Latest Interviews
Showing 1–15 of 156 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist21 min
Modi behaviour: will India retaliate against Pakistan?
Narendra Modi, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Jeremy Page, Kerry and Richmond Jones, Daniel Knowles
Escalating India-Pakistan tensions have surged following a deadly 2024 attack in Kashmir, prompting New Delhi to suspend river treaties and mobilize forces while Islamabad threatens to withdraw from the Shimla Agreement. Analysts warn that high pressure for military retaliation, exacerbated by reduced US influence in the region, creates a significant risk of a broader conflict surpassing the 2019 crisis. Concurrently, domestic economic and technological dynamics persist, with religious institutions in Brazil expanding via tax incentives and global demand for magnetic tape storage surging for AI data archiving despite government claims of obsolescence.
- The Economist26 min
Carney score: last days of Canada’s campaign
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Sarah Larniuk, Noah Snyder, Fraser McGilraith
Hosted by Rosie Bloor and Jason Palmer, this broadcast examines Canada's volatile election driven by US protectionism concerns, media fragmentation, and a toxic political climate where Conservative leader Pierre Poilievé leverages social media to bypass traditional journalism. The program simultaneously analyzes the United States' critical shipbuilding deficit relative to Chinese and South Korean capacity, highlighting legal barriers to international co-production and the strategic choice between domestic revitalization or foreign reliance. Concluding with a 1945 archival perspective, the episode reflects on the human cost of Berlin's fall and the geopolitical complexities that followed the Allied victory over the Third Reich.
- The Economist25 min
Trump’s fickle, Xi’s pickle: the dynamic driving US-China tensions
Trump, Xi, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, David Rennie, Hanna Vioque, John Fassman
Amid escalating trade friction involving US tariffs and Chinese export controls, Beijing has diversified its diplomatic ties to Southeast Asia and Europe while rejecting direct negotiation tactics it deems chaotic. Concurrently, Spain faces a humanitarian crisis as record migrant arrivals and sea-route deaths overwhelm local morgues, forcing authorities to implement rapid burials that compromise identification protocols. In a contrasting sectoral shift, the pinball industry has experienced a resurgence driven by technological upgrades and a surge in competitive participation, reversing decades of decline to become a global market of nearly 40,000 players.
- The Economist27 min
The great brawl: China v America
Donald Trump, Friedrich Merz, Betty Webb, Rosie Bloor, Don Wineland, Tom Nuttall, Anne Rowe
Escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, marked by reciprocal tariffs exceeding 125%, have triggered market volatility while forcing a strategic reshaping of global supply chains away from US dependence. Simultaneously, Germany's incoming coalition government led by Friedrich Merz has secured a mandate to address economic stagnation and defense obligations, navigating the new reality of aggressive US protectionism. In a historical parallel to current geopolitical anxieties, the life of Betty Webb, a WWII codebreaker who died at 101, has been revealed as a cautionary tale against modern fascist movements.
- The Economist21 min
Art of the real: Trump bows to markets
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Rachna Shambhog, Tom Standage, Andrew Miller
Following President Trump's announcement of a 90-day tariff pause amid market-driven recession fears, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent utilized the delay to reward non-retaliation while maintaining a 125% rate on China, prompting global leaders to prepare direct concessions on defense and trade. Simultaneously, the commercial space sector advances toward orbital data centers as StarCloud plans a 2024 AI chip demonstrator and Axiom Space operates station racks, with viability hinging on the projected launch cost reductions of SpaceX's Starship. Marking the centennial of its 1924 publication, F. Scott Fitzgerald's *The Great Gatsby* continues to define the American experience by contrasting the Jazz Age's glamour with a rigid class structure that grants the wealthy immunity from the consequences of their carelessness.
- The Economist23 min
Pulp friction: the trade war bites Apple
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Henry Trix, Owen Winter, Holly Berman
Following the implementation of new US tariffs and China's 104% retaliatory levy, Apple faced a $600 billion market value decline due to its heavy reliance on Chinese manufacturing, prompting the Trump administration to reject Tim Cook's $500 billion investment pledge as a basis for exemptions. Concurrently, meta-analyses of 6 billion Facebook friendships reveal that Britain exhibits stronger cross-class social integration than the United States, though this connectivity remains geographically fragmented by historic industrial zones. In the cultural sphere, a new wave of conservative female influencers is reshaping Republican branding by merging high-fashion lifestyle content with explicit politics, targeting Gen-Z audiences through digital communities and bypassing traditional media gatekeepers.
- The Economist25 min
Economies of sail: migrant-smuggling entrepreneurs
Rosie Bloor, Joel Budd, Noah Snyder, Oliver Morton, Rachel Dobbs, Ainsley Johnston
An analysis of global security and environmental trends reveals that UK migrant smuggling networks have fragmented into professionalized, decentralized supply chains that evade traditional law enforcement decapitation tactics, while simultaneous extreme wildfires in South Korea and Japan signal accelerating climate impacts in high-latitude regions. Parallel to these physical shifts, international public opinion is undergoing a rapid polarization driven by US political changes, characterized by a sharp decline in favorable views of America across traditional allies like Canada and European nations. These converging dynamics suggest a global landscape where adaptive criminal markets, climate-fueled disasters, and fractured diplomatic trust are reshaping security challenges and cross-border perceptions.
