The biggest bank heist in history (and why you’ve never heard of it)
2023-07-28
In 2022 news broke that $2.5bn had been stolen in Iraq, the biggest bank heist ever. Nicolas Pelham, The Economist’s Middle East correspondent, follows the money
01:41 – The investigation begins
02:28 – Where did the money come from?
03:55- Who was Nur Zuheir?
04:29 – Following the trail in Baghdad
08:11- Corruption in Iraq
13:21 – The government changes course
15:46 – Who is complicit, really?
16:50 – What happened to the money?
Artwork based on illustrations by Mike McQuaid
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The Baghdad job: who was behind history’s biggest bank heist? https://econ.st/44KnMoM
After 20 years of trauma, Iraq is struggling to recover:
Inside El Salvador’s war on crime
2023-07-21
President Nayib Bukele’s brutal crackdown on crime has dramatically reduced the murder rate and won him favour with the public, but what’s the true cost of his war on gangs? The Economist’s deputy editor, Robert Guest, reports from El Salvador on how Bukele is using the fight against crime to amass power.
00:00 – Inside president Bukele’s crackdown
02:25 – How the public and the prisoners’ families have reacted
03:55 – El Salvador’s security minister on fair trials
05:13 – How Bukele is amassing power
Nayib Bukele shows how to dismantle a democracy and remain popular: https://econ.st/470cYVo
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For more stories from the Americas: https://econ.st/3NZFsG2
Young Latin Americans are unusually open to autocrats:
Why India’s diaspora is so powerful
2023-06-16
India has the largest diaspora in the world. But that isn’t the only reason why Indian migrants are so influential—in business, science and diplomacy.
00:00 – Why India’s diaspora matters
00:28 – Size
01:20 – Power
02:11 – Diplomacy
Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI
India’s diaspora is bigger and more influential than any in history: https://econ.st/3J6sp3V
Indian firms are flocking to the United Arab Emirates: https://econ.st/3CrkZV2
India’s future will be shaped by its expats, says Gaurav Dalmia: https://econ.st/3X2qvqG
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