Robert Guest, Foreign editor at The Economist, and Olivia Ackland, who covers Central Africa and cobalt mining, delve into the darker side of the pandemic. They discuss how autocrats worldwide have seized the opportunity to stifle democracy and civil liberties under the guise of public health. The duo also explores the troubling impact of falling cobalt prices on communities in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where local miners face increasing hardship and crime as larger firms dominate the industry.