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 in Europe. And our obituaries editor considers the life of Mary de Rachewiltz, translator and tireless defender of her father, Ezra Pound. 

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

• Alok Jha, science & technology editor
• Stephen Hurford, newsdesk writer
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• AI, consciousness
• sexual health, STIs, STDs, Europe
• Mary de Rachewiltz, Ezra Pound

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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 coped with a patchy, pricey system for mental-health treatment. The government is now getting serious about plugging the gaps. And why a debate over “Paw Patrol” is more than just culture-war madness. 

Guests and host:

• Oliver Carroll, Ukraine correspondent
• Sarah Wu, China correspondent
• Andrew Miller, special correspondent
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Ukraine war, Volodymyr Zelensky, Mykhailo Fedorov
• China, CCP, mental health
• Paw Patrol, culture wars

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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 post-war innovation boom petered out, and what must be done to breed more unicorns. And why procrastination seems to be on the rise, and how to beat it.

Guests and host:

• Shailesh Chitnis, global business correspondent
• Ethan Wu, Asia business and finance editor
• Benjamin Sutherland, science writer
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• orexins, peptides, sleep disorders, pharmaceuticals
• Japan, innovation, startups
• procrastination

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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’s proliferating civil codes are creating insuperable legal contradictions for a multi-faith people. And answering some letters addressed to our “agony uncle” columnist. 

Guests and host:

• Anshel Pfeffer, Israel correspondent
• Kira Huju, Asia correspondent
• Andrew Palmer, executive editor
• Jason Palmer (no relation), co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• West Bank, Palestinians, Israeli settlers, Israel election
• India, civil codes, Hindu nationalism
• management, advice

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To critics, the Green Party leader is dangerous, even a con man. To fans, he is a national saviour-in-waiting. Our correspondent meets him to see what is behind the hype. So-called SpudCells have just seven bespoke DNA loops, but represent a revolutionary step toward life made from scratch. And the many ways travel agents still beat the bots.

Guests and host:

• Andrew Miller, special correspondent
• Oliver Morton, planetary affairs editor
• Caitlin Talbot, culture correspondent
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Zack Polanski, Green Party
• SpudCells, synthetic biology
• travel agents, luxury travel

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Five years after the American withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban show little sign of moderation. Our correspondent reports from the country on what life is like for ordinary people. A giant earthquake reveals two very different Colombias. And celebrating the life of Gurkha climber, Nirmal Purja, who died in an avalanche.

Watch extended clips from Insider here, plus the full Elon Musk interview. 

Guests and host:

• Tom Sasse, South Asia bureau chief
• Claire McQue, Latin America writer
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Afghanistan, Taliban, sanctions
• Colombia, earthquake, Espriella
• Nirmal Purja, mountaineer, Everest, avalanche

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After American troops snatched Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in a dawn raid in January, democracy did not seem like a priority. Yet this week, talks between the regime and opposition ended with small, positive steps. Why US consumers’ love of fast food may be slowing. And how many hours of Wagner opera would you sit through?  

Guests and host:

• Kinley Salmon, Latin America correspondent
• Shera Avi-Yonah, business correspondent
• Brook Unger, senior digital editor
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Venezuela, Maduro, Delcy Rodríguez, Machado
• Fast food, McDonalds, burgers
• Wagner, “Ring” cycle, classical music

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The Iran war triggered the largest supply shock in the history of petroleum, yet prices never rose as high as feared. Our correspondent explains how action taken by China steadied global oil flows. Why Brazil has such strict laws on racist language. And the legendary lager of Laos. 

Guests and host:

• Matthieu Favas, commodities editor
• Ana Lankes, Brazil bureau chief
• Vishnu Padmanabhan, Asia correspondent 
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• China, Iran, oil supplies, OPEC, crude
• Brazil, hate speech, racism
• Laos, Beerlao, beer, lager

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The Muslim Brotherhood won power and influence in the Arab Spring of 2011. Now autocrats are resurgent and its leaders are in jail or exile. Elon Musk says Europe is more dangerous than America. Is he right? And the puzzling popularity of padel.

Guests and host:

• Gareth Browne, Middle East correspondent
• James Fransham, data journalist
• Hamish Clayton, Britain writer
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Muslim Brotherhood, Islamism, Arab Spring
• Elon Musk, Insider, Europe, crime, 
• Padel, tennis, racket sports

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Britons are turning to artificial intelligence to file objections to state institutions, and claim their dues. The resulting deluge of complaints and demands may overwhelm bureaucracies. Should Catholic priests have to report child abuse disclosed in confession? And the perfect height gap in a relationship. 

Guests and host:

• Matthew Holehouse, Britain public policy editor
• Rebecca Jackson, US Southern correspondent
• Doug Dowson, data journalist
• Rosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• AI, agentic flooding, bureaucracy
• Catholic church, confessions, child abuse
• Short kings, short men, height differential

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We look at the peace that has settled over Khartoum, the ruined capital. War rages on elsewhere, and a slim chance at a settlement rests largely with the belligerents’ foreign patrons. We ask why President Donald Trump has picked a fight over a new bridge between Canada and America. And remembering Betye Saar, who provided profound second lives for discarded objects. 

Watch extended clips from Insider here.

Guests and host:

• Tom Gardner, Africa correspondent
• Annie Crabill, senior digital editor
• Ann Wroe, obituaries editor
• Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”

Topics covered: 

• Sudan war, proxy war, geopolitics 
• Canada-America relations, Gordie Howe Bridge
• Betye Saar, art

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