Category Archive: 5) Global Macro

Who is “Europe’s last dictator”?

Four years ago Belarus’s dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, stole a presidential election. Belarusians have just voted again, in parliamentary and local polls. This time there was little chance of a repeat of the protests that followed the rigged vote in 2020. How has Mr Lukashenko tightened his grip? 00:00 - Why Lukashenko is called “Europe’s last dictator” 00:57 - How Lukashenko came to power 01:29 - Why Lukashenko is dependent on Putin Sign up to...

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Alexei Navalny, in his own words

The Economist interviewed Alexei Navalny, who has reportedly died in an Arctic penal colony, in the run-up to Russia’s 2018 presidential election. He discussed the breadth of his political support, his experiences in prison and offered some predictions for the future of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. 00:16 - The death of Navalny 00:41 - Navalny in prison 02:00 - Putin’s goals Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Alexei...

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The life of Alexei Navalny

Alexei Navalny, Russia’s most prominent opposition leader, has died in a penal colony near the Arctic Circle, according to the Russian prison service. Listen to this excerpt on Navalny’s life and career from our podcast series “Next Year in Moscow”. Original podcast: Producers: Sam Colbert, Pete Naughton, Ksenia Barakovskaya, Lika Kremer; Sound design: Weidong Lin; Original music: Darren Ng; Executive producer: John Shields. 00:00 - Alexei...

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Indonesia’s election: who is Prabowo Subianto?

Prabowo Subianto, the frontrunner in Indonesia's election, hides a dark past. He has been accused of war crimes, overseeing the abduction of democracy activists and falsely declaring victory in two elections. Who is Prabowo and what does this election mean for the most powerful nation in South-East Asia? 00:00 - Who is Prabowo? 00:41 - Prabowo’s attitude to democracy 01:23 - What does this election mean for Indonesia? Sign up to The Economist’s...

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Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Is there a path to peace?

Things look bleak in the Middle East after Binyamin Netanyahu scorned America’s push for an end to the fighting. But in private he’s said to be more flexible. Could diplomacy actually work? 00:00 - The Saudi normalisation deal 00:42 - Israel and Saudi Arabia’s history 01:10 - How to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 02:26 - Will the deal happen? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI To read more on the...

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Is AI the future of movie-making?

What if text prompts enabled anyone to make a blockbuster movie, or even an entire box-set’s worth of TV? That is the promise of AI. This technology could one day prove as transformative to the movie business as sound, colour, or even the camera itself. Generative AI can already make videos in seconds which would normally take a visual-effects artist days to create. However it has yet to master photo-realistic video. The people at the forefront of...

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Why is crypto like a cockroach?

It’s really hard to kill cockroaches. Stamping on them, chopping off their head and even flushing them down the toilet won’t work. Much like cryptocurrency—an industry which, despite some recent setbacks, seems able to bounce back when you least expect it. 00:00 Why crypto is like cockroaches 00:25 Crypto is soaring 00:48 Why is crypto so hard to kill? Sign up to our weekly finance newsletter to keep up to date: https://econ.st/3P3zTG8 Listen...

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Sam Altman: there’s no “magic red button” to stop AI

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, speak to The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, about what the future of AI will really look like. 00:00 Sam Altman and Satya Nadella talk to The Economist 00:25 What’s next for ChatGPT? 1:33 How dangerous is AGI? 2:32 AI regulation Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Read more of our AI coverage: https://econ.st/3O9fK2v Watch the...

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Sam Altman on AGI: people will freak out then move on

If artificial general intelligence is achieved, it will be able to outperform humans on most intellectual tasks. The Economist asks Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, how worried the world should be about AGI. Watch the full interview here: https://econ.st/3RUSgzm

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Altman: there’s no magic red button to stop AI

Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI, talks to The Economist’s Editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, about how he navigates the risks raised by artificial intelligence. Click here to view the full interview: https://econ.st/3RUSgzm

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Why America’s next war may begin on a small tourist island

Guam, an island in the northern Pacific, is just 48km long and has a population of about 170,000. So why is it so important to America’s strategy to defend Taiwan from a potential Chinese invasion? 00:00 - Where is Guam? 00:13 - Why is it so important? 01:00 - What makes it vulnerable? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Guam, where America’s next war may begin: https://econ.st/47lP9WN America is lavishing...

