Latest Interviews
Showing 16–21 of 21 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist23 min
Change of heart surgeon: Iran’s reformist president
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Nicholas Pelham, Kerryyn Richmond-Jones, Anjani Trivedi
Reformist heart surgeon Massoud Pezeshkian secured the Iranian presidency with 16 million votes following the fatal helicopter crash of Ebrahim Raisi, promising social liberalization and Western negotiations while navigating deep public distrust and hardline security constraints. Simultaneously, Ukraine faces a critical $20 billion private debt deadline as a negotiation deadlock between proposed 60% and 22% write-downs threatens default amidst a shrinking economy and uncertain post-war outlook. In a contrasting shift of capital flows, over 7,000 global millionaires selected Dubai as their primary destination this year, drawn by tax advantages and regulatory transparency following the UAE's exit from the FATF grey list.
- The Economist23 min
Leader of the package: Amazon turns 30
Rosie Bloor, Guy Scriven, Lena Shipper, Josh Spencer
At its 30th anniversary, Amazon surpassed a $2 trillion market cap while facing intensified antitrust litigation from the US Federal Trade Commission over its dominant retail and cloud positions. Simultaneously, India's National Testing Agency suspended its head and ordered retests for millions after a medical entrance exam scandal revealed massive cheating that exposed deep social mobility gaps. In a separate economic shift, China's durian imports from Southeast Asia tripled to $7 billion, transforming the fruit into a luxury commodity while raising geopolitical concerns regarding trade dependency.
- The Economist23 min
Labour-saving: Britain’s probable next leader
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Matthew Holhouse, Tamara Jilkes-Boer, Carla Subrana-Artus
Following a 2019 landslide victory for the Conservatives, *The Economist* has endorsed Keir Starmer's restructured Labour Party to address weak economic growth through centrist policies and internal reforms. Meanwhile, U.S. schools face a contentious debate over smartphone bans driven by distraction and learning loss, complicated by parental security demands and enforcement challenges. In the financial sector, a 120% surge in art-secured lending since 2019 allows collectors to leverage holdings against rising interest rates, with institutions like Sotheby's leading $700 million asset-backed securities initiatives.
- The Economist26 min
Argentina turning? Milei’s surprising political success
Milei, Birubala Rabha, Rosie Bloor, Kinley Salmon, Anne Rowe
President Javier Milei recently secured passage of two controversial economic bills requiring the Vice President's casting vote, granting emergency powers to privatize state firms and attract foreign investment while facing severe social backlash from protesters. Although the administration has achieved monthly surpluses and lowered default risk through drastic austerity measures, the country remains in recession with uncertain inflation trends and unresolved currency strategies that have drawn criticism from the International Monetary Fund. Simultaneously, the UK Conservative Party faces a potential electoral "punishment beating" driven by election betting scandals and voter anger over institutional dishonesty, creating a multi-front assault on their parliamentary majorities from Labour, Reform UK, and the Liberal Democrats.
- The Economist26 min
A real work of peace? An Israel-Hamas deal
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Anshul Pfeffer, Max Norman, Vingeru Nkandawire
US and regional mediators are advancing a three-stage peace proposal that officially includes a full ceasefire, yet the plan faces severe obstacles from Israel's fractured war cabinet following the resignation of Benny Gantz and Hamas's insistence on unconditional guarantees. Concurrently, a statistical analysis reveals a systematic bias against right-wing authors on the New York Times bestseller list, with conservative titles appearing significantly less frequently regardless of sales volume, challenging claims of editorial neutrality. Meanwhile, the UK non-alcoholic beverage sector is experiencing rapid sales growth but remains hampered by strict regulatory definitions that lag behind international standards and hinder consumer clarity.
- The Economist25 min
One dam thing after another? Ukraine and reconstruction
Rosie Bloor, Oliver Jones, Avantika Chilkoti, Anne Rowe
One year after Russia's destruction of the Khovka Dam flooded an area the size of Kiev and displaced one million people, Ukraine faces stalled reconstruction in four active front-line oblasts while prioritizing critical water infrastructure over immediate dam replacement. In India, Narendra Modi's loss of a single-party majority forces the long-reinvented leader to adapt his coalition style after ending his English-language interview ban, a strategy shift following his 2007 confrontation with Karan Thapar. Meanwhile, Cambridge Egyptologist Barry Kemp's death at 84 concludes a four-decade excavation of Amarna that disproved total societal conversion to Akhenaten's monotheism and revived the memory of a city lost for three millennia.