Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

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

Over centuries, Istanbul's stunning Hagia Sophia shifted from cathedral to mosque to a proud symbol of modern Turkey's secularism.

Now the president has turned it back into a mosque, a distraction tactic that isn't playing well at home or abroad.

And today, production will end for the Segway, a two-wheeled self-balancing gizmo that was, in its way, ahead of its time.

It was supposed to be a transport revolution, but in the end, it only revolutionized how tourists and mall cops get around.

First up, though.

Unrest has taken hold in Russia's far east.

Over the past several days,

tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets

in towns across Hebarovsk, a region

that borders China. Demonstrators chanted slogans such as Putin resign and demanded the

release of the region's governor, Sergei Fergal. Mr. Fergal was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of multiple murders that took place in the early

2000s. In the eyes of the protesters, his sudden arrest was politically motivated, coming just after

a rigged referendum on changes to Russia's constitution. I want to ask

earlier this month,

President Vladimir Putin thanked voters

for endorsing amendments that reset his term limits,

allowing him to remain in power until 2036.

The vote has ushered in a wave of repression

as journalists have been intimidated or detained by Russian authorities.

...