Latest Interviews
Showing 1–5 of 5 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist27 min
Right turn at a broken traffic light: Germany’s AfD
Rosie Bloor, Jason Palmer, Tom Nuttall, Gareth Brown, Ann Rowe
With a federal election imminent, the German far-right Alternative for Germany party has surged to second place in polling by broadening its platform to address economic anxiety while facing a cross-party firewall that excludes it from governing coalitions. Concurrently, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has triggered a significant return of displaced citizens driven by a desire to rebuild, despite ongoing infrastructure destruction and political tensions between secular and Islamist factions. Additionally, the film world mourns the death of auteur David Lynch, whose career was defined by juxtaposing suburban normality with cosmic dread in masterpieces like *Eraserhead* and *Twin Peaks*.
- The Economist29 min
Mass graves: revealing Syria’s horror
Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Gareth Brown, Sophie Petter, Andy Miller, Rachel Lloyd, Nicholas Barber
Ten days after Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, journalist Gareth Brown confirmed the existence of a massive mass grave in Al-Qutayfa where locals allege regime forces buried up to 100,000 political prisoners from Sadnaya prison. Meanwhile, France faces a deepening political crisis as President Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou to lead a caretaker government following the dismissal of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, leaving the nation without a 2025 budget amidst threats of immediate no-confidence votes from all parliamentary factions. In cultural news, critics highlight three distinct 2024 releases: Sean Baker's *Anora* subverts marriage tropes, *All of Us Strangers* explores grief through supernatural drama, and *The Substance* delivers a satirical body-horror critique of Hollywood's ageism.
- The Economist20 min
Bye, cell: inside a notorious Syrian prison
Jason Palmer, Rosie Blore, Gareth Brown, Henrietta McFarlane, Anne Hanna, Heather Jones, Cristina Chiwin, Oliver Jones
Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, Syrian rebels and civilians have liberated Saydnaya Prison to uncover evidence of mass executions and systematic torture affecting over 30,000 detainees while Hayat Tahrir al-Sham moves to establish a transitional government. Concurrently, a global surge in spiritual tourism is driving India's sector toward a $59 billion valuation by 2028 and doubling pilgrim numbers on Spain's Camino de Santiago route despite the decline of organized religion. Meanwhile, Manchester City faces a dual crisis as its seven-year domestic dominance ends amidst a five-game losing streak attributed to player exhaustion, compounded by an independent investigation into alleged Premier League financial breaches by its Emirati ownership.
- 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 Economist26 min
Walz onto the stage: Kamala Harris’s VP pick
Walz, Kamala Harris, Jason Palmer, John Priddo, Gareth Brown, Andrew Palmer
US Democratic nominee Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate to broaden working-class appeal, a strategic move that coincides with her first national polling lead over Donald Trump since October 2023 despite continued deficits in key swing states. Simultaneously, escalating regional tensions in the Middle East have shifted from low-intensity conflict to a risk of full-scale war following the assassinations of Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, prompting international evacuation advisories from nations including the US, UK, and France. Parallel to these geopolitical and political developments, corporate governance analysis suggests that CEO tenure often exceeds optimal performance windows after roughly 14 years, highlighting the psychological and structural challenges in replacing leaders like Boeing's Dave Calhoun.