Hello and welcome to the Intelligence from the Economist.

I'm John Fassman and I'm still in London.

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

The recessions of 2001 and 2008 hit Europe's tech firms much harder than their American

counterparts, but times have changed.

Their first tech sector is hardier and may well weather any coming downturn better than

America's.

And Peter Brook was among the most innovative theater directors of the last century,

known especially for his spare, uncompromising Shakespeare staging.

Our obiturus editor reflects on the legacy of a man who, in rehearsals for one of his

plays, would make his cast scream for hours on end.

After months of protests in economic upheaval, thousands of people stormed Sri Lanka's presidential

palace on Saturday, demanding President Gautobaya Rajapox's resignation.

Fifty-five people were injured in the commotion.

The speaker for the Sri Lankan parliament announced the Gautobaya, as he is properly known,

will step down on Wednesday.

He said the Gautobaya asked for cooperation in order to maintain peace.

The president had clung on in May in the face of public protests, sacrificing his brother,

Mahinda Rajapoxa, who is the prime minister, instead.

Now Prime Minister Ranil Wikram Asingha, whom Gautobaya appointed to help solve Sri Lanka's

economic crisis in May, has said he will resign too.

But the protesters say they won't leave the grounds of the palace, until the Prime Minister

...