Avantika Chalkoti
Showing 1–4 of 4 transcripts.
- The Economist20 min
A man of the people: Pope Francis has died
Pope Francis, Jason Palmer, Anne Rowe, Avantika Chalkoti, Juergen Esser, Andrew Palmer
Pope Francis has implemented a radical reform strategy within the Catholic Church by prioritizing mercy and direct engagement while facing internal resistance from the Curia regarding child abuse protocols and doctrinal changes. Simultaneously, the global high-protein market is surging due to GLP-1 drug usage and shifting consumer demographics, prompting major manufacturers like Danone and Nestlé to launch specialized products despite warnings of unnecessary supplementation. In the corporate sector, organizations are increasingly addressing workplace turnover by replacing indirect "quiet firing" tactics with purpose-alignment workshops, a method proven to improve productivity while naturally separating low-performing employees.
- 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 Economist51 min
The Modi Raj 1: The chaiwallah's son
Modi, Avantika Chalkoti, Jitendra Chauhan, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, R. Balashankar, Shankar Singh Vaghela, Yashwant Sinha
This podcast series examines the trajectory of Narendra Modi from his impoverished upbringing in Gujarat and early induction into the Hindu nationalist RSS to his ascent as India's longest-serving Prime Minister. While Modi successfully orchestrated the nation's economic rise to fifth-largest global economy and cultivated a distinct personal brand, his tenure is simultaneously scrutinized for fueling Hindu supremacism and threatening democratic norms through divisive rhetoric. The narrative culminates in an analysis of how Modi's recent electoral defeat, which forced him into coalition governance, challenges his previous "strongman" style and sets the stage for investigating pivotal events like the 2002 Gujarat riots.
- The Economist18 min
Press freedom: why you should be worried
Daphne Galizia, Avantika Chalkoti, Rana Ayyub, Rebecca Vincent, Matthew, Corinne, Veronika Munk, Sebald Stuhl
Global press freedom is facing severe erosion in both authoritarian regimes and established democracies, evidenced by a rise in journalist murders, the misuse of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), and systemic financial bullying. Prominent cases such as the legal persecution of Indian journalist Rana Ayyub and the consolidation of media under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary illustrate how authorities employ subtle tactics to silence critics. In response to these threats, initiatives like the European Commission's directive to dismiss SLAPPs and the creation of reader-funded outlets like Telex demonstrate emerging strategies to maintain independent reporting despite restricted resources and intimidation.