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Why is Ethiopia risking war for a port?

Ethiopia’s president, Abiy Ahmed, has signed a deal with Somaliland to get his landlocked country direct access to the sea. Abiy hails this as an act of diplomacy, but could it destabilise an already volatile part of the world? 00:00 - a new dispute in the Horn of Africa 01:00 - the historical context 01:29 - the implications of the new deal Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Read more about the region:...

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How AI is generating a revolution in entertainment

A new wave of artificial intelligence is starting to transform the way the entertainment industry operates. Who will be the winners and losers? 01:07 AI is changing the music business 04:09 How big data revolutionised entertainment industries 05:20 Can AI predict a film’s success? 09:26 How generative AI is creating new opportunities 12:36 What are the risks of generative AI? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/45PGz1H...

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President Zelensky’s goals for 2024

As 2024 begins President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks to The Economist’s Editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, about his political and military goals for the coming year and why he won’t compromise with Vladimir Putin. 00:00 - 2024 military goals 01:35 - Why he won’t negotiate A New Year’s interview with Volodymyr Zelensky: https://econ.st/48A4Nim Read our coverage from the war in Ukraine: https://econ.st/41MgGjc Sign up to The Economist’s...

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The most important elections to watch in 2024

More than half the people on the planet live in countries that will hold nationwide elections in 2024. In theory it should be a triumphant year for democracy. In practice it will be the opposite

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The World Ahead 2024: five stories to watch out for

What are the stories set to shape 2024? From the biggest election year in history, to how to control AI and even taxis that fly, The Economist offers its annual look at the world ahead. 00:00 - The World Ahead 2024 00:33 - Vital votes 03:34 - Taxis take off 07:10 - AI rules 10:19 - Industry cleans up? 13:48 - BRICS build Read more on The World Ahead 2024: https://www.economist.com/the-world-ahead-2024 Read Tom Standage’s editor’s note on The...

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Which countries get the best night’s sleep?

Sleep patterns differ across the world. From early-to-bed South Africans to Russians who hit the sack around midnight, we reveal the cultural nuances that shape global sleep schedules. Watch the film to find out where your country ranks in the lie-in-dex, and why it matters. Read more about which countries get the best night's sleep: https://econ.st/3GTRxt8 Find out why chinstrap penguins sleep thousands of times a day: https://econ.st/48pow45...

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Is nuclear fusion the future of clean energy?

Fusion is a kind of nuclear power, which could revolutionise how clean energy is produced. As a new wave of experiments heats up, can fusion live up to the hype? 00:33 The future of green energy 02:00 What is nuclear fusion and how does it work? 03:17 Is it achievable? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3s9WjPB Energy security gives climate-friendly nuclear-power plants a new appeal: https://econ.st/3QHgdd1 Listen...

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How the Amazon became a Wild West of land-grabbing

To save the Amazon rainforest, Brazil’s President Lula must work out who owns it. But with 22 different agencies registering land claims–and many of them overlapping–it’s not an easy task. 00:00 - How is Amazonian land distributed? 00:27 - How do land claims conflict? 01:15 - How is Lula helping? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Read our coverage on the Brazilian Amazon: https://econ.st/3NnFA2l Why the...

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Who made millions from the attack on Israel?

In the days before the October 7th attack short selling of Israeli stocks spiked in New York, making someone a lot of money. How likely is it that a Hamas insider was behind it? 00:00 - Pre-war stock market changes 00:33 - What happened to the stocks? 01:03 - Who was behind it? Sign up to The Economist’s daily newsletter: https://econ.st/3QAawvI Read our coverage on Israel and Hamas: https://econ.st/46Ka8Cy Did Hamas make millions trading the...

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