Latest Interviews
Showing 256–270 of 476 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist1h 4m
The Weekend Intelligence: Gaza, after the dust settles (republished)
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Greg Karlstrom, Dana Struhl, Mohamed Mustafa, Shahabil al-Zayim, Moussa Abou-Mazouk, Bassem Naeem, Nick Pelham, Leah, Yael, Yoaz Hendel, Simcha Rothman, Yair Golan, Naftali Bennett, Anwar al-Jundi Abu Subi, Tarnim, Matthew Hollingworth, Ali Shaf
Nine months into the conflict, Gaza faces near-total destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe as competing visions for post-war governance emerge, with the US and Palestinian Authority advocating for a revitalized PA while Israeli factions range from rejecting a political horizon to proposing indefinite military control. Security vacuums are already being filled by armed criminal gangs and Hamas, creating a lawless environment that threatens to collapse into permanent instability without a credible international or Israeli security plan. Experts warn that the absence of political consensus, combined with the logistical failure of aid delivery and the scale of rubble requiring forty million tons of clearance, renders a successful transition vanishingly unlikely.
- The Economist28 min
Year of destruction: how October 7th shattered the Middle East
Rosie Bloor, Josie DeLapp, Greg Karlstrom
Following the October 7 Hamas attacks that killed over 1,100 people and triggered a year-long conflict, Israel faces a fragmented domestic landscape and a multi-front war expanding into Lebanon and direct exchanges with Iran. As Gaza endures near-total infrastructure destruction and over 42,000 casualties, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's refusal to assume responsibility for the intelligence failure has stalled ceasefire negotiations while regional stability deteriorates. Analysts warn that the severing of links between the Gaza conflict and other fronts, combined with deep political fragmentation, makes a resolution unlikely despite international diplomatic efforts.
- The Economist30 min
The Weekend Intelligence: Black boxes (part one): Michael Kovrig on how he became a political...
Michael Kovrig, David Rennie, Rosie Bloor
Canadian diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor were detained by Chinese authorities in December 2018 following the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in Canada, an event Western nations viewed as retaliatory hostage-taking. After 1,019 days in a opaque security facility where they were subjected to informal espionage accusations, both men were released in September 2020 following a deferred prosecution agreement between the United States and Huawei. The ordeal serves as a stark illustration of the geopolitical friction between the US and China, highlighting the severe risks third-party nations face when navigating the escalating tensions of the trade war and security rivalry.
- The Economist52 min
A key Keystone: the race for Pennsylvania
John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon, John Priddo, Idris Kalloun
Pennsylvania has emerged as the critical 2024 election tipping point, where a predicted 30% probability of determining the presidency drives over $138 million in campaign spending and a tightening polling race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Strategic efforts by both campaigns now target specific swing counties and demographic shifts, as Harris attempts to restore coalition numbers among younger and female voters while Trump leverages heavy advertising to appeal to rural and working-class constituents concerned with inflation and trade. This contest is further complicated by deep regional divides between Philadelphia's educated suburbs and the state's conservative interior, alongside structural election law challenges that heighten voter anxieties regarding results and integrity.
- The Economist22 min
The arc of war: a bloody week in Lebanon
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Gareth Brown, Avantika Chilkoti, Vishnu Padmanabhan
Israel has escalated its military campaign in Lebanon with ground invasions and heavy airstrikes that have killed nearly 2,000 Lebanese residents, displaced over one million people, and potentially eliminated Hezbollah leader Hashem Safiuddin. Analysts warn that this shift from aerial to ground warfare in Hezbollah's fortified southern suburbs risks prolonged conflict and potential strategic defeat for Israel, drawing parallels to past withdrawals after sustained resistance. The geopolitical instability is further compounded by restricted journalist access and indiscriminate strikes on civilian infrastructure, including a medical clinic near the Prime Minister's office.
