A lost year in Saudi Arabia
THE YEAR had got off to a good start for Saudi Arabia. After a sluggish stretch the non-oil economy was growing, and officials were eager to lure new investment. The war in neighbouring Yemen seemed to be winding down. The world had largely moved on from the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist dismembered by…
A chocolate factory in a conflict zone
DOMINIQUE PERSOONE, the bad boy of Belgian chocolate, has served powdered chocolate that has been snorted like cocaine at a party for the Rolling Stones and had the sticky stuff drizzled on naked women for a photo shoot. His latest escapade is making chocolate in the jungles of eastern Congo.The scheme is less madcap than…
Cinema’s ‘Drive-In’ is a Blockbuster Opening Weekend Smash
A cinema in Texas turned its enclosed movie theater into a “drive-in” in the establishment’s parking lot and it was a big success. EVO Entertainment premiered its drive-in conception at its multiplex in Schertz, Texas, supplying movie buffs an out-of-the-house outlet to view recent Hollywood blockbusters. To suggest the first weekend was triumphant was an…
An antibody test for the novel coronavirus will soon be available
Apr 1st 2020Editor’s note: The Economist is making some of its most important coverage of the covid-19 pandemic freely available to readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. To receive it, register here. For more coverage, see our coronavirus hubWHEN A NEW virus invades the human body, the immune system leaps into action. First…
Bills due on April 1st add to the financial strains of covid-19
As Americans lose their jobs and incomes, the government helps with rent and mortgage paymentsTO MOST WORKING Americans, the first of the month brings both joy and sorrow. It is payday, but also when rent and mortgage payments—their biggest bills—are due. Businesses must pay out wages and rent from the revenues they have accrued over…
Person Dresses as Bush to Sneak Out during the COVID-19 Lockdown
A couple tapped a neighbor dressed as a bush violating the COVID-19 lockdown. They shared the footage on TikTok attracting more than 700,000 views. In the clip, a bush with two legs can be witnessed thwarting from the peak of their driveway down to the neighborhood crawl. “Neighbors back at it again sneaking out during…