Hello and welcome to the Intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host Shashank Choshi filling in for Jason Palmer.

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

COVID-19 may be everywhere, but as the southern hemisphere emerges from its winter season,

the humble flu seems to have vanished. That might explain why some countries have not had

as many deaths during the pandemic as might be expected. And Comrade Doik, who died earlier this

month, was the first high-ranking Khmer Rouge official to go on trial for his role in Paul Potts' massacres in Cambodia.

Trained as a mathematician, he built a pyramid scheme of cruelty, with each tortured prisoner expected to incriminate eight others.

But first...

For decades, self-styled visionaries and people fond of their pajamas have made the case

that a lot of work done in large, shared shared offices could better be carried out at home.

With COVID-19, that debate was put to the test in a huge and sudden experiment.

Now, in most places, lockdowns are easing,

and while governments and companies are trying to lure people back to the office,

many are resisting. They argue they're happier and more productive right where they are.

Hi, Chris.

Hey, Shashank. How are you?

Like millions of others, staff at The Economist have spent the last six months working from home.

Oh, hello. Sorry, hang on. I've got my headphones, not lane. Give me a second. Oh, they're in a tangle, hang on. An interview for the intelligence now involves me and a producer linking up on Zoom before looping in our guests. Hi, is that Callan? Yeah, it's Callum here. Hi, Callum, hello. It's James around. I'm just here.

Who's here? Oh, hi, James. Hello.

Callum Williams is a senior economics writer and James Franchum, a data journalist, both with the

economist. They've been investigating whether the office is indeed the right place to work,

...