Hello and welcome to the intelligence on Economist Radio.

I'm your host, Jason Palmer.

Every weekday, we provide a fresh perspective on the events shaping your world.

Albatrosses do it. Flying foxes do it, even crabs do it.

But biologists have never come up with a convincing explanation for why homosexual behavior is so widespread in nature.

One researcher, instead of asking why, asks why not.

And there's not a lot of love for the practice of dubbing,

pasting a voice actor's lines into a foreign film rather than adding subtitles.

But our correspondent reckons dubbing is an art form unto itself,

and it's staging a comeback all over the world. First up, though.

On Friday, America killed Iran's top military commander, Qasem Soleimani, in an air strike.

The assassination was tantamount to an act of war, and will have profound consequences for the region.

The fallout is only beginning to be felt.

Yesterday, the Iraqi parliament passed a resolution calling for foreign troops to leave the country,

and Iran announced it would no longer comply with the restrictions imposed by the 2015 nuclear deal.

Its leaders have vowed harsh revenge on America.

As hundreds of thousands of mourners filled the streets to pay their respects to General Soleimani,

Iranian MPs chanted, death to America in Parliament.

President Donald Trump has warned against retaliation, threatening 52 Iranian targets.

Until now, the long conflict between America and Iran has mostly been fought through proxies,

spies and sanctions. But this strike was a dangerous escalation that could mark a turning point

in the Middle East. This is undoubtedly the single most important thing a turning point in the Middle East.

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