The Rachman Review

South-east Asia has enjoyed a long period of sustained economic growth. But is this endangered by rising tensions between the US and China? Gideon puts this question to James Crabtree, executive director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore. Clips: CGTN Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The decision by Belarus to divert a plane to Minsk to arrest a dissident journalist was intended to send a message to opponents of President Alexander Lukashenko, whose 27 years in office have seen him dubbed Europe’s last dictator. However, the act has renewed international condemnation and calls for sanctions against the Lukashenko regime. In this episode Gideon talks to Katia Glod, a Belarusian...

A ceasefire is in place and an 11-day war is over, but that may not move Israelis and Palestinians closer to a two-state solution according to Martin Indyk, of the Council on Foreign Relations. Indyk has experience at the negotiation table as a former US ambassador to Israel and US special envoy during the Israeli-Palenstinan peace talks. In this episode Gideon talks to him about the stance the Bi...

The military coup in Myanmar threatens to roll back a decade of democratisation. In the months since the February coup, there have been strikes and protests as well as mass arrests and escalating violence as the junta attempts to quell rebellions. Gideon talks to Thant Myint-U, a Burmese historian and political analyst, about the situation in Myanmar and whether the country risks becoming a failed...

Protests in Jerusalem at the beginning of the week have escalated to rocket launches, retaliatory airstrikes and civilian deaths. Gideon talks to Diana Butto, a Palestinian lawyer, and Noga Tarnopolsky, a journalist based in Jerusalem, about the political conditions that have kindled the worst fighting the region has seen in years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to the FT’s Henry Mance about why he became a vegan. He says it's not just about preserving wildlife and the environment, it’s also about being true to our human values. Henry’s book How to Love Animals: In a Human-Shaped World , was published last month. Review clips: BBC, NPR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon Rachman talks to Abraar Karan, a physician at Harvard Medical School and a specialist in global health, about the current surge in coronavirus cases in India and why nationalistic approaches to curbing the pandemic will not help solve a worldwide health crisis   Review Clips: NDTV, India Today, CNBC, US Department of State Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to Tom Tugendhat, head of the UK parliament’s foreign affairs committee, about the US decision to finally withdraw from Afghanistan. How will this affect the credibility of the western powers and their ability to conduct successful military interventions abroad? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gideon talks to Sathnam Sanghera about his book Empireland and the legacy of racism and nostalgia that Britain has yet to come to terms with. Warning: This episode contains references to racist language. Clips: Sky News; Conservative party Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US president has promised that, after four years of retreat from the global stage, “America is back”. Over the past few years, China has continued to expand its economic and political influence and matched its growing clout on the world stage with a bigger military that is flexing its might in the Pacific. In this episode Demetri Sevastopulo, the FT’s US-China correspondent, tal...

The UK’s defence forces are slimming down and harnessing the power of AI and satellites to meet the emerging threats of the 21st century. Helen Warrell, the FT’s defence and security editor, talks to General Sir Patrick Sanders, head of the UK’s Strategic Command, about the biggest transformation in Britain’s armed forces since the cold war. Clips: parliamentlive, Forces News Hosted on Acast. See...

Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, talks to Dutch historian Luuk van Middelaar about Mark Rutte’s re-election as prime minister of the Netherlands and his country’s changing role within the EU. Clips: Bloomberg, Reuters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Warrell, the FT’s defence and security editor, talks to cybersecurity expert Dmitri Alperovitch about the SolarWinds and Microsoft hacks. How extensive was the damage inflicted and how should the west respond to such attacks? Clips: CBS, CNN, NBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is hosting this year’s UN climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow. Pilita Clark discusses what these summits have achieved over the past three decades and what needs to be done to make the talks a success. Her guest is Richard Kinley, a veteran of the talks who is now president of the Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability think-tank . Clips: Joe Biden; United Nations; Bloomberg Hos...

Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses Italy as former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi takes on the premiership. How Draghi decides to spend up to €200bn in grants and loans from the EU recovery fund will be crucial, not just for Italy, but for the future direction of the EU. Ben’s guest is Enrico Letta, a former Italian prime minister, who is now dean of the Paris School of Internat...

Pilita Clark talks to Michael Mann, distinguished professor of atmospheric science at Penn State university, and one of the world’s best-known climate scientists. They discuss the evolution of the climate change debate, from the war on science to denialism, doomism and the forces of ‘inactivism’. Clips: Nobel Prize, Euronews, Extinction Rebellion, Fox news Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

In a special retrospective episode, Gideon Rachman looks at some of his favourite podcast conversations that illuminate the state of geopolitics today, asking whether the pandemic has permanently changed the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s diplomatic skills will be tested as host of both the G7 and UN COP26 climate change summit this year. Gideon talks to Robin Niblett, director of the Chatham House think-tank and economist Linda Yueh, currently a visiting professor at the London School of Economics, about Britain’s future role on the world stage. Clips: Parliamentlive, AP Further reading; LSE Economic...

Gideon talks to journalists Arkady Ostrovsky and Max Seddon in Moscow about why Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny decided to return home after he was poisoned and what his political movement can achieve if its leader is in jail. Max Seddon is the FT’s Moscow correspondent and Arkady Ostrovsky is author of The Invention of Russia , winner of the 2016 Orwell Prize, and a staff journalist for...

The pandemic, climate change and peacekeeping are all priorities for the UN in 2021, but these challenges require multilateral solutions at a time when the world's superpowers are drifting further apart. Gideon Rachman talks to António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, about bridging security and military divides to solve pressing global problems.    Review clips: World Economic For...

Germany’s ruling Christian Democratic Union has chosen Armin Laschet to replace Angela Merkel as party leader ahead of September’s federal elections, paving the way for the end of the Merkel era. Gideon discusses what a post-Merkel Germany will look like with Wolfgang Ischinger, veteran diplomat and chairman of the Munich Security Conference.  Clips: UK Parliament, Welt Nachrichten Hosted on...

After the storming of the Capitol, can America recover its democratic values? Gideon discusses what the recent lawlessness means for the US and its place in the world with Anne-Marie Slaughter, head of New America, a think-tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former British foreign secretary championed the UK to remain in the EU. As head of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband has seen the consequence of a lack of global leadership in helping the world’s vulnerable populations. In this episode, the FT’s Gideon Rachman talks to Mr Miliband about whether a “global Britain” after Brexit and a new US administration might bring a turn towa...

Gideon talks to Roula Khalaf, FT editor, and Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator, about the extraordinary events of 2020 - from Covid-19 to the US election and unexpected signs of reconciliation between Israel and Arab Gulf states. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EU leaders are facing showdowns on several fronts this week, with the UK over Brexit, and with Hungary and Poland over the rule of law. Gideon discusses what’s at stake with Professor Catherine De Vries of Bocconi University in Italy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.