Hello and welcome to the Intelligence from the Economist in London, I'm Jason Palmer.

And in New York, I'm John Fassman.

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

France has been rocked by protests and strikes as President Emmanuel Macron has pushed

his signature policy of raising the retirement age.

It would be easy to lean on the stereotype of the French being work shy, but our correspondent

sees something deeper.

And your Wi-Fi router lets you work, watch movies, talk to people, basically do whatever

you need to do online.

But the signals it sends out also paint a picture of its surroundings, including people in

the room.

That could prove useful for espionage.

But first, Scotland's government has found itself in a bit of a crisis.

Nicolas Sturgeon, the leader of the ruling Scottish National Party or SNP, has said she'll

step down after eight years as First Minister, the country's most senior politician.

Since my very first moments in the job, I have believed that part of serving

well would be to know when the time is right to make way for someone else.

In my head and in my heart, I know that time is now.

That it is right.

The SNP has ruled Scotland since 2007 and Miss Sturgeon first took power in 2014, just

after a referendum for Scottish independence in which Scots voted to remain part of Britain.

Or as long as the United Kingdom has been united, many in Scotland have been railing against

...