Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

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

For decades, Russia's Gulag system sent rabble-rousers, elites, even just the well-educated, to labor camps far from urban centers.

At the time, it was terrible for those interned, but in the long run, it's been surprisingly good for the areas near the camp.

And, in many cities of the Arab world, cycling is dicing with death.

That's changing as groups of young campaigners from Morocco to Syria make a really good case for more room on the road.

But first...

Two years ago this weekend, it was an almost unbelievable step.

Millions of people in Wuhan, Central China's biggest city, were suddenly forced into lockdown.

We began tonight with Chinese authorities making a drastic decision, closing all transport

networks in the city that is at the heart of the coronavirus outbreak that is spreading.

No trains, flights, or mass transit.

25 million people effectively quarantined and nervous. You need to have a face mask.

No face mask, you can't get in.

And we thought, well, that was pretty serious.

At the time, lockdown wasn't a word, a concept that was much in use.

But within weeks, much of the world would be locked down in one way or another.

Fast forward to today, and those kinds of curbs are really rare,

except in China where the official strategy still aims for zero COVID.

Lockdowns are more targeted, but they're no less strict.

Officials have made an example of those who don't follow the rules.

...