Episodes
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Gideon talks to FT Middle East correspondent Raya Jalabi about what she found when she drove from Beirut into Damascus shortly after the toppling of President Assad. What signs are there that the rebel group HTS will be able to manage a peaceful transition of power and end the country’s civil war? Clip: AFP
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Netanyahu and Erdoğan compete to be the Middle East’s strongman
Assad dispatched $250mn of Syria’s cash to Moscow
Now Syria can dream of a future again
Justice for the victims of Assad’s atrocities in Syria
How the Assad family built an empire of fear in Syria
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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One of the most important groups of advisers around Donald Trump are the 'restrainers'. They want to radically reduce America’s commitments to global security alliances. Gideon talks to Dan Caldwell, a leading restrainer and military veteran who believes the Iraq war was a 'monstrous crime'. Clip: Face the Nation
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Foreign Affairs article: Trump Must Not Betray “America First”
The tragedy of Iraq, 20 years on
Nato chief warns Donald Trump of ‘dire threat’ to US if Ukraine pushed into bad peace deal
The west should not succumb to cynical regret over Syria
Trump swoops into Paris as Europe prepares for a more transactional relationship
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to FT contributing editor Kim Ghattas about the rebel advances in Syria that have taken place in the wake of Israel’s bombardment of President Bashar al-Assad’s Hizbollah allies in Lebanon. Will Assad’s backers in Iran and Russia hold firm and can the ceasefire agreement in neighbouring Lebanon hold? Clip: Channel 4 News
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Rebel advances in Syria spell danger for Russia’s Middle Eastern ambitions
Inside Aleppo: the Syrian city captured by rebels
Rebel offensive boosts Turkey’s influence in Syria
Assad is sitting tight as Syria burns
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Sir Alex Younger, former head of Britain's secret intelligence service MI6, about the "special relationship" between the US and the UK. They discuss Donald Trump’s choice of Tulsi Gabbard for the role of US director of national intelligence and they also consider what Britain needs to do to secure a role for itself in the world order.
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Keir Starmer to urge G20 leaders to ‘double down’ on Ukraine support
Bill Burns and Richard Moore: Intelligence partnership helps the US and UK stay ahead in an uncertain world
Where Trump could surprise on the upside
Ask Shrimsley: how do I keep a relationship special?
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Sebastian Mallaby, author of a best-selling book on Silicon Valley called The Power Law. They discuss the reason why Elon Musk decided to back Donald Trump for president, what the entrepreneur will bring to the Trump administration, and what Musk's businesses stand to gain. Clip: WFAA TV
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Who’s who in the Musk ‘A-team’ vying to shape Trump 2.0
Elon Musk is an unguided geopolitical missile
Valuations at Elon Musk’s SpaceX and xAI set to soar in new deals
Elon Musk’s gamble on Donald Trump pays off
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, has made a life-long study of China’s leadership. He tells Gideon how an understanding of Communist ideology helps explain Xi Jinping’s decision to roll back on the market reforms of his predecessor Deng Xiaoping. They are also a crucial guide to what could happen next. Clip: Sky News Australia
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US-China relations will depend on which Trump shows up
US Space Force warns of ‘mind-boggling’ build-up of Chinese capabilities
Why Xi Jinping changed his mind on China’s fiscal stimulus
Sinologist Li Cheng: ‘America is not in the mood to study China’
‘Too boring’: Chinese students are sleeping through propaganda
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to his colleague Ed Luce and to Susan Glasser of the New Yorker about what to expect from a second Trump presidency. Clip: Fox News
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How Trump won in maps and charts
Trump’s new world order
Elon Musk’s gamble on Donald Trump pays off
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Samantha Giovinco.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Ivo Daalder, a former American ambassador to Nato and chief executive of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, about the potential threat to US democracy if Donald Trump wins next week’s presidential election. Clip: Politico
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How Trump learnt to love big business
Trump is the man who would be king
America isn’t too worried about fascism
Kamala Harris warns of ‘more chaos’ under Donald Trump and vows ‘different path’
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, about her efforts to keep hope alive during a humanitarian catastrophe. Clip: United Nations
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Israel ‘starting to implement’ north Gaza starvation plan, say rights groups
Hamas chief’s death opens up choice for Benjamin Netanyahu over Gaza war
US warns Israel humanitarian crisis in Gaza could threaten military aid
Israel, Lebanon and the mirage of a new Middle East
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After three years of sanctions, women's lives in Afghanistan are highly restricted and hunger is widespread. So if sanctions have failed, is it time for the outside world to change its approach and re-engage with the country's Taliban rulers? Gideon discusses this question with Saad Mohseni, chair of Afghanistan’s largest television station and co-author of a new book Radio Free Afghanistan, and Afghan women's rights activist Fatima Gailani. Clip: CBS News
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Free links to read more on this topic:
Leaving Kabul: what happened when the Taliban returned
Taliban’s closer ties with UAE signal global divide over Afghan regime
How the Taliban’s return made Afghanistan a hub for global jihadis
Singer Elaha Soroor on her anthem for Afghan women
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Norbert Röttgen, a CDU member of the foreign affairs committee of the German parliament and author of a new book called Democracy and War. Röttgen criticises Chancellor Olaf Scholz for failing to live up to his early pledges of support for Ukraine. He laments the country's 'deplorable' divide on the Ukraine war, but says he is convinced that most Germans recognise that a victory for Russia would be disastrous for Europe. Clips: SPD; Info fur die Welt
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Germany, political extremism and the risks to Ukraine
Victory for the AfD raises difficult questions about east Germany
Germany to launch limited military service in push to be ‘war ready’
Ukraine’s shifting war aims
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East programme at Chatham House in London, about what Israel and Iran may be planning for their next move as the region slides towards all-out war. Clips: The Telegraph; BBC
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Free links to read more on this topic:
Middle East at war: 12 key moments
Oil prices climb as Iran missile attack prompts supply fears
Israel steps up offensive against Hizbollah as region braces for retaliation
How Israeli spies penetrated Hizbollah
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Kim Ghattas, an FT contributing editor based in Beirut, about Israel’s decision to step up its war against Lebanon’s Hizbollah. How will the militant group and its allies respond, and can the war be contained? Clips: Sky News; The Guardian
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Israel tells troops to prepare for possible ground offensive in Lebanon
Military briefing: Israeli intelligence and air force use ‘victory doctrine’ against Hizbollah
‘Leave your homes now’: Lebanon endures bloodiest day in decades
Its strategy may lie in ruins, but Hizbollah will not admit defeat
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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As world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, Gideon Rachman speaks to António Guterres, secretary-general of the UN. Guterres explains why he thinks the organisation remains indispensable - as the world struggles to get to grips with an array of daunting global challenges - including war and climate change.
