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United States

Joe Biden wants to get America out of the Middle East

The past two American presidents thought they were too involved with the Middle East, but the Middle East refused to let them go

Related

The CIA blames MBS for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi

Science & technology

SpaceX is making progress on its next rocket

But it still has a long way to go

Leaders

Britain’s expansionary budget

Rishi Sunak wants fiscal rectitude, but not yet

Business

Can Chinese law firms take over the world?

The jury is out

Graphic detail

Avalanches have been particularly deadly in America this year

Unstable weather conditions and growing enthusiasm for backcountry sport may be behind the worrying trend

International

As covid-19 vaccines spread, so do underhand ways to get them

Not everyone is prepared to wait their turn

United States

America’s love of free markets extends to its fertility clinics

Thanks to an absence of regulation, America is a notable exporter of human sperm

Vaccinating the world

Business

A billion-plus covid-19 shots in 2021. Can Serum Institute do it?

The Indian vaccine-maker may account for almost half the world’s supply

The Economist explains

Is SARS-CoV-2 evolving to become more lethal?

Most viruses become less deadly as they mutate. This one may be different

Graphic detail

Evidence from Britain shows covid-19 vaccines are very effective

As America’s covid-19 toll passes 500,000, in Britain inoculations are helping to reduce deaths and hospitalisations

1843 magazine

Are barbers the secret weapon against vaccine hesitancy?

Some African-Americans are reluctant to get the covid jab. Near Washington, DC, one man is trying to change people’s minds

Weekly edition

Tech’s big dust-up

February 27th 2021
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Readers’ favourites

Finance & economics

Might the pandemic pave the way for a universal basic income?

A true UBI seems far off. But more experimentation is likely

Business

McKinsey suffers from collective self-delusion

The smuggest guys in the room

Science & technology

DNA from Neanderthals affects vulnerability to covid-19

One genetic legacy is protective. Another is harmful

Graphic detail

The same covid-19 mutations are appearing in different places

Convergent evolution may make travel restrictions redundant

Podcasts

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

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Joe Biden’s foreign policy

Europe

Repairing the transatlantic rift will be tricky

Donald Trump has left a lot to fix

Leaders

The rivalry between America and China will hinge on South-East Asia

China’s advantages in the tussle are not as big as they seem

International

What the world wants from Joe Biden

The Americas

Joe Biden will shift gears in Latin America

Special report: The future of travel

What will travel look like after the pandemic?

Covid-19 has brought international travel to a standstill. But it will recover and may even become a better experience, says Simon Wright

Could covid-19 shake up air travel for the better?

Governments’ re-entry into airlines may spur more competition

How today’s reviled airlines could become greener

The pandemic has drawn attention to the environmental damage caused by air travel

Business travel may never fully recover from covid-19

Business class was late to the game. It might be early to leave too

The pandemic has hurt corporate jets less than commercial ones

The wealthy are not bound by airline schedules

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