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.

Political violence used to be a staple of life in Colombia.

Recent years have been more tranquil, but after a politician was shot at a rally and subsequently died, there are fears about the future.

And here's a real piece of slow news.

Every summer in rural England, a village holds a snail race.

Our correspondent went on the trail, rented a snail, and, well, did he win or fail?

You'd better listen to find out.

First up, though.

Chip making is the bedrock of modern technology, and for decades, Intel led the industry.

But in recent years, it has fallen behind, and now it's in turmoil.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump demanded that Intel's boss, Lip Butan, resign,

apparently because of Tan's alleged investments in firms

with links to China's armed forces. Then Trump did an about turn. After the two men met,

the president praised his success and rise. This week, things got even more complicated.

Softbank, a Japanese tech firm, bought 2% of Intel for $2 billion.

And yesterday, the Trump administration confirmed that it's in talks to convert its subsidies

to Intel into a 10% stake in the company.

I know Secretary Lutnik is working on it and ironing out the details, but the president

wants to put America's needs first, both from a national security and economic perspective.

That would make the U.S. government Intel's largest shareholder at a time when there are serious

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