Deep Dive

Will 2025 be the year Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy finds its rhythm—or slide further off-beat under debt, drought, and distrust? In this Deep Dive , we unpack the World Bank’s Africa’s Pulse—Spring 2025 , a candid look at the region’s near-term outlook and the governance fixes that could turn fragile momentum into inclusive prosperity. Listen in as we: Decode the growth map —why nimble mid-sized e...

Water powers everything—from the food on our plates to the chips in our phones—yet we still treat it like an infinite freebie. In this Deep Dive , we explore a sweeping new blueprint that reframes H₂O as the world’s most undervalued economic asset and lays out five bold missions to secure a truly circular water future. Listen in as we: Trace the hidden economics of water and reveal why pricing sig...

Can swapping steaks for lentils or ditching a short-haul flight really move the climate needle? In this Deep Dive , we unpack a sweeping new working paper that measures the true emissions-cutting power of personal behaviour changes—then tests those numbers against real-world psychology. Tune in as we: Break down the study’s “Priority Shifts,” from slashing gas-car mileage and home fossil-fuel use...

On this installment of Deep Dive , we plunge into a groundbreaking report that charts the fast-evolving landscape of artificial-intelligence and data-science governance across Africa’s health sector. From Lagos to Lusaka and Cairo to Cape Town, policy frameworks are emerging—but awareness is low, institutions are overstretched, and critical voices (especially women) are still fighting for a seat a...

In this illuminating episode, we dive into the transformative shifts reshaping America's electricity landscape in 2024. For the first time ever, wind and solar power have overtaken coal generation, marking a critical turning point toward renewable energy dominance. We explore how surging electricity demand has driven unprecedented growth in solar power, outpacing even natural gas expansion. Ba...

In this episode, we unpack Ember's latest report, "EU's Russian Gas Phase-Out: The Final Push," which critically evaluates Europe's ambitious goal of eliminating Russian gas imports by 2027. Despite strong political pledges, Russian gas imports unexpectedly rose in 2024 amid soaring prices and unstable suppliers. The EU's current strategy—massively expanding gas infrastru...

In this episode, we unpack UNICEF's revealing 2024 report, The Right Start in Life , shedding light on the global state of birth registration. Despite remarkable progress—with over half a billion births officially registered in the past five years—150 million children worldwide remain invisible in official records, deprived of fundamental rights and protections. We explore the critical importa...

In this Deep Dive episode, we unpack a significant report investigating the competitive landscape of mobile browsers and cloud gaming services in the UK. The report, by an independent inquiry group, reveals critical insights into how dominant market forces shape user choices and competition. Join us as we explore the interplay between browser choice and user behavior, delve into the tactics platfo...

Childhood obesity rates are skyrocketing across the globe, and by 2050, one-third of all children and adolescents are projected to be overweight or obese. But what’s really driving this trend? And more importantly, can we reverse it? In this deep dive, we unpack the latest research from The Lancet , exploring the complex web of factors fueling the obesity crisis—from globalization and urbanization...

In this episode of Deep Dive , we explore how climate variability shaped renewable energy in 2023 and what it means for the future of global energy systems. From the dramatic shift from La Niña to El Niño to regional energy triumphs and setbacks, we break down the year’s biggest trends in wind, solar, and hydropower. How did extreme weather impact energy production and demand? Can seasonal climate...

We discuss the British American Tobacco (BAT) 2024 Annual Report details the company's financial performance, governance, and sustainability initiatives. It outlines BAT's strategic shift towards "A Better Tomorrow" by focusing on smokeless products and reducing the health impact of its business.  The report covers financial statements, risk factors, remuneration policies, and co...

In this episode of Deep Dive , we uncover the staggering £5.5 billion tax gap caused by evasion in the UK’s retail sector. Despite government crackdowns and new legislation, tax cheats continue to exploit loopholes, from online marketplaces dodging VAT to rogue directors using “phoenix” companies to escape liabilities. Why has HMRC struggled to rein in tax evasion? Are weak enforcement, corporate...

