Latest Interviews
Showing 106–120 of 531 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist9 min
Why China wants Taiwan
Mainstream Beijing officials dismiss the notion of trading Taiwan for US concessions, viewing the island as a non-negotiable historical necessity that requires decades of patriotic re-education to overcome its democratic identity. While analysts note that Donald Trump's unpredictability creates diplomatic openings to unsettle Taiwanese voters, the prevailing strategy avoids immediate military conflict in favor of a long-term timeline extending 30 to 40 years. Current discourse involves debating Taiwan-specific governance models that differ from the Hong Kong precedent, aiming for a negotiated reunification that extinguishes local democracy without triggering full-scale war.
- The Economist8 min
Why this crypto crash is different
Amidst a regulatory landscape reshaped by the Trump administration's appointment of industry insiders and the removal of past constraints, the global crypto market has matured from a niche asset class into a multi-trillion dollar financial component. Despite significant political support and the launch of family-backed ventures like World Liberty Financial, the sector is currently grappling with a unique downturn where new investors face substantial losses even as Bitcoin trades near $90,000. This shift marks a departure from historical boom-bust cycles, signaling a transition where decentralized finance aligns with conservative anti-establishment sentiments while institutional adoption accelerates through ETFs and banking licenses.
- The Economist14 min
Geothermal energy’s massive leap forward
Driven by artificial intelligence data center demand and hydraulic fracturing innovations, next-generation Enhanced Geothermal Systems are overcoming historical geological constraints to provide 24/7 firm power. Leading this expansion is Vervo, a startup backed by Bill Gates and Google that recently secured California's largest commercial power purchase contract to generate hundreds of megawatts by 2026. While the U.S. Department of Energy forecasts production exceeding current nuclear output by 2050, realizing this potential requires resolving regulatory complexities regarding seismic supervision and market valuation.
- The Economist10 min
Is China the new superpower?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Ant, David, Ed, Alice
The analysis examines the People's Liberation Army's advanced regional military capabilities and manufacturing dominance while highlighting severe internal economic stagnation, including three years of deflation and rising youth unemployment. Although China lacks the global projection power of the United States, its strategic focus on national security and superior hypersonic technology positions it to dominate the Indo-Pacific region. Experts conclude that while Beijing will achieve significant geopolitical strength, its long-term stability faces challenges from domestic discontent and an overreliance on foreign markets that it cannot fully control.
- The Economist6 min
How is Russia testing the West?
Russia currently perceives itself under a continuum of low-intensity conflict with the West, interpreting Ukrainian strikes as direct aggression while employing hybrid tactics to destabilize Western democracies and undermine the existing international order. While Moscow retains high risk tolerance born of this siege mentality, recent escalations appear tempered by the fear of triggering an all-out war that would contradict its strategic goal of dismantling Western dominance. Simultaneously, China maintains a cautious distance from Russian recklessness to preserve its own economic stability, creating a complex dynamic where global powers calibrate responses to deter adversary activities without sparking accidental escalation.
- The Economist8 min
Why Syria might face another uprising
President Ahmad al-Shara has secured significant international diplomatic gains and sanctions relief while simultaneously centralizing power through shadow institutions that marginalize the Alawite and Druze communities. This governance strategy has exacerbated sectarian tensions, triggering over 1,500 deaths in recent violence and driving 25,000 former regime affiliates to flee as they organize new insurgencies. Despite restoring civil liberties and dismantling the Assad-era secret police, the administration's failure to provide transitional justice or economic stability threatens to destabilize the state and negate its diplomatic achievements.
- The Economist7 min
Why doesn’t the UK become closer to the EU?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
Analysts predict Prime Minister Starmer will gradually pivot to a pro-EU stance by 2028–2029, driven by strong public support for closer ties that has outlasted the domestic political trauma of Brexit. Concurrently, the government has successfully reduced net migration to approximately 200,000 annually through stricter visa rules, though rising asylum claims continue to fuel a public perception of failing border control. This stabilization of migration figures may enable a political shift toward accepting free movement with the EU within three years, provided internal European instability does not undermine cooperation.
- The Economist10 min
Keir Starmer on the threat to centrist politics
Keir Starmer, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Prime Minister Keir Starmer frames the upcoming election as a critical defense of centrist democracy against the "populist right," specifically warning that a Reform UK victory would fracture social cohesion, jeopardize foreign security alliances, and radicalize the nation. While rejecting a return to the EU Customs Union, Starmer details a pragmatic "fundamental reset" that has improved trade relations and eased border checks, positioning the UK as a trusted European partner despite the 2016 referendum. The Labour campaign, operating under the slogan "Progressive national renewal," seeks to distinguish its platform from traditional Conservative politics by focusing on economic viability, NHS performance, and national security, asserting that only a progressive government can safeguard the country's future.
