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.

Even before COVID-19, online misinformation was poisoning public discourse. Now it can

be a matter of life and death. We take a look at the infodemic and discover that your

political leanings can affect just how susceptible you are to the lies.

And why have pedigree puppies become so pricey and Britain? Partly, the answer is that

lockdowns have made it as hard for dogs to hook up as it is for humans. But partly,

breeders can't vet potential owners and worry about fair weather best friends.

First up, though.

It's hard to overstate how much the shipping industry means to global trade.

iPhones from China, dresses from Bangladesh, soya beans from Brazil, oil from the Gulf,

as the industry itself puts it, it's responsible for 90% of everything.

At any one time, more than a million merchant semen are ferrying cargo on more than 60,000

ships. But COVID travel restrictions are stopping crew members from returning home,

even months after their contracts end. Hundreds of thousands of them are now stranded at sea,

forced to keep working as safety concerns mount and governments dither.

On Friday, UN Chief Antonio Guteras called on all countries to designate seafarers as key workers,

so that systems could be put in place to get them home. Today, the emergency contract

extensions that have kept them toiling during the pandemic are set to expire.

The impact of the pandemic on seafarers has been absolutely pernicious.

Helen Joyce is the economist's executive events editor.

There's some of the world's most important workers. I mean, if there were ever key workers,

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