- The Economist19 min
Ground assault: Israeli forces invade Lebanon
Rosie Bloor, Greg Karlstrom, Noah Snyder, Andrew Palmer
Israel has initiated a targeted ground incursion into southern Lebanon to dismantle Hezbollah infrastructure and facilitate the return of displaced residents, a move supported by the Biden administration only under strict conditions of limited scope. Simultaneously, Japan's political landscape has shifted as Ishiba Shigeru secured the prime ministership through an unprecedented nine-way contest, signaling a pivot toward conservative liberal policies despite facing an unstable coalition. While these geopolitical maneuvers reshape regional stability, separate corporate commentary highlights the detrimental impact of mandatory "sandwich lunches" on workplace efficiency and employee well-being.
- The Economist26 min
Beirut force: Israel kills Hizbullah leader
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Antul Pfeffer, Gareth Brown, Sarah Larniuk, Jason Chow, Jiehao
Israel's recent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and twenty other commanders has triggered a major escalation in the Middle East, widening military operations to Yemen while forcing the displacement of nearly one million Lebanese civilians and sparking debates over a potential ground invasion. Concurrently, the United States faces diplomatic contradictions as it labels the strike "justice" yet urges a ceasefire, while Iran signals a reluctance to engage in direct war following intelligence leaks suggesting its security apparatus failed to protect Hezbollah. Meanwhile, independent media in Belarus continues to operate under severe pressure, with exiled journalists relying on operational security measures to avoid state reprisals against their families despite 37 remaining imprisoned domestically.
- The Economist52 min
The Weekend Intelligence: Crunch time for Ukraine
Jason Palmer, Zanny Minton-Bettos, Ivan Baryak, Vlad, Achilles, Yuri, Vadim Sukharevsky, Tatiana, Vitaly Klitschko, Andrei Yermak, Volodymyr Hobachuk, Roman Kuziv, Mike Pompeo, Chris Murphy, Christian Freuding
Ukrainian forces are currently facing a critical offensive on Pokrovsk that threatens to open the Donbass front, while simultaneously navigating severe manpower shortages and a shifting public willingness to negotiate. This humanitarian and logistical crisis is compounded by a technological asymmetry in drone warfare and a domestic industry struggling to outpace centralized procurement. Strategic outcomes now hinge on halting the Russian advance to secure current borders before the harsh winter, as uncertainty regarding US political continuity and the timeline for NATO membership creates an existential risk for the nation.
- The Economist51 min
Woke croaks: “peak woke” has passed
John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon, Ainslie Johnstone, Sacha Nauta, Musa al-Gharbi, John Priddo, Idris Kalloun, Ainsley Johnston
Analysis indicates that the height of "woke" ideology occurred between 2021 and 2022, after which a distinct decline in public opinion, media usage, and corporate diversity discourse has reshaped the American political landscape. This retreat correlates with Musa Al-Ghabi's "elite overproduction" theory and the Democratic Party's strategic pivot toward a broader electoral coalition to counter Republican mobilization against perceived social extremism. While the movement fostered positive workplace changes and heightened equity awareness, its current fragmentation faces future volatility contingent on Gen Z's moderation and potential political triggers like a Trump reelection.
- The Economist24 min
Missile-stop tour: Zelensky in America
Zelensky, Jason Palmer, Daniel Franklin, John Priddo, Tom Wainwright
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is in Washington to secure critical military aid and maximalist diplomatic concessions, including NATO membership, ahead of a US election that could drastically alter support levels for Kyiv's war effort. Simultaneously, The Economist reports that the US has passed "peak woke," as data indicates a sharp decline in identity-focused rhetoric and DEI initiatives following the electoral toxicity of 2020. In the gaming sector, EA Sports solidified its market dominance by rebranding its flagship title to EA Sports FC, leveraging exclusive licensing deals and network effects to withstand a potential challenge from FIFA's planned rival game.