- The Economist21 min
Doomed traders: Trump’s tariff fallout
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Rachna Shambhog, Tom Sass, Emily Steinmark
Following the US announcement of global tariffs on April 2, major economies including China and Canada implemented retaliatory measures that triggered a $12 trillion drop in global market value and elevated recession probabilities to 60%. Despite diplomatic outreach from approximately 50 nations, the US administration maintains its stance, with officials describing the policy as a permanent restructuring of trade that has forced corporations to delay capital investments. Analysts warn that these developments will likely result in two decades of protectionism and reduced global economic integration.
- The Economist21 min
Over the Yoon: South Korea ousts president
Rosie Bloor, Noah Snyder, Duncan Robinson, John Fasman
South Korea's Constitutional Court has upheld the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol for declaring martial law, mandating a snap election within 60 days that leaves opposition leader Lee Jae-myung as the frontrunner amid deepening economic and geopolitical instability. While the ousted president faces a separate criminal trial for insurrection that could carry a life sentence or death penalty, the nation's conservative factions remain fragmented and vulnerable to shifting US trade policies and alliance strategies. This constitutional crisis has simultaneously depressed market confidence and complicated the path toward stabilizing the economy amidst intensifying external pressures.
- The Economist25 min
Wall of duties: Trump’s towering tariffs
Trump, Shonda Rhimes, Rosie Bloor, Rachna Shambhog, Tom Gardner, Rachel Lloyd
On April 2, 2025, Donald Trump enacted sweeping global tariffs designed to rebuild American manufacturing while economists warn of an elevated recession risk and infrastructure challenges regarding enforcement. Concurrently, the Sudanese National Army recaptured Khartoum with international military backing, though a fragmented coalition and the Rapid Support Forces' continued resistance suggest a prolonged conflict rather than a decisive peace. In the entertainment sector, Shondaland solidified its dominance by generating $2.4 billion in revenue through distinct pacing strategies and expansive universe-building, despite a market increasingly risk-averse to new creative talent.
- The Economist23 min
Ballot from the blue: will Ukraine hold a poll?
Rosie Bloor, Oliver Carroll, Andrew Knox, Natasha
Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have recently challenged Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy, sparking a domestic political shift where Zelensky's approval rating of 45% now surpasses his military rival's 30% despite constitutional barriers preventing elections during martial law. Simultaneously, President Trump plans to announce "Liberation Day" tariffs that could mirror the destructive economic fallout of the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Act by triggering a global trade war and reducing American growth. While international and domestic political maneuvering continues, public health experts warn that the recent Daylight Savings Time shift disrupts circadian rhythms, linking the change to increased risks of heart attacks, depression, and sleep deprivation among vulnerable populations.
- The Economist20 min
Right down: Le Pen barred
Le Pen, Rosie Bloor, Sophie Pedder, Callum Williams, Anne Rowe
A Paris criminal court banned Marine Le Pen from future elections for five years due to embezzlement, effectively removing her from the 2027 presidential race and plunging the National Rally into strategic uncertainty. Concurrently, a separate report highlights sustained rental inflation across wealthy nations driven by migration and supply shortages, while acknowledging that these costs have likely peaked despite remaining high. Finally, the obituary section honors Oleg Gordievsky, the high-ranking KGB officer who successfully defected to MI6 in 1985 after covertly gathering intelligence for decades.
- The Economist23 min
Shock and war: Myanmar junta exploits quake
Donald Trump, Rosie Bloor, Su Lin Wong, Anton LaGuardia, Lizzie Pete
Amidst a devastating earthquake in Myanmar, the ruling junta has intensified airstrikes and blocked humanitarian aid to populations outside its control, resulting in a confirmed death toll of 1,700 that officials fear will rise significantly due to restricted information access. Simultaneously, the US administration has ended over eighty years of global broadcasting by shutting down Voice of America and related networks, a move praised by authoritarian regimes like China and Russia as it eliminates platforms exposing human rights abuses in regions such as Xinjiang. In a separate development, the 2025 Economist Glass Ceiling Index revealed that while Sweden has reclaimed the top spot for gender equality, the United States continues to lag due to a lack of federally mandated parental leave and high childcare costs, despite record highs in women's parliamentary representation in nations like Britain and Japan.
- The Economist23 min
Bibi driver: battles led by and within Israel
Claudia Sheinbaum, Richard Fortey, Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Greg Karlstrom, Sarah Burke, Anne Rowe
Israel has ended a fragile ceasefire in Gaza by redeploying troops to encircle Rafah while simultaneously purging domestic security and judicial officials to consolidate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition ahead of an election-triggering budget vote. In parallel, US-Mexico relations have stabilized under President Claudia Sheinbaum, who leveraged tariff threats to secure a two-month reprieve while implementing stricter border security and targeting corrupt allies within her party. The summary also marks the death of paleontologist Richard Fortey, whose research on trilobites fundamentally reshaped understanding of ancient continental drift and pre-Pangaea geography.
- The Economist23 min
Spy-fall: Trump imperils intelligence pact
Trump, Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Shalas Chitnis, Alexandra Suech-Bass
Amidst a restructuring of US intelligence leadership under Donald Trump and potential disruptions to the Five Eyes alliance, China has surged to become the world's second-largest drug developer, offering Western pharmaceutical companies critical intellectual property to navigate an upcoming patent cliff. Concurrently, The Economist has launched a curated weekly film and television guide designed to highlight globally diverse, notable titles while explicitly advising against unworthy viewing, complementing its subscriber-only coverage of unique international social experiments. These developments collectively reshape intelligence security, biotech market dynamics, and cultural consumption within a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.