Natasha Loader, the health policy editor at The Economist, brings insights into the WHO's investigation into the origins of SARS-CoV-2, suggesting a probable animal intermediary while dismissing lab leak theories. Georgia Banjo, a foreign affairs writer, discusses the rise of transnational repression by authoritarian regimes and the chilling effects on dissidents abroad. They also touch on Algeria's car shortage crisis caused by restrictive policies since 2016, highlighting the economic turmoil and challenges faced by everyday citizens.
The World Health Organisation unveiled preliminary findings, suggesting the coronavirus probably jumped to humans via an intermediary animal and all but ruling out a laboratory leak. We examine the many remaining questions. Nefarious regimes find it ever easier to reach across borders, subjecting dissidents to repression and surveillance abroad. And why it’s so hard to buy a car in Algeria.