Mission possible: Baghdad is booming
The Intelligence from The Economist
The Economist
4.6 • 3.6K Ratings
🗓️ 4 September 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Our correspondent meets Iraq’s prime minister Muhammad al-Sudani to discuss the country’s construction boom, its future aspirations and the obstacles that must still be overcome. Visit America’s YIMBYiest neighbourhood: the place where Americans actually want to increase the local population. And how superstition in Hong Kong can haunt the economy.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Blockchain. Crypto. It's happening to investments, currency, food trucks. Yes, payments are possible |
| 0:06.2 | with crypto now. But it's not just happening to tortilla chips. Also, microchips. You can trade |
| 0:11.8 | tokenized real world and digital assets. So it's happening to assets, trading, industries, |
| 0:17.4 | economies, and pretty much everything else. And it's happening with Ripple. |
| 0:22.2 | For informational purposes only, not an offer or inducement. For investment professionals |
| 0:25.9 | and high net worth companies, FSMA 2000 financial promotion order. |
| 0:31.7 | Hey, it's Adam Grant from Worklife, a podcast from TED. This episode is brought to you by FreshWorks. |
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| 1:03.2 | FreshWorks uncomplicates. |
| 1:05.3 | Learn more at freshworks.com. |
| 1:15.1 | The Economist. |
| 1:24.5 | Hello and welcome to the intelligence from The Economist. |
| 1:26.4 | I'm your host, Rosie Bloor. |
| 1:31.0 | Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world. |
| 1:40.2 | There's an area in Washington, D.C. that was once called Swampoodle. |
| 1:42.6 | Doesn't sound too appealing, does it? |
| 1:49.0 | But since developers built a metro station, new housing, and renamed it Noma, it's become one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in America. |
| 1:52.0 | And Ghost, Spirits and Fortune-Telling are part of daily life in Hong Kong. |
... |
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