Stopping riots with stinkbombs Skunk, a high-techIsraeti weapon againststone-throwers, page 40

Britain's cities England'sregionalcities have their bestopportunityfor a renaissancein decades. They must notwasteit: leader, page lo. Ptansfor a "Northern Powerhouse"colad boostthe regions andtransform English politics,page 46

Africa's energy shortagesThe falling cost of renewabteenergy mayallow Africa tobypass the carbon-intensivesort—up to a point, page 37

3Contents The Economist June 6th 2015

On the coverWhy America must stayengaged in the Middle East:leader, page 9. America haslearned the hard waythatitcannot fix the region'sproblems. But BarackObama's deliberate neglectrisks making them worse,pages 16-18

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TheEconomist

Volume 415 Number 8941

Published lince September 1843to cake parí in "asevere contest betweeninteltigence, which presses forward, andan unworthy, timid ignorante obstructingour progress.'

Editorialoffices in Leuden and aleo:Atlanta, Beijing, Berilo, Brussels, Cairo,Chicago, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Lima,Los Angeles, Mexico City, Moscow, New Delhi,New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seo Paulo,Singapore, Tokyo, Washington DC

6 The world this week

Leaders

9 US-Arab relationsEntangled

10 DevolutionTime for a civic surge

10 Business in JapanMeet Shinzo Abe,shareholder activist

11 India's bad-debt problemRump stake

12 Cleaning up sportBigger than Blatter

Letters

13 On debt and tax, theRotarians, barbecue, theRohingyas, Utah, FIFA

Briefing

16 America and the MiddleEastA dangerous modesty

United States

19 The DemocratsIn two minds

20 Domestic spyingA Little sunshine

20 ImmigrationThe future's Asian

22 Corruption in IllinoisWhere's mine?

22 The Supreme CourtSpeak some evit

24 HomelessnessNipped in the bud

25 FAO SchwartzToo much fun to makemoney?

26 LexingtonWhy Lindsey Grahammatters

The Americas

27 Brazirs economyEating greens

28 Indigenous CanadiansTruth and consequences

28 Crime in Latin AmericaQuickie kidnappings

30 BelloMixing tequila andcaipirinha

Asia

31 Pakistan and ChinaBullets in Baluchistan

32 RohingyasThe boat-people crisis

32 Corruption in IndonesiaJokowi's difficulties

33 Politics in JapanThe might of the right

34 BanyanChina's splendid isolation

China

35 Civil servantsA hard life without bribes

36 Bad debtsThe online Loan bazaar

36 A ferry disasterTragedy on the Yangzi

Middle East and Africa

37 African energyThe leapfrog continent

38 Dairy farming in NigeriaU ncowed

38 Qatar's migrantWorkersStill staving away

39 Dubai's economyGrowing up

40 Egypt's demographyThe too fertite crescent

40 Riots and stink bombsA whiff from hett

Europe

41 Germany and AmericaWaiting for Schindler's list

42 Turkey's electionThe protest vote

42 Ukraine and RussiaMisha's moment

43 Italy's regional electionsRenzi checked

43 Portugal's governmentAusterity without anger

44 The Romah in d

45 CharlemagneGreece's struggle

ALADt.15 JUN. 2015

BIBLIOTECA

» Contents continues overleaf

Corruption in sport TheprobLem transcends FIFA:leader, page 12. The resignationof Sepp Blatter is a necessarybut not sufficient condition forreform, page 49. Moneycorrupts, butit can also helpclean up sport, page 50. WhyAmerica is going after FIFA,page 51

India's state-owned banksPrivatising India's public-sector banks is the only waytofix them: leader, page 11. Theeconomy's prospects dependon damaged banks that are°My slowly being repaired,page 63

Corporate governance inJapan At last Shinzo Abe hasintroduced reforms that count:leader, page 10. The prospectsfor shaking up Japanese firmshave never looked so good,page 53

4 Contents

The Economist June 6th 2015

Britain

46 England's citiesSpreading their wings

47 Elected mayorsWhen it all goes wrong

48 BagehotCharles Kennedy: deathof a Liberal

International

49 The FIFA scandalTaxi for Blatter!

50 Corruption in sportGood money, bad money

51 America's legal reachThe world's prosecutor

Business

53 Japanese companiesWinds of change

57 The Atgosaibi affairEdging towards agreement

57 Climate changeWatking the walk

58 CoalBlack moods

59 Online advertisingBlock shock

60 SchumpeterWomen as managers

Finance and economice

63 India's public-sectorbanksTercos of Indira

64 ButtonwoodExporting deflation

65 Investing in airportsFlying high

65 America's economyBlip or blight

66 Greek depositsStuffing mattresses

66 Social isolationWith a titile help from myfriends

67 Money-laundering311 designations

67 Financing capital goodsKeeping the grease

68 IPOs in AmericaOpen season

70 Free exchangeDemography and the euro

Science and technology

71 OncologyAnd then there were five

72 Helicopter technologyChop-chop

73 ShellsTheir ancient colours

73 Portable robotsA handy collaborator

Books and arts

74 InequalityMirad the gap

75 China's one-child policyOnly and lonely

76 Alain MabanckouA Congo memoir

76 How music got freeFrom rock to crock

77 HokusaiRides the crest

80 Economic and financialindicatorsStatistics on 42economies, plus ourmonthly poli of forecasters

Obituary

82 Elisabeth BingMaking labourjoyful

Cancer drugs Doctors aretrying—with some success—torecruitthe immune system tohelp with the war on cancer,page 71

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