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.

Algerians will take to the streets again today. They're protesting against the re-election campaign

of a president who hasn't been heard from since he had a stroke nearly six years ago. Why are

Algerians at last taking a stand? And why is it that sometimes things actually improve when a

country's head is incapacitated? In Britain, knife crime is on the rise.

Deaths by stabbing hit an all-time high last year.

The causes aren't entirely clear,

and the potential solutions are the subject of some debate

and political discomfort.

First up, though, in Algeria, the broad streets of the blue and white-painted capital Alger's are expected to fill with protesters today.

Dali Aghanem is a political analyst, who is also demonstrating recently, along with her mother,

her aunt and her cousins.

What they are calling for is very focused, is very clear, no to the fifth term of President

Adelaidez Budfleka.

President Buteflika has ruled the country since 1999, when he was credited with helping to end

a bloody civil war. But in 2013, he had a stroke. He hasn't spoken in public since.

When it was announced that Mr. Butaflika would stand for a fifth term in next month's

election, some took it as an insult. Many Algerians are poor and unemployed and feel the country

has been badly run. It's people who are, you know, calling for their dignity back. They've been

run by a person who has been extremely sick and able to walk,

and able to talk. So Algerians are fed up with that. Because the president seems incapacitated,

...