The 2024 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information global climate report details record-breaking high temperatures globally and regionally, exceeding previous records by significant margins. This warming trend is evident across land and ocean temperatures, impacting various regions such as North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, with varying degrees of severity a...

We discuss a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report details the electrocution fatality of a chief engineer aboard the motor yacht Baton Rouge. The accident occurred in Antigua due to the engineer working on live electrical wiring in an inadequately assessed "enclosed space," without a permit to work. The investigation highlighted failings in the yacht's safety manageme...

This Oxfam report, "Takers, Not Makers," examines the enduring legacy of colonialism and its contribution to extreme global inequality. It highlights how historical injustices, including slavery and land dispossession, continue to fuel the vast wealth of billionaires while billions remain in poverty. The report details the mechanisms perpetuating this inequality, such as unequal global i...

This Alphaville LLC research report from January 2025 revisits the investment case for Greenland, maintaining a “buy” rating and a $1.1tn valuation. Despite Greenland's shrinking size and economic challenges, the report highlights potential upside from renewed merger and acquisition speculation, particularly driven by America Corp's interest in acquiring the territory. The report also note...

Technological change, geoeconomic fragmentation, economic uncertainty, demographic shifts and the green transition – individually and in combination are among the major drivers expected to shape and transform the global labour market by 2030.  The  Future of Jobs Report 2025  brings together the perspective of over 1,000 leading global employers—collectively representing more than 14 million worke...

AirlineRatings.com, a safety and product rating website, published its 2025 rankings of the world's safest airlines. The rankings consider factors like serious incidents, fleet age, pilot training, and financial stability. Several airlines debuted or were notably absent from the lists this year compared to 2024. The website also offers a flight booking platform integrating safety ratings.

This report, from the UK Parliament's Defence Committee, examines the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a collaborative project between the UK, Japan, and Italy to develop a next-generation combat aircraft for service from 2035. The report details the programme's history, structure, and challenges, including affordability, workforce, and export considerations. Key concerns highlighted are managi...

Today's Deep Dive is on Nic Newman and Federica Cherubini's  Journalism and Technology Trends and Predictions 2025  report, published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, examines the challenges and opportunities facing the news industry in 2025. The report, based on a survey of 326 news executives, highlights concerns about political attacks on journalism, economic headwinds, and...

Welcome to this Deep Dive on a report, compiled by a committee of experts from various universities and organisations, that examines misinformation about science. It explores the sources, spread, and impacts of this misinformation, considering factors such as digital platforms, industry influence, and societal inequalities. The report also analyses existing interventions to counter misinformation,...

We discuss a research article that. reports on a large-scale, non-randomised study evaluating the effectiveness of ring vaccination, alongside standard Ebola virus disease (EVD) control measures, during the 2018-2020 outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The study involved vaccinating over 265,000 individuals, primarily contacts and contacts-of-contacts of EVD cases, with the rVSV-ZEBO...

We discuss the latest World Bank report that assesses the economic prospects of low-income countries (LICs), noting a marked slowdown in their progress towards middle-income status since 2010. The report analyses the macroeconomic features of LICs, highlighting challenges such as conflict, climate change, and weak institutions, alongside opportunities like demographic dividends and natural resourc...

In this Deep Dive , we explore the findings of Focus on Labour Exploitation's (FLEX) latest report on the challenges faced by asylum seekers in the UK as they navigate the complex process of gaining permission to work. Through compelling interviews with asylum seekers and support workers, the report sheds light on critical barriers such as limited access to information and legal aid, lengthy waiti...

In this Deep Dive , we discuss the report from the UK Health Security Agency that details respiratory virus surveillance in England during the final week of 2024. Key findings show high influenza activity, baseline COVID-19 levels, and low respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity. The report uses various data sources, including laboratory testing, general practitioner consultations, and hospital...