Slip the surly bonds? Scott Bessent goes on a yield trip
Amid record-tickling yields, the bond markets are now trying to make sense of what Scott Bessent, America’s Treasury secretary, has announced—a move that might put him on a collision course with the F...
26 Aug 22min
Even-more-maximum pressure: sanctions on Iran
After much hullabaloo America announced its “Operation Economic Outcast”, a new tranche of sanctions. It is thin gruel, and might in fact invite military reprisals from Iran. Call centres form a large...
25 Aug 23min
Elbows up, again: a US-Canada trade flare-up
Promising trade talks imploded after a literal 11th-hour change from the American side. We examine the new trade barriers being erected, and the complex calculation for Prime Minister Mark Carney. In ...
24 Aug 21min
I, robot? AI and consciousness
The rise of generative AI has put new urgency into ancient questions. What is consciousness, and can machines ever have it? We dive into the data that reveal a surge in sexually transmitted infections...
21 Aug 24min
An interview with Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari is a big-ideas guy. Known for penning tomes that tackle broad sweeps of history, the historian-cum-philosopher has now turned his attention to AI. He joins Zanny Minton Beddoes, The ...
20 Aug 1h 8min
Bombs and bombshells: Zelensky under pressure
From anti-corruption probes to a disgruntled ex-minister calling for elections to disrupted grain shipments, headaches are mounting for Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. China has until now cope...
20 Aug 22min
Wake-up haul: an Ozempic moment for the brain
Orexins are peptides involved in the body’s sleep-wake system—and are big pharma’s next big thing. Like multi-purpose GLPs, they may have far more uses than just regulating shuteye. We ask why Japan’s...
19 Aug 22min
Settler bet: a West Bank flashpoint
Israeli settlers have been clashing more and more with Palestinians in the West Bank, often with government backing. We examine the forces at play in what could soon be yet another battlefront. India’...
18 Aug 22min
