Latest Interviews
Showing 16–30 of 37 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist25 min
Ashes to Masses: Notre Dame’s stunning return
Jason Palmer, Sophie Petter, Ori Ogunbi, Anne Rowe
Following a five-year restoration funded by nearly €900 million in private donations, Notre Dame Cathedral is set to reopen in Paris with its historic spire and oak roof reconstructed using strict medieval techniques under the leadership of General Jean-Louis Georgelain. Meanwhile, Ghana prepares for a pivotal election where former President John Mahama challenges the incumbent amid a severe economic crisis characterized by 23% inflation and a sovereign debt default. In a related commemoration of World War II history, the legacy of John Kinsel, the last surviving Navajo Code Talker who died at age 107, highlights the critical role of the indigenous language in creating an unbreakable cipher during the Pacific campaign.
- The Economist26 min
Milei’s way: Argentina’s president, a year on
Milei, Celeste Caeiro, Rosie Bloor, Kinley Salmon, Marie Zegger, Lisa Honsinger, Anne Rowe
Argentina's President Javier Milei has halved default risk and slashed monthly inflation from 13% to 3% through radical fiscal contraction and the removal of central bank deficit financing, despite pushing poverty rates to 53%. Concurrently, a UN treaty involving 180 nations and major corporations like Coca-Cola aims to bind global plastic production to stricter recycling mandates and biodegradable alternatives, a move supported by startups like Notpla to address the 500 million tonnes of annual waste. The upcoming implementation of this treaty follows the 50th anniversary of Portugal's Carnation Revolution, a non-violent 1974 coup symbolized by worker Celeste Sairu that toppled a 40-year dictatorship.
- The Economist26 min
Assisted dying: why Britain should back a change
Rosie Bloor, Georgia Banjo, Kim Leadbeater, Stephen Mazey, Anne Rowe
UK MPs will vote next week on a stringent assisted dying bill that restricts eligibility to terminally ill patients with less than six months to live and requires dual medical confirmation plus High Court approval, though Health Secretary Wes Streeting opposes the measure citing cost concerns. Parallel to this domestic debate, the US judicial landscape faces a potential consolidation of conservative power by 2028 if Donald Trump reopens a path to appointing over half the Supreme Court, which could remove internal checks on executive authority regarding issues like birthright citizenship. Meanwhile, the art world marks the death of Frank Auerbach, a German-Jewish refugee painter who passed away at 93 after decades of obsessively recreating North London street scenes through a destructive process of thickly layering and scraping paint.
- The Economist24 min
The Peking order: Can China’s army surpass the US?
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Avantika Chalkoti, Anne Rowe
At the Zhuhai Airshow, China officially debuted the J-35A stealth fighter and new drone vessels while signaling a strategic pivot toward quality over quantity to achieve military parity with the US by 2049. Despite retaining advantages in carrier experience and AI, American forces face a narrowing gap in hypersonic capabilities and vertical launch system numbers that analysts predict China will surpass by 2026. Concurrently, the global luxury e-commerce sector is undergoing a contraction driven by macroeconomic pressures, prompting major players like Farfetch and Net-a-Porter to be sold or restructured as consumers shift toward in-store experiences and direct brand channels.
- The Economist25 min
Follow the leader: who will run Hamas?
Rosie Bloor, Gareth Brown, Rebecca Jackson, Anne Rowe
Following the killing of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, Hamas faces a critical leadership vacuum while weighing a transitional council against potential successors like the Iran-aligned Khalil al-Hayya or the Turkey-aligned Khalid Mashal. Concurrently, Kamala Harris navigates a fragile Georgia election strategy amidst significant erosion of Black male support, countering economic anxieties with policy proposals on housing and the child tax credit. Meanwhile, the death of Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen closes the chapter on a decades-long power struggle that destabilized Turkey's institutions through a vast network of schools and the fallout from the failed 2016 coup attempt.
- The Economist26 min
Leaderless: the death of Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar, Jason Palmer, Anshul, Idris Kalloun, Anne Rowe
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to offer amnesty for the release of remaining hostages while analysts note a leadership vacuum that complicates a ceasefire amid ongoing regional threats from Iran and Hezbollah. Simultaneously, the 2024 US presidential race has intensified in swing states like Wisconsin and Michigan, where demographic shifts regarding college education and economic anxiety are driving a fierce battle for the electoral college. In a separate development, 28-year-old genetic research subject Sammy Basso died from progeria after living nearly double the expected lifespan, having actively advanced scientific understanding of rapid aging through his participation in experimental treatments.
- The Economist25 min
Labour’s love lost: Keir Starmer’s first 100 days
Keir Starmer, Rosie Bloor, Matthew Holhouse, Sasha Nauta, Anne Rowe
Prime Minister Keir Starmer's first 100 days have been marked by internal strife, including the departure of Chief of Staff Sue Gray and criticism over ethics violations, as his administration pivots from campaign fiscal restraint to funding infrastructure through revised borrowing rules. Meanwhile, in the US, Nevada remains a pivotal battleground where abortion ballot measures and hospitality worker incentives are driving the close contest between Democrats and Republicans, with Kamala Harris emphasizing reproductive freedom to mobilize independent voters. The period also concluded with the death of Yoshioka Masamitsu, one of the last surviving Pearl Harbor bombers, who spent his final years expressing deep remorse for his role in the attack on the USS Utah.
