Category Archive: 5.) The Economist

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Why pig organ transplants are closer than ever

2025-11-22

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Will transplanting animal organs into humans become normal? Emilie Steinmark, our Science correspondent and Alok Jha, host of Babbage podcast, discuss the logic behind transplanting genetically-modified pig organs into humans and if this might help resolve the global organ-donor shortage. 00:00 - Why is xenotransplantation interesting again in 2025? 00:12 – Why do scientists use pigs for organ transplants? 01:05 – What risks come from using organs...

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How strong is Iran’s regime?

2025-11-21

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Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Adam Roberts, our digital editor, are just back from a rare reporting trip to Tehran. They join our top editors in the studio to discuss the future of the Islamic Republic. After 46 years of theocracy and a brief but bruising 12-day-war, where does power now lie? And with the prospects of a succession crisis, has Iran been permanently weakened—or is it storing up trouble? 00:00 - Has Iran’s...

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Is Iran’s regime moving away from theocracy?

2025-11-21

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Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Adam Roberts, our digital editor, are just back from a rare reporting trip to Tehran. They join our top editors to discuss the future of the Islamic Republic. After 46 years of theocracy and a brief but bruising 12-day-war, where does power now lie? And with the prospects of a succession crisis, has Iran been permanently weakened—or is it storing up trouble?

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Iran’s foreign minister: we are ready for a nuclear deal

2025-11-20

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“We are ready to go for a deal, but for a fair and balanced deal, not a one-sided deal” Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, tells our journalists. Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Adam Roberts, our digital editor, have been on a rare reporting trip to Tehran. On today's Insider episode they join our top editors to discuss what they learnt from the interview with the foreign minister and what the future holds for the Islamic...

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Why Gaza won’t be rebuilt anytime soon

2025-11-20

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Can Gaza be rebuilt? Gregg Carlstrom, our Middle East Correspondent and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss the scale of the destruction in Gaza and why every major plan to rebuild Gaza has stalled. 00:00 – What rebuilding proposals are on the table? 00:59 – How bad is the destruction in Gaza? 02:25 – Could that Egyptian plan work? 06:01 – Can the Israeli–American plan work? 08:16 – What happens in the interim? Listen to the...

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Can recessions be beneficial?

2025-11-20

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Recessions are painful. But long periods without them also carries risks. Our senior economics writer, Callum Williams, explains why an occasional downturn can be healthy.

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Why the world’s population is heading for collapse

2025-11-19

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The UN has predicted that the global population will peak in 2084. Our top economics editors explain why we could reach that milestone sooner than expected. Plus, what people often get wrong about why birth rates are falling. Watch the full show to learn about the economic impact of falling fertility rates—and whether that spells catastrophe. 00:00 - Where fertility rates have fallen 01:28 - When will the world’s population peak? 05:16 - Why...

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How would Jordan Bardella run France?

2025-11-18

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Jordan Bardella, the leader of France's populist-right party, the National Rally, could be the country's next president. What does his vision for France mean for the EU?

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Why Bangladesh sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death

2025-11-18

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What does Sheikh Hasina’s conviction mean for Bangladesh’s future? Vishnu Padmanabhan, our Asia correspondent, and Rosie Blau, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, discuss how the former prime minister’s death sentence could reshape the country’s politics—and whether India will hand her over to authorities in Dhaka 00:00 - How was Sheikh Hasina sentenced? 00:34 - What caused last year’s protests? 01:45 - What has Sheikh Hasina been found guilty...

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Are baby girls now more popular than boys?

2025-11-17

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For most of history parents have wanted sons, but in recent years mums and dads in the rich world have shown an emerging preference for girls. We explain why this is. Politicians have begun taking an interest. Click the link [in our bio] to find out how they are trying to “uplift” boys Video supported by @mishcondereya

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Why are cigarette companies’ profits soaring? | The Intelligence podcast

2025-11-16

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People are smoking less so why are cigarette companies' profits soaring? Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Callum Williams, our senior economics writer, discuss why the tobacco industry is thriving despite the number of American adult smokers falling by around 20m people in the past decade. Listen to the full episode: https://econ.st/3LABV3i

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Smoking is down, but why are profits up?

2025-11-16

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People are smoking less so why are cigarette companies' profits soaring? Jason Palmer, co-host of The Intelligence podcast, and Callum Williams, our senior economics writer, discuss why the tobacco industry is thriving despite the number of American adult smokers falling by around 20m people in the past decade. 00:00 - The economics of smoking 00:13 - Less people are smoking 00:52 - Why are tobacco shares thriving? 02:31 - Will cigarettes keep...

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Could markets topple the global economy?

2025-11-15

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What will the next year hold for the global economy? In the week we publish our new edition of The World Ahead, our future-gazing guide to the coming year, our top editors consider what an AI stockmarket correction could mean for the global economy and the US consumer. 00:00 - How markets could topple the economy 00:46 - Exposure of the US consumer to the stockmarket 02:06 - How AI compares to previous technological bubbles 03:09 - How the Trump...

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Why Meloni is an exceptional politician

2025-11-14

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Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s prime minister, is an exceptional politician. Under her leadership there has been political stability in Italy for the first time in over 15 years

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Can men and women be just friends?

2025-11-13

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Harry famously said to Sally that men and women can't be friends because "the sex part always gets in the way". Was he correct?

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Why Putin’s invasion of Ukraine was a “catastrophic failure”

2025-11-13

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The conflict in Ukraine is grinding on four years after Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion. Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, asks John Foreman, former British defence attaché, why the Russian leader miscalculated going into Ukraine.

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Are share prices headed for a crash?

2025-11-12

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Are share prices headed for a crash? Josh Roberts, our finance correspondent, explains why even the best traders struggle to predict sudden jumps in volatility. #wallstreet #finance #stockmarket

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How strong is the Russian army?

2025-11-12

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On the eve of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a British delegation warned Russian generals not to go ahead. Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, speaks to one of those who issued that warning: John Foreman, Britain’s former defence attaché in Moscow. They discuss what it was like to hear his Russian counterparts lie about their intentions in Ukraine, how Vladimir Putin miscalculated the invasion and the weaknesses of Russia’s armed forces....

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What will the world look like in 2026?

2025-11-11

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What will be the biggest stories in 2026? As the geopolitical status quo decays and concerns grow over economic stagnation and fiscal incontinence, the coming year is shaping up to be full of uncertainty. Our editor of The World Ahead, Tom Standage, explores three big trends for 2026. #2026 #america #donaldtrump #economy #glp1

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Could tiny seeds hold the secret to saving ancient rainforests? | Babbage podcast

2025-11-11

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Between 2001 and 2024, a quarter of Madagascar’s native rainforest has vanished. At this rate of destruction, those ecosystems will be entirely wiped out by the end of the century. Could collecting and preserving the seeds of the endangered plants help repair the country’s ancient forests? 00:00 - Collecting seeds in Madagascar 00:18 - Why do Kew have a seed bank? 01:10 - What was the trip like? 05:27 - The seed-collection process 07:32 - What...

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