Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist.

I'm your host, Patrick Lane, filling in for Jason Palmer. Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

Italy was battered in the early days of the pandemic. Lately it's been enjoying an economic recovery, as well as sporting success.

But the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, still has his work cut out, and he has his eye on even higher office.

As a conservative Muslim country, Bangladesh may not be the first place you'd associate with a booming party scene.

But the beat is throbbing more loudly. We take the pulse of its thriving, but secret nightlife.

But first...

Today is a day like no other before it.

Today is a day like no other before it.

Voting in our first three and fair election has begun. Today marks the dawn of our freedom.

It's 27 years since the party of Nelson Mandela came to power in South Africa.

The African National Congress, or ANC, has ruled without interruption ever since.

But this week has seen signs that its dominance of the country's politics may be drawing to an end.

South Africans have been voting in their local elections, and the initial results make worrying reading for the ANC and its supporters. It's shaping up to be historic week in South Africa,

with about half of the votes counted in local elections. The African National Congress is set

to win less than 50% for the first time

in the democratic era. John McDermott is our chief Africa correspondent and is based in Johannesburg.

And ahead of the vote here in Johannesburg, it seemed that that was possible. There are relatively

few ANC posters around. Their rallies were

sparsely attended. But nevertheless, the fact that it is now happening that they've now

dropped below 50% is still a momentous event in the contemporary history of South Africa.

John, why has the ANC done so badly?

...