Thoughts that the young are not much affected by SARS-CoV-2 look wrong
May 23rd 2020Editor’s note: Some of our covid-19 coverage is free for readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. For more stories and our pandemic tracker, see our hubSOMETIME IN FEBRUARY or early March a six-month-old girl was admitted to a hospital in the Stanford area of California. She had a fever, a blotchy…
New solar cells extract more energy from sunshine
May 23rd 2020SOLAR ENERGY has had a good crisis. In many parts of the world skies clear of pollution have helped photovoltaic power stations, which convert light into electricity, become more productive and reliable. Declining demand, meanwhile, has seen coal- and gas-fired stations taken offline. In Britain, on April 20th, solar generation peaked at 9.7…
Why the Philippines is a magnet for idled cruise ships
IN HEALTHIER TIMES the sight of a fleet of cruise ships lying at anchor in Manila Bay, silhouetted against the sunset, would gladden the hearts of business people on shore, eager to relieve free-spending passengers of their money. But the 21 vessels dotting the seascape on May 21st were not so much floating hotels as…
Afghanistan’s two rival presidents reach a deal
ASHRAF GHANI remains president of Afghanistan, while his eternal rival for the job, Abdullah Abdullah, who disputes the result of the election held last September, gets yet another consolation prize. That, it seems, is the upshot of a deal finally agreed on May 17th, after months of posturing and haggling, including an absurd moment in…
Trust, slavery and the African School of Economics
May 23rd 2020ABOMEY-CALAVIAS LEONARD WANTCHEKON was having breakfast with his wife, Catherine Kossou, in 2007, she recalled how one friend could not trust anyone. Even as a child her friend would say: “That person is going to sell you,” or “He will make you disappear.”The words struck a chord with Mr Wantchekon. Now a professor…
Why Iran has the world’s best-performing stockmarket
May 23rd 2020THERE SEEMS to be no end to Iran’s suffering. It has struggled with one of the world’s worst outbreaks of covid-19. As it opens back up there are signs that it is being hit by a powerful second wave. Last year the economy shrank by almost 8%. It may do worse this year.…