Why doesn’t the UK become closer to the EU?

2025-11-24

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. Why is this, and what happens if they start to use technology to act on this?

Video supported by @mishcondereya

00:00 – Are baby boys going out of fashion?
00:26 – Why are more boys born than girls?
01:03 – How many “missing” girls are there?
02:17 – Why do parents want baby girls?
02:58 – Are people choosing their baby’s sex?
03:39 – What are these procedures?
04:34 – What could happen to society if there are more girls?

The new economics of babymaking: https://econ.st/3WufkYw

Why the best time to be a dad is now: https://econ.st/3UHLnTJ

America’s fertility crash reaches a new low: https://econ.st/48NfYaS

Technology Quarterly: Designing

2025-11-20

“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 Republic.

2025-11-12

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.

00:00 – In the room with Russia on the brink of war
02:48 – Was Vladimir Putin lying to his generals?
03:49 – Russian hubris in the full-scale invasion
05:14 – The intelligence “bubble” around Putin
06:40 – The future of the Russian armed forces

Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4nSU4H5

Britain’s most recent defence attaché in Moscow on the

2025-10-04

North Koreans are being executed for watching foreign television shows. The Economist interviewed escapees and analysed satellite imagery to investigate Kim Jong Un’s increasingly brutal regime.

2025-09-27

Israel is losing support in America. Polling by The Economist reveals a bipartisan shift, as both Democrats and Republicans question the relationship

2025-09-22

Donald Trump’s net approval rating is in dire straits. And yet, the Democratic Party is even less popular than the president. Robert Guest, our deputy editor, explains why #usa #democrats #politics

2025-07-28

Does the outcome of America’s presidential election have an effect on whether Democrats and Republicans decide to have children? Our data editor, Dan Rosenheck, explains why there is some evidence that it does #us #fertility #donaldtrump

2025-06-10

Fibre-optic drones can avoid electronic interference, making them almost impossible to defend against #drone #ukraine #russia