Latest Interviews
Showing 121–135 of 167 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist26 min
Nvincible? What could curb Nvidia’s supremacy
Rosie Bloor, Jan Piotrowski, Aaron Braun, Stanley Pignal
NVIDIA's stock price declined despite record $30 billion quarterly revenue and a $3 trillion market cap, as investors weigh supply chain bottlenecks from TSMC capacity limits against rising competition from AMD and cloud providers designing their own chips. Simultaneously, Highway 1 along California's Central Coast faces existential threats from climate-driven erosion and landslides that threaten a $9 billion tourism industry, sparking debate over whether to continue repairing the crumbling infrastructure or abandon the route entirely. In Europe, the cultural practice of public nudity is retreating to an aging demographic of over-65s, driven by the deterrent effects of social media, smartphone surveillance, and shifting social norms among younger generations.
- The Economist24 min
Cryptic message: why arrest Telegram’s founder?
Rosie Bloor, Tom Wainwright, Henry Kerr, Emily Steinmark
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder of Telegram, was arrested in Paris on charges related to the platform's alleged failure to curb child sexual abuse material, money laundering, and encryption violations. While Telegram denies the accusations and frames the incident as a free speech issue, the arrest has sparked global debate regarding content moderation standards and potential geopolitical motives tied to the platform's role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This legal development risks establishing a precedent for nations to use executive arrests to compel compliance with local laws, following similar threats faced by tech executives in Brazil.
- The Economist24 min
Block busters: how Russia flouts sanctions
Rosie Bloor, Kerryn Richmond-Jones, Tom Gardner, Piotr Zalewski
A catastrophic conflict in Sudan has displaced over 20% of its population and triggered a declared famine while pitting the Sudanese Armed Forces against the Rapid Support Forces under the command of Generals al-Burhan and Hemeti. Simultaneously, Western sanctions on Russia have failed to significantly degrade its military capabilities as it exploits Central Asian trade routes to import dual-use components, exposing a critical gap between economic pressure and battlefield reality. In Turkey, a controversial new law mandating the mass rounding up of stray dogs for potential euthanasia has sparked legal challenges and regional non-compliance despite a severe shortage of state shelter capacity.
- The Economist23 min
The chips are down: will diet drugs devour junk food?
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Shailesh Chitnas, Simon Long, Lane Green
The food industry is adapting to massive market consolidation and the rising prevalence of weight-loss drugs by shifting toward high-protein nutrition, even as debates over ultra-processed food definitions continue alongside sustained sales in traditional junk food sectors. Concurrently, global health initiatives highlight that 45% of dementia cases are preventable through modifiable lifestyle changes and sensory health management, though rising prevalence in Asia and policy implementation gaps remain critical challenges. Finally, the decline of the traditional siesta due to modern industrial schedules is linked to increased heart disease mortality and reduced productivity, underscoring a paradox where continuous work hours exacerbate chronic health risks.
- The Economist26 min
Electric eye: AI is helping fight terrorists
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Sarah Burke, Oliver Carroll
A 2019 US Special Forces team in Afghanistan pioneered human-machine intelligence analysis by correlating satellite and social media data to predict attack zones with 70% accuracy, a system that ultimately ceased operations following the US withdrawal. Meanwhile, Cuba faces a deepening economic crisis driven by structural flaws and external shocks, forcing a geopolitical pivot toward Russia and China as the regime struggles with inflation, migration, and internal instability. In contrast, Odessa maintains a resilient wartime beach culture with full hotel bookings and active tourism, where residents and visitors adapt to daily missile threats through demining efforts and a collective refusal to abandon normalcy.
- The Economist25 min
The human strain: can mpox be contained?
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Ora Ogambi, Benjamin Sutherland, Mitchell Dupani, Vijay Vaitiswaran
The World Health Organization has declared a new, highly contagious mpox strain a global emergency due to the rapid spread of the lethal clade 1b variant from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where conflict and vaccine shortages are hampering containment efforts. Simultaneously, defense experts warn of a potential Russian low Earth orbit nuclear weapon that could trigger a global electromagnetic pulse to disable satellites, prompting the Pentagon to fund AI-driven detection systems despite the weapon's violation of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty. In the technology sector, massive data center expansion driven by artificial intelligence is projected to double global energy consumption by 2026, creating tension between corporate carbon pledges and the urgent need for clean power sources like nuclear energy.
- The Economist22 min
Byte by byte: Iran and Israel’s escalating cyberwar
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Shashank Joshi, Simon Wright, Lizzie Pete
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a US-backed ceasefire proposal pending Hamas's agreement, while cyber warfare between Israel and Iran intensifies through sophisticated attacks on critical infrastructure and psychological information campaigns. Simultaneously, the global aviation industry faces a supply squeeze caused by Boeing and Airbus production delays, opening niche opportunities for China's Comac despite significant regulatory barriers to entry. In the US housing sector, a shift toward affordability in inland cities contrasts with persistent high costs in coastal markets, driven by a Sunbelt construction boom and increased rental supply.