Clip: The Guardian
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World must exit ‘highway to climate hell’, UN boss warns, as records are again broken
China and US push each other on priorities for UN COP29 climate talks
‘Enfeebled’ UN fights for relevance in divided world
Alarm raised on sea level rise and ocean warming as Pacific Islands leaders meet
Nobel winners hit out at removal of fossil fuels from draft UN pact
China and US push each other on priorities for UN COP29 climate talks
Follow Gideon on X @gideonrachman
Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.
Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and Simon Panayi.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk region of Russia represented another sign that Vladimir Putin’s invasion is not going to plan. But numerous setbacks, and the sanctions regime imposed by the west, have so far failed to loosen the Russian leader’s grip on power. Gideon discusses why Russians are still backing Putin with Alexander Gabuev of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Clip: Deutsche Welle
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Vladimir Putin visits Mongolia despite international arrest warrant
US accuses China of directly supporting Russia’s ‘war machine’
The Kremlin princelings cementing Putin’s rule
Ukraine’s battle against Russia in maps: latest updates
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Gabriel Gatehouse about his new book, The Coming Storm: A Journey into the Heart of the Conspiracy Machine. They discuss the US Republican party’s embrace of far-fetched conspiracy theories, and how these are being deployed in the upcoming presidential election. Clip: CNN
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Free links to read more on this topic:
Conspiracy theories are being baked into American politics
A mind-infecting virus: the dark dreams of QAnon
Misinformed about misinformation
America’s election year battle over who polices online disinformation
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Gideon talks to Takako Hikotani of the Asia Society Policy Institute about how Japanese attitudes towards security have changed in light of the war in Ukraine and China’s more aggressive stance in the South China Sea. Clips: CNA
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Japan says China’s airspace incursion ‘totally unacceptable’
Never a zealot, Fumio Kishida showed a surprising fearlessness
China rejects Nato accusations of supporting Russia’s war in Ukraine
US and Japan announce ‘most significant’ upgrade to military alliance
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ben Hall, the FT’s Europe editor, discusses Ukraine’s Kursk incursion with Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former defence minister and chair of the Centre for Defence Strategies in Kyiv. What is the strategy behind the move? How could it affect the fighting elsewhere on the frontline and could it prove to be a turning point in the war? Clips: Global News; France 24
To take part in the audience survey mentioned by Benn, and to be in with the chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, click here. Click here to find T&Cs for the prize draw.
Free links to read more on this topic:
Ukraine wants to create ‘buffer zone’ with Kursk incursion, says Zelenskyy
‘People are horrified’: Moscow turns to reluctant conscripts to defend Kursk
How Ukraine pulled off its biggest gamble: invading Russia
Ukraine’s battle against Russia in maps: latest updates
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Presented by Benn Hall. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Michael Stott, the FT’s Latin America editor, talks to Phil Gunson, a Caracas-based senior analyst for the International Crisis Group and Michael Shifter, former president of the Inter-American Dialogue think-tank in Washington, about the crisis in Venezuela. How long can Maduro cling to power, having so obviously lost the July election. Clips: Channel 4 News, The Economic Times
To take part in the audience survey mentioned by Michael, and to be in with the chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, click here. Click here to find T&Cs for the prize draw.
Free links to read more on this topic:
How Venezuela’s Maduro is clinging on to power
Venezuela ramps up fear campaign after disputed presidential vote
Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s contested president
Nicolás Maduro blocks access to X amid feud with Elon Musk
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Presented by Michael Stott. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Two assassinations carried out by Israel, one in Beirut and one in Tehran, have brought threats of retaliation from Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah. Andrew England, the FT’s Middle East editor, discusses whether the latest escalation can be contained with Emile Hokayem, a Middle East expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Clips: AP; CBS
To take part in the audience survey mentioned by Andrew, and to be in with the chance to win a pair of Bose QuietComfort 35 Wireless Headphones, click here. Click here to find T&Cs for the prize draw.
Free links to read more on this topic:
Netanyahu is prepared to escalate in the Middle East
How all-out war between Israel and its adversaries might play out
Hamas picks Yahya Sinwar as new political leader
Iran will ‘definitely’ retaliate against Israel for killing of Haniyeh, says new president
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Presented by Andrew England. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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