Editor’s Picks: August 31st 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/2020/08/29/russians-and-belarusians-are-tired-of-backwards-looking-autocrats?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">what Putin fears</a>, (9:10) <a href="https://www.economist.com/united-states/2020/08/29/hail-to-the-king?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump at the Republican National Convention</a> and (16:10) <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2020/08/29/how-france-created-a-university-to-rival-mit?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">France’s university to rival MIT</a>.&nbsp;</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?utm_campaign=editors-picks&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" 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>