The Economist.

Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist.

I'm your host, Rosie Bloor.

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

Thank you. provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. In recent years, jihadist rebels have swept through many countries of the Sahel. So why does

neighbouring Ghana remain a sanctuary of relative peace and stability? Our correspondent travelled there

to find out.

And when you live in Lovely London, you're lucky enough in my view to have delicious water literally on tap.

But those folk whose job it is to sell bottled water think they can do better and are apparently trying to turn their product into a luxury good.

Thank you. trying to turn their product into a luxury good. But first...

The government shut down in America is now the second longest on record.

Yesterday, it surpassed the 21-day suspension of federal services under President Bill Clinton in 1996.

Hundreds of thousands have been furloughed, many others are working without a paycheck, and some may be out of work

permanently. The Census Bureau stopped work. So has the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

What happens if we have another hurricane outbreak and some wildfires in the West, severe drought

in the Midwest? All of a sudden, you're stretching that workforce so very thin.

Most staff at the Department of Education have been sent home too.

And as Republican Senator Ted Cruz noted, even air travel is affected.

There are delays.

We're seeing flights being canceled.

There are 50,000 TSA employees who are going into work and they're not getting paid.

There are 14,000 air traffic controllers that are going into work and they're not getting paid.

...