reports on a new phase of the war as Kyiv and other civilian targets are bombarded by Russian missiles. He also visits an elite Ukrainian drone unit. Why alcohol companies are scrambling to innovate. And remembering the life of feminist pioneer Gloria Steinem. Watch extended clips from Insider 

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The Federal Reserve has raised interest rates for the first time since July 2023. For the central bank’s new chair Kevin Warsh, that decision was a test both of monetary policy and politics. A governor’s election in Okinawa is a boon to Japan’s military ambitions. And why summer is a casualty of climate change.

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Is artificial intelligence becoming uncontrollably powerful? Our correspondent analyses whether a pause to breakneck development is possible or feasible. We have entered the new age of the orator. And why cheese is getting more popular in India. 

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Though a growing share of the British population is anxious about Islam, they have no reason to be. Islamism, a fringe ideology that believes government and society should be guided by Islamic principles, is the real concern. America cracks down on multinationals’ efforts to shift profits overseas. And why corporate training videos are virtually useless.

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After years of stalemate, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are taking territory, including on a Red Sea strait. We ask what has changed, and how the shift fits into the wider regional conflict. As America’s midterm elections approach, we examine the fragmentation of the coalition that put Donald Trump back in office. And we ask how much nepotism matters in Hollywood today.

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For 15 years, the British media dismissed Tommy Robinson as a far-right extremist. We kept him off our televisions, and out of our newspapers. 

Today his rallies attract tens of thousands of followers and he has the ear of the world’s richest man.

Shire Folk is the story of how some of the most powerful people in America came to see Britain—and Islam—through the eyes of a fringe football hooligan.

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OpenAI’s claim to have solved one of the great problems in mathematics has itself created problems. We ask why the breakthrough has shaken the field. On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 we examine the vast counterterrorism machinery that followed in America, and nascent efforts to pare those powers back. And remembering Guo Lanying, a Chinese singer who championed traditional opera.

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The labour data are in from America and a trend is becoming clearer: on balance AI is starting to create more jobs than it hoovers up. Despite advancements of just about every other kind, China cannot seem to escape its food-safety problems. We ask why not. And why Kenya’s ants have become the target of smugglers.

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President Javier Milei has tamed inflation and improved the lot of many Argentines. But an election season approaches, and the promised economic and wage growth are not materialising. As LIV Golf files for bankruptcy, we ask where it went wrong in trying to disrupt the sport. And the growth that is good for India’s people is bad for its elephants.

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International tests in maths and reading show that 15-year-olds today score what 14-year-olds would have done a decade ago. Our correspondent explains the long-term decline. Is Miami’s thriving economic growth sustainable? And why Jeremy Vine’s BBC Radio 2 show is a microcosm of Britain.   

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Alternative for Germany won an even larger share of the vote than expected in yesterday’s state election. What does the far-right nationalist party’s success mean for Germany and Europe? The climate case for limiting vapour trails from aeroplanes. And why South Korean youths are turning to Buddhism. 

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Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company, has shifted strategy to boost demand for its chips. Our correspondent assesses the opportunities and risks. Knife crime in Britain moves to rural pastures. And our obituaries editor recounts the life of Frank Smith, who died in prison aged 101. 

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Donald Trump’s stance on immigration helped him win the presidency. Our correspondent asks if a backlash against the campaign could damage Republican midterm prospects. Reddit is struggling in an age of AI. And the enduring beauty of the Bayeux tapestry.

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On Sunday, Alternative for Germany could become the first far-right nationalist party to win a state election since the end of the second world war. Is Britain right to worry about Palantir handling government contracts? And could the Chinese learn to love chocolate? 

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After the devastating flash flood last week, our correspondent explains why the country is so ill-equipped to deal with the crisis. Does AI stop children from learning? And why Japanese ongaku kissa, or listening bars, are so popular abroad.

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Behind the scenes, Artificial Intelligence is playing a growing role in every aspect of film-making, from script-writing and production-planning to shot-generation and editing. As the number of people covered by Obamacare falls, our correspondent ponders the future of the healthcare programme. And the secret thrill of American country dancing in France.

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Our correspondent goes inside a Chinese robot facility to see thousands of droids being taught to complete useful tasks. Is it worth the time and money? How Meta’s $17bn settlement at its blockbuster trial could change teen social-media use. And 75 years of the Paris bookshop Shakespeare and Company.

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Personalised vaccines could offer a breakthrough in the fight against cancer. Our correspondent analyses the latest trial. Canada’s oil market is flourishing, despite the trade war. And, why we will always love Dolly Parton.

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Amid record-tickling yields, the bond markets are now trying to make sense of what Scott Bessent, America’s Treasury secretary, has announced—a move that might put him on a collision course with the Federal Reserve. We ask why it is so easy for hackers to infiltrate America’s water infrastructure. And understanding a political lineage through the new British prime minister’s accent.

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After much hullabaloo America announced its “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new tranche of sanctions. It is thin gruel, and might in fact invite military reprisals from Iran. Call centres form a large part of the economy of the Philippines; surprisingly, AI is not stopping the industry’s rise. And a data-led look at which cities offer the best (relative) paycheques.  

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Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime Minister Mark Carney. In Japan Gen X workers are even still bearing the costs of an economic bubble-burst from the 1990s. And how fates of civilisations have turned on sieges throughout history. 

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The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it? We dive into the data that reveal a surge in sexually transmitted infections in Europe. And our obituaries editor considers the life of Mary de Rachewiltz, translator and tireless defender of her father, Ezra Pound. 

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Yuval Noah Harari is a big-ideas guy. Known for penning tomes that tackle broad sweeps of history, the historian-cum-philosopher has now turned his attention to AI. He joins Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, for The Insider, our video show for premium subscribers. They discuss why Mr Harari believes AIs will come to control civilisation—and what it might mean to be human in that world.

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From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now coped with a patchy, pricey system for mental-health treatment. The government is now getting serious about plugging the gaps. And why a debate over “Paw Patrol” is more than just culture-war madness. 

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Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask why Japan’s post-war innovation boom petered out, and what must be done to breed more unicorns. And why procrastination seems to be on the rise, and how to beat it.

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Israeli settlers have been clashing more and more with Palestinians in the West Bank, often with government backing. We examine the forces at play in what could soon be yet another battlefront. India’s proliferating civil codes are creating insuperable legal contradictions for a multi-faith people. And answering some letters addressed to our “agony uncle” columnist. 

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To critics, the Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype. So-called SpudCells have just seven bespoke DNA loops, but represent a revolutionary step toward life made from scratch. And the many ways travel agents still beat the bots.

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Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A giant earthquake reveals two very different Colombias. And celebrating the life of Gurkha climber, Nirmal Purja, who died in an avalanche.

Watch extended clips from Insider here, plus the full Elon Musk interview. 

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After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition ended with small, positive steps. Why US consumers’ love of fast food may be slowing. And how many hours of Wagner opera would you sit through?  

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