Editor’s Picks: August 10th 2020

<p>A selection of three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week: <a href="https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/08/08/covid-19-will-be-painful-for-universities-but-also-bring-change?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the absent student</a>, (9:55) <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/08/05/beirut-after-the-blast-the-crunch-of-glass-acrid-smoke-and-stairs-slick-with-blood?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Beirut: a city in ruins</a>, (19:45) and <a href="https://www.economist.com/china/2020/08/08/why-tv-shows-made-in-chinas-hunan-province-are-so-popular?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">why TV from China’s Hunan province has become so popular</a>.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Please subscribe to <em>The Economist</em> for full access to print, digital and audio editions:</p><p><a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastoffer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.economist.com/podcastoffer</a></p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt-out information.</p>