Tom Gardner
Showing 1–6 of 6 transcripts.
- The Economist25 min
Wall of duties: Trump’s towering tariffs
Trump, Shonda Rhimes, Rosie Bloor, Rachna Shambhog, Tom Gardner, Rachel Lloyd
On April 2, 2025, Donald Trump enacted sweeping global tariffs designed to rebuild American manufacturing while economists warn of an elevated recession risk and infrastructure challenges regarding enforcement. Concurrently, the Sudanese National Army recaptured Khartoum with international military backing, though a fragmented coalition and the Rapid Support Forces' continued resistance suggest a prolonged conflict rather than a decisive peace. In the entertainment sector, Shondaland solidified its dominance by generating $2.4 billion in revenue through distinct pacing strategies and expansive universe-building, despite a market increasingly risk-averse to new creative talent.
- The Economist24 min
Ode to dread: Europe after Trump
Rosie Bloor, Shashank Joshi, Tom Gardner, Vishnu Padmanabhan
European leaders express deep anxiety over the reliability of the US security umbrella, highlighting critical deficits in defense spending, recruitment, and essential capabilities that would make a European deployment to Ukraine impossible without heavy American support. Concurrently, France is dismantling its military presence in Africa, a move that has triggered a security vacuum filled by the Russian Wagner Group and fueled by rising extremism across the Sahel region. In a separate geopolitical shift, India's Maha Kumbh Mela drew 700 million attendees, serving as a powerful platform for the ruling BJP to fuse Hindu nationalist ideology with aspirations of national identity despite a fatal stampede.
- The Economist24 min
A losing battle: Sudan’s elusive peace deal
Rosie Blau, Tom Gardner, Ana Lankas, Jason Chow
The ongoing Sudanese civil war between the army and Rapid Support Forces has escalated into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, with RSF forces closing in on al-Fasher despite diplomatic efforts by negotiator El-Zadeen al-Safi that lack immediate traction due to deep mutual distrust and foreign military backing. Simultaneously in Brazil, former President Jair Bolsonaro faces formal accusations of orchestrating a coup and an assassination plot against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, resulting in potential 28-year prison sentences that have galvanized the political left while right-wing candidates continue to rely on his electoral influence despite his legal bar from public office. In the commercial sphere, Chinese bubble tea chains are aggressively expanding into global markets like London and New York to escape saturated domestic competition, utilizing state-backed soft power strategies to target overseas Chinese diasporas despite facing cultural barriers in Western nations.
- 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 Economist25 min
Lurch in the left: France’s election shock
Jason Palmer, Sophie Pedder, Tom Gardner, Anne Rowe
French President Emmanuel Macron's dissolution gamble resulted in a hung parliament where the New Popular Front secured the most seats while the hard-right National Rally finished third, preventing an RN-led government but complicating coalition formation due to tactical resentments and a lack of political tradition. Simultaneously, the Basketball Africa League concluded its fourth season as a continent-wide professional endeavor aiming to retain local talent and drive economic growth, though it faces hurdles regarding infrastructure investment and consistent attendance. In a separate historical note, Ángeles Flores Peón, a 105-year-old Spanish Republican who survived fifteen years of Francoist imprisonment and decades of exile, passed away having spent her later years campaigning for historical memory and women's rights.
- The Economist27 min
Sudan impact: the war the world forgot
Gary Lineker, Jason Palmer, Rosie Bloor, Tom Gardner, Andrew Miller
A humanitarian crisis in Sudan has escalated as the Rapid Support Forces besiege El-Fasha, threatening the lives of millions through famine, displacement, and potential ethnic cleansing that could destabilize the entire region. In contrast to the conflict's severity, Gary Lineker's career trajectory illustrates a successful transition from football to media entrepreneurship, though his public role remains subject to scrutiny regarding political impartiality. Simultaneously, Japan's host club industry has expanded to meet growing demands for paid intimacy driven by high rates of unmarried adults, raising serious concerns about financial exploitation and the erosion of genuine social connection.