- The Economist23 min
Hail Harris: the Democratic convention begins
Hail Harris, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Daniel Franklin, Ainsley Johnston, Geoffrey Carr
Amid a volatile Democratic National Convention featuring speeches by former presidents and policy debates, Kamala Harris faces a statistical toss-up against Donald Trump in an election driven by swing states and shifting polling data. Concurrently, medical research indicates that female physicians significantly reduce mortality rates for older patients compared to male colleagues, a finding derived from a retrospective study of 1.5 million individuals that challenges current causal assumptions in healthcare. Furthermore, artificial intelligence has revealed that African elephants utilize distinct, frequency-based rumble patterns to identify one another, suggesting complex social cognition that remains undetected in non-human species due to historical underfunding of zoological research.
- 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.
- The Economist24 min
Yuan direction: Chinese firms head south
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Tom Lee Devlin, Wendell Stevenson, Tom Nuttall
Amidst domestic growth headwinds and Western protectionism, Chinese firms are aggressively expanding into the Global South by establishing local factories and leveraging the Belt and Road Initiative, a strategy that challenges Western manufacturers' competitiveness. Concurrently, Russian military campaigns have intensified attacks on Ukraine's diverse energy infrastructure, forcing the nation to rely on imported Soviet-era components and diesel generators while navigating a paradox between immediate thermal needs and long-term nuclear or renewable goals. In Europe, the Döner kebab continues to evolve from a 1970s migrant adaptation into a complex cultural symbol marked by distinct national identities, cross-cultural re-exportation, and emerging regulatory disputes over quality standards.
- The Economist23 min
Struck out: A Hamas leader is assassinated
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Greg Karlstrom, Kinley Salmon, Carla Subidana
The assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and the killing of Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr have heightened regional tensions while complicating ceasefire negotiations amid Iran's constrained military response. Simultaneously, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro claims an election victory despite overwhelming evidence from independent counts and the opposition indicating a decisive win for Edmundo González, triggering violent protests and a deepening political crisis. On the global health front, indoor air pollution from traditional cooking fires remains a leading cause of premature death, disproportionately affecting women and children in developing nations where financial and structural barriers hinder access to cleaner fuels.
- The Economist21 min
Down to the wires: Africa’s digital lag
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Ore Ogunbiyi, Sophie Pedder, John Bleasdale
The event analyzes Africa's critical digital infrastructure deficit, highlighting how energy shortages and regulatory barriers threaten to exclude the continent from $16 trillion in potential AI-driven economic growth. It further examines the Paris Olympics' environmental contradictions, where a billion-euro cleanup of the Seine failed to prevent bacterial contamination during the triathlon despite the river's vital role in global logistics. Finally, the discussion retrospectively evaluates the enduring success of the *Blair Witch Project*, detailing its record-breaking $250 million return on a $35,000 budget through innovative viral marketing and psychological storytelling techniques.
- The Economist26 min
Warpath: Israel vows revenge on Hizbullah
Rosie Bloor, Anshul Pfeffer, Tom Sass, David Harrington, Paul Wianco
A rocket attack in the Golan Heights that killed twelve Druze children has intensified Middle East tensions, placing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure to balance a necessary retaliation against Hezbollah with the strategic need to avoid all-out war while Gaza ceasefire negotiations proceed. Simultaneously, the UK faces a critical prison crisis with severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions prompting the new Labour government to implement emergency early releases while pursuing long-term rehabilitation strategies to reverse decades of rising incarceration rates. In the cultural sector, the Kronos Quartet marks its fiftieth anniversary by retiring founding members, introducing new leadership, and launching a digital archive that prioritizes diverse commissions to fulfill its mission of expanding the classical repertoire.
- The Economist24 min
Bibi talk: a speech light on detail
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Anshul Pfeffer, Noor Gamani, Leora, Oret Okunbi, Gavin Jackson
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu secured a record 11 standing ovations during a strategic visit to the U.S. Congress to defend the Gaza war while facing domestic political pressure from high resignation polls. Despite emotional appeals regarding hostages, the address failed to outline a concrete post-war strategy or clarify Israel's stance on ongoing ceasefire negotiations, leaving key policy details undefined. The event underscored deep partisan divides, marked by President Biden's expected pressure for a truce and notable absences from high-profile U.S. political figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and J.D. Vance.
- The Economist26 min
Destruction instruction: Western armies learn from Gaza
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Emma Irving, Andrew Kitness
Recent analysis of the Gaza conflict reveals that while Israel claims to have eliminated Mohamed Deif, the war continues to yield critical tactical lessons on urban defense, drone efficacy, and the complexities of fighting in tunnel networks that are reshaping Western military doctrine. Simultaneously, Silicon Valley remains divided over J.D. Vance, whose venture capital background and anti-regulation stance attract a core group of billionaire allies despite generating anxiety among broader tech executives concerning his protectionist trade policies. In Hong Kong, a distinct cultural phenomenon sees "haunted house" superstitions driving a 20% to 33% reduction in property values, forcing legal disclosure mandates and technological adaptations to manage a market where social isolation and rapid urbanization fuel ghost-related fears.