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Asia

Narendra Modi cements a victory for Hindu nationalism at Ayodhya

After savouring the triumph, his party will have an ideology in search of a cause

Related

From the archive: Narendra Modi stokes divisions in the world’s biggest democracy

Finance & economics

Economic forecasts are too rosy. That can be costly

Over-optimism at the IMF and the World Bank can have serious consequences

Highlights
Britain

John Hume’s vision of peace in Northern Ireland is only half-fulfilled

He did more than anybody else to end the bloodshed, but mutual respect between Catholics and Protestants remains elusive

1843

The battle over birth

Why do so many expectant mothers feel judged, anxious and inadequate about how they deliver their babies?

From our columnists
Business

Bartleby: Employees and employers both face trade-offs as offices reopen

Back on the chain gang

Daily chart

Microsoft’s proposed purchase of TikTok would be its biggest yet

Big tech companies have spent billions gobbling up smaller firms in recent years. Microsoft has been the hungriest

Moreover
Books & arts

Memoirs of a champion Russian doper

Now in hiding, Grigory Rodchenkov reflects on his country and career

The Economist’s coverage of the coronavirus

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Weekly edition

How to cope with middle age

August 1st 2020
The Economist cover image for the August 1st 2020 edition
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Readers’ favourites

Europe

Curbing the covid-19 comeback in Europe

United States

Lexington: Why Americans should stop harking back to the 1950s

International

For those affected by dementia, the pandemic has been especially grim

Graphic detail

Twitter’s algorithm does not seem to silence conservatives

The platform’s recommendation engine appears to favour inflammatory tweets

Podcasts

Sound reasoning on current affairs, business and finance, science and technology, and global issues.

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In context: Moving beyond oil

Middle East & Africa

The end of the Arab world’s oil age is nigh

Pain will be felt across the region

Finance & economics

Investment in oil supply has collapsed. It may not roar back

Plunging investment, a battered cartel and a new fight over oil supply

Leaders

With oil cheap, Arab states cannot balance their books

Business

Oil companies’ diversification into petrochemicals may not go to plan

Special report: The Midwest

A region with outsized punch

America’s Midwest matters out of proportion to its size, says Adam Roberts

The urban prairie

For the region to prosper, its bigger cities must flourish

Separate, downtrodden

The region has particular problems with segregation and policing

America’s Mittelstand

Advanced manufacturing can thrive, as Grand Rapids shows

From rustbelt to brainbelt

How higher education can drive prosperity

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Economist Films

Authoritative insight on news, politics, business, finance, science, technology and the connections between them.

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