Hello and welcome to the intelligence from the economist.

In New York, I'm John Fassman.

And in London, I'm Jason Palmer.

Every weekday we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

For much of the 19th century, cultural trends came from Europe.

For most of the 20th, film, music, and fashion trends tended to start in America.

In the 21st century, things aren't so simple or so monodirectional.

And buying booze in India's capital, Delhi, has long involved jostling cues and dingy,

poorly stocked government shots.

That changed briefly when the city's alcohol laws were liberalized.

But those restrictions and the cues are back.

It's up though.

Ukraine has come under widespread attack this morning.

The capital Kiev has been rocked by multiple explosions.

It's the first time it's been targeted in months.

But cities across the country have also reportedly been shelved.

And the onslaught was clearly sparked by Saturday's attack on the carriage bridge, which links

Russia with the annexed Crimean Peninsula, an act that the Russian President Vladimir Putin

called terrorism.

Today, Ukraine's President Vladimir Zelensky echoed that charge in response to the attacks

on Ukrainian cities.

We are dealing with terrorists, he said.

...