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.

Methamphetamines have become the biggest class of drugs in East Asia.

Consumption has doubled since 2013.

New markets have been created as refugees were forced to smuggle drugs across borders.

And it appears local militias and armed forces are in on the action.

And there's a presidential election coming up in Slovakia this weekend. Two months ago,

Zuzana Kapatova, one of the candidates, was polling in the single digits. Now, the woman known as

the Slovakian Aaron Brokovich looks set to win the race. First up, though, 12 years ago, the global economy was shaken to its core,

thanks in large part to widespread investment in bad mortgage debt.

Now the world's back on an even keel, there are hints of a different, dangerous trend.

My colleague John Priddo goes looking for what worries economists these days.

The global financial crisis of 2007 and 2008

was the most significant financial and economic upheaval

since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Mayhem, carnage, a bloodbath.

Call it what you want for what we saw on global stock markets today was ill-discides panic. It took almost everyone in the financial world by surprise.

Since then, economists, traders and fund managers have watched warily, waiting for signs of the next crisis. Now, concerns are

growing about corporate debt. The amount of debt owned by American companies runs into the

trillions of dollars. That's not necessarily a problem, but a sizable chunk of that debt is

owned by companies that are considered to be bad credit risks.

...