- The Economist28 min
War or less? Lebanon on the brink
Greg Karlstrom, Jason, Rebecca Jackson, Mark Robinson, Kunal Patel, Claire Reid, Alyssia Burrell, Dasha, Harriet Noble, Margot Alexander, Jiehao Chen, David Rennie, Mr. Wu, Sam Western
Israel has escalated its aerial campaign against Hezbollah by targeting northern Lebanon, prompting ballistic missile strikes on Tel Aviv and raising fears of an imminent ground invasion alongside a severe humanitarian crisis involving over 90,000 displaced persons. Simultaneously, diplomatic efforts by the US and France to secure a three-week ceasefire have stalled due to conflicting strategic demands regarding Gaza and the Litani River. In a separate development, the US North Carolina gubernatorial race has been destabilized by a sex scandal involving Republican candidate Mark Robinson, creating significant electoral volatility in this key swing state.
- The Economist23 min
No right left: Afghanistan’s oppressed women
Rosie Bloor, Nagin Sadeed, Archie Hall, Sophie Pedder
The Taliban has consolidated its enforcement of strict gender restrictions through a new legal code that bans women from public speech and working, exacerbating an economic collapse while officials deflect accountability for the human cost. Simultaneously, Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers are rapidly expanding their foothold in the UK market by leveraging price competitiveness and a permissive government stance that contrasts with stricter tariff policies elsewhere, creating potential retaliatory risks for key British export sectors. In a cultural shift, the Netflix series "Emily in Paris" has transformed from a target of French ridicule to the platform's most-watched show in France, driven by increased French dialogue and patriotic sentiments following the 2024 Olympics.
- The Economist21 min
Shun while it lasted: never-Trumpers’ fading sway
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Rebecca Jackson, Jason Chow, Avantika Chilkoti
Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz have joined high-profile Republicans in endorsing Kamala Harris, creating a strategic rift within the "Never Trump" movement as it splits between abstention and prioritizing democratic preservation. Simultaneously, the Chinese government has implemented its first mandatory retirement age increase in decades to avert a 2035 pension crisis, a move that risks exacerbating fertility declines by removing essential grandparent childcare support and fueling labor market tensions. In the US consumer sector, luxury pet care spending is defying inflationary pressures to reach $261 billion by 2030, driven by Millennial and Gen Z owners treating pets as children while major conglomerates like Mars accelerate industry consolidation.
- The Economist49 min
Election rejection: fears of a contested result
John Prideaux, Charlotte Howard, Idrees Kahloon, Geoff Duncan, Jamie Raskin, John Priddo, Idris Khaloun
Drawing parallels to the 1960 Nixon concession and the 2020 "Stop the Steal" playbook, the Republican Party is preparing legal and political strategies to challenge a potential 2024 loss for Donald Trump by exploiting decentralized election systems and filing lawsuits to manufacture doubt. While reforms like the Electoral Count Act and audit results in states like Georgia aim to secure certification, experts warn that the primary risk remains the creation of lasting public mistrust and governance paralysis rather than a successful legal overturn of the results. Concurrently, the political landscape faces internal fragmentation, exemplified by figures like Jeff Duncan urging the removal of Trump from the party, as both sides brace for an election defined by procedural ambiguities and competing narratives of integrity.
- The Economist22 min
Pager turn: the Israel-Hizbullah conflict escalates
Rosie Bloor, Greg Karlstrom, Doug Dowson, Lizzie Hingley, Stuart Godman
A coordinated pager explosion in Lebanon and Syria has injured thousands and wounded the Iranian ambassador, triggering immediate threats of retaliation from Hezbollah while analysts attribute the physical sabotage to Israel's strategic intent to disrupt command structures. Simultaneously, a comprehensive analysis of US traffic safety data reveals that heavy vehicles are disproportionately lethal, killing over a dozen pedestrians or occupants in lighter cars for every fatality they prevent, a crisis exacerbated by electrification and federal tax policies that ignore external safety costs. In England, a surge in amateur fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast driven by social media and commercial potential has led to dangerous cliffside rescues and illegal extraction, prompting experts to balance conservation efforts with the need to prevent further fatalities.