- The Economist25 min
General rule: how to reinvent America’s army
Randy George, Elias Khoury, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Ethan Wu, Anne Rowe
Under General Randy George, the U.S. Army is pivoting from counter-insurgency to high-intensity state conflict by reducing vehicle fleets to prioritize combat training while simultaneously surging artillery production and exceeding recruitment targets. To accelerate modernization against rivals like Russia and China, the service has launched an innovation pilot testing new equipment in active brigades to bypass traditional procurement bottlenecks, though military leaders remain skeptical about scaling these experimental successes across the entire force. This strategic shift occurs alongside a managed trade-off where reduced maintenance burdens free resources but introduce operational risks amidst ongoing procurement challenges and rapidly evolving adversary capabilities.
- The Economist21 min
Rocketing: Israel escalates Lebanon conflict
Francisco Lopera, Rosie Bloor, Anshul Pfeffer, Rachel Dobbs, Anne Rowe
Israel escalated its conflict with Hezbollah by launching its largest airstrike campaign in the 11-month war, targeting over 100 missile sites while deploying a second division to the northern border for a potential ground offensive. Concurrently, rising global temperatures are severely compromising elite athletic performance, with extreme heat conditions cited as a leading cause of sudden death and prompting fears among top competitors that fatalities could occur at the 2024 Paris Olympics. In a separate development, Colombian geneticist Dr. Francisco Lopera, whose pioneering research on early-onset Alzheimer's in the Antioquia region identified a specific chromosomal mutation affecting 50% of the population, has died at age 73.
- The Economist23 min
Foiled again: a second attempt on Trump
Trump, Rosie Bloor, John Priddo, Paul Markely, Anne Rowe
Former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt by former activist Ryan Wesley Routh, sparking renewed scrutiny over Secret Service protocols and prompting Republicans to leverage the incident for fundraising while media narratives shifted toward security. Concurrently, the expanding utility of digital twin technology is transforming sectors from Formula One racing to medical diagnostics by enabling real-time virtual simulations that predict maintenance needs and test surgical procedures. In a separate cultural development, Brazilian bossa nova legend Sergio Mendes died at 83, leaving behind a legacy of blending global pop hits with Brazilian rhythms and maintaining a strong national identity despite decades in the United States.
- The Economist25 min
Grand Barnier: France’s new prime minister
Grand Barnier, Michel Barnier, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Simon Verity, Rosie Bloor, Sophie Pedder, Adam O'Neill, Anne Rowe
Following a two-month political crisis, President Emmanuel Macron appointed veteran politician Michel Barnier as Prime Minister to steer France through a fragmented parliament, despite facing immediate opposition from the largest left-wing bloc and the urgent task of balancing a national budget exceeding EU deficit limits. In the United States, Donald Trump's campaign has pivoted to aggressive negative advertising targeting Kamala Harris regarding economic and border issues, while Harris attempts to rebuild demographic support through biographical storytelling ahead of the final weeks of the election. Meanwhile, acclaimed stone sculptor Simon Verity died at 79, leaving behind a legacy of intricate architectural works including the "Portal of Paradise" and whimsical commissions for notable figures like King Charles III.
- The Economist24 min
For whom the well tolls: Why we must price water
Helen Fisher, Rosie Bloor, Robert Guest, Annie Crable, Anne Rowe
Global water scarcity, projected to shrink per capita freshwater supply by 29% by century's end, is driving social unrest in Chile and geopolitical tensions over the Nile, while climate-induced floods have displaced 1.5 billion people over the past two decades. Simultaneously, U.S. border policy shifts have triggered a surge in migrant crossings at the northern frontier, where over 19,000 encounters occurred last year as smuggling networks rerouted travelers from Mexico and India through deadly northern corridors. In a related scientific development, the late anthropologist Helen Fisher established that romantic love is a distinct neurobiological system and developed a four-part temperament inventory used globally to manage interpersonal dynamics.
- The Economist27 min
KamaChameleon: What does Harris stand for?
Harris, Wally Amos, Rosie Bloor, Charlie McCann, Auret Ogambi, Ana Lankas, Jessica, Fernando, Jiehao Chen, Anne Hanna, Shahzad Yunus, Anne Rowe
Following her replacement of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris energized the Democratic National Convention in Chicago with a speech emphasizing abortion rights, voting protections, and foreign policy stances that have narrowed the election to a 50/50 race against Donald Trump. The event successfully rallied a broad coalition, including Muslim American delegates, despite earlier pro-Gaza protests, while young voters prioritize the binary choice of Harris over Trump based on fears of policy reversals.
- The Economist27 min
Landing padded: the global-recession risk
Jason Palmer, Colin Williams, Holly Berman, Henrietta McFarlane, Erica Kaplan, Liam McGregor, Anne Rowe
The Economist's senior economics team argues that global recession fears are misplaced, citing robust corporate earnings, significant inflation correction, and labor market shifts that distinguish the current environment from historical recessionary patterns. Simultaneously, the dating industry is undergoing a structural pivot where stagnation in traditional app models drives a surge in high-end matchmaking services and organized offline social activities. Finally, the legacy of fell runner Joss Naylor is celebrated following his death at 88, marking a life defined by record-breaking mountain feats and a unique background in dry stone walling and sheep farming.
- The Economist24 min
More than Sheikh could stick at: Bangladesh’s PM resigns
Sheikh, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Lena Schipper, Don Wineland, Anne Rowe
Following the violent collapse of Bangladesh's 20-year Awami League rule, an interim government led by the President has taken power to release political prisoners and address the unrest sparked by student demands against job quotas and dynastic cronyism. Simultaneously, China solidifies its global leadership in autonomous mobility as Baidu expands its Apollo Go fleet in Wuhan to 1,000 vehicles, aiming for profitability while navigating regulatory competition and local taxi driver resistance. The geopolitical landscape also mourns the legacy of Thomas Neff, the "free agent" diplomat who engineered the 1993 conversion of dismantled Soviet warheads into US nuclear fuel, successfully eliminating 20,000 nuclear weapons through direct economic pragmatism.