Old Ills, Modern Remedies

Available for over a year

Pascale Harter introduces tales of damage and diplomacy, from correspondents and writers around the world. In this edition: Nicola Kelly attends an exorcism on the East African island of Zanzibar - where the shortage of formal mental health treatment means many people take refuge in mass chanting and prayer to soothe troubled minds. Stephen Sackur asks whether President Emmanuel Macron can really save France's economy. This is a narrative that's played out before - and the forces of inertia have defeated previous reformists who wanted to remake the country. Bill Law's in Qatar to see how it is riding out the regional crisis and blockade imposed upon it - and finds a population apparently ready to rally behind their leaders. And Zeinab Badawi is moved to reflection by the historic monuments of Charleston, South Carolina - a city full of elegant architecture and heritage, much of it built by the profits and the victims of the transatlantic slave trade. Picture: Women gather mass prayers in Zanzibar, Tanzania (SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty Images)