- The Economist9 min
What we know about the Ukraine peace plan
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Olly, Ed, Shashank, Zannie, Chris
Emerging from Geneva talks, a draft treaty to partition Ukraine has evolved from a 28-point plan to an 18-point document featuring relaxed military caps and the potential removal of constitutional bans on NATO membership. While special representative Steve Witkoff allegedly advised Russian negotiators on pressure tactics and leaked communications cast suspicion on the security of the process, key disputes remain regarding the status of Donbass, the enforceability of vague US security guarantees, and the exclusion of European military forces. Analysts warn that despite the removal of restrictive weapon bans, the proposed framework relies on unenforceable terms and creates a strategic vacuum for Ukraine's post-war defense.
- The Economist7 min
Has the world reached “peak Trump”?
Trump, John Bolton, David Rennie
A recent analysis challenges foreign expectations of normalizing Trump's political influence, highlighting instead a diminishing Republican Party grip evidenced by the rejection of filibuster-ending calls and internal revolts over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. While acknowledging significant institutional damage characterized by a "retribution presidency," the speaker asserts that Trump functions more as a destructive force akin to Pompey rather than an authoritarian capable of constitutional seizure. Consequently, the assessment concludes that although current policies require urgent correction, the underlying American system remains resilient enough to eventually repair the damage through sustained effort and long-term democratic stability.
- The Economist7 min
Why pig organ transplants are closer than ever
Emilie Steinmark, Alok Jha, Emily
Faced with a global organ shortage where 90% of candidates die waiting, the medical field has pivoted to genetically engineered pig organs as the primary solution due to their physiological compatibility and scalable breeding. Scientists achieve this by removing pig-specific antigens and inserting human genes to regulate immune responses and functions like blood clotting, creating sterile, custom-fitted organs within a seven-month growth cycle. While initially reserved for specific high-need patients, these bio-engineered transplants aim to eventually surpass the variable quality of human donors and expand access to life-saving treatments.
- The Economist8 min
How strong is Iran’s regime?
Nicolas Pelham, Adam Roberts, Nick, Ed
Iran's strategic pivot from a proxy-heavy "forward defense" to a missile-centric approach follows the erosion of its Syrian alliances, while the regime grapples with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's frailty and a shifting succession landscape dominated by factional money rather than ideology. To maintain power amidst a secular populace, the leadership is adopting nationalist narratives and rebranding the nuclear program as a permanent national asset, signaling a retreat from revolutionary theocracy. This reinvention faces an existential conflict between the public's desire for global integration and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' vested interest in preserving a closed economy that fuels its monopolies.
- The Economist9 min
Why Gaza won’t be rebuilt anytime soon
With 80% to 90% of Gaza's infrastructure destroyed and over one million people homeless, international actors have proposed competing five-year reconstruction plans backed by Egypt and separate alternatives favored by US and Israeli officials. Both strategies face immediate stagnation due to irreconcilable prerequisites, including Hamas disarmament, the refusal of Gulf donors to fund projects without security guarantees, and Israeli control over critical supply routes like the Rafah crossing. Consequently, the international community is shifting focus from large-scale rebuilding to urgent interim measures targeting temporary shelters and basic water infrastructure while a political resolution on Hamas's future remains elusive.
- The Economist8 min
Why the world’s population is heading for collapse
Mike, Henry, Corbin Duncan, Karen Richmond Jones
Global fertility rates are converging below replacement levels across two-thirds of the world, driven by a societal trend in lower-income nations rather than a temporary fluctuation. While the UN projects a population peak of 10 billion in the 2080s based on assumed recovery, alternative models indicate that sustained low fertility could bring this peak forward to the mid-21st century, precipitating severe population losses in regions like East Asia. This demographic shift also reflects complex outcomes in the United States, where declining teen births and delayed childbearing among educated women have altered age structures without signaling a universal rejection of parenthood.
- The Economist7 min
Why Bangladesh sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death
Sheikh Hasina, Vishnu Padmanabhan, Rosie Blau
An International Crimes Tribunal in Amstead, India, convicted former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of crimes against humanity and sentenced her to death based on evidence of lethal force deployed against civilians during 2023 protests. While the interim government and opposition BNP celebrated the ruling as a step toward justice, Hasina's Awami League condemned the trial as politically motivated and called for a national shutdown amid police dispersals in Dhaka. The verdict has heightened political volatility as India responds to extradition requests without confirming a timeline, leaving the future of Bangladesh's democracy reforms and the upcoming 2026 elections uncertain.