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Nov 06, 2024

A holiday like no other in the South China Sea

Planning a holiday? How about a 32-hour boat ride through the South China Sea, one of the world’s most contested waterways? Six governments have laid claim to the Spratly Islands, including China. The

Planning a holiday? How about a 32-hour boat ride through the South China Sea, one of the world’s most contested waterways? Six governments have laid claim to the Spratly Islands, including China. The country has been intimidating its rivals in the region and the Philippines is its primary target.

Pag-asa is ground zero in this fight. It’s the only one of the islands with a civilian population. There aren’t any hotels or fancy restaurants. Instead, a handful of hardy Filipinos eke out a living, and plenty of fishermen experience Chinese bullying every day.

Podcast The Intelligence

A special episode of the daily podcast is your guide to the hours—or days, or weeks—to come in America’s high-stakes poll

Podcast The Intelligence

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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist

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Our weekly podcast on democracy in America. This week, we discuss how electing Donald Trump comes with unacceptable risks

Podcast The Intelligence

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A new poll of 30,000 people worldwide has some surprising results

A Republican congressman and a former Pentagon strategist say the next president must shift America’s focus

That is making Western policymakers anxious