The world’s superpowers have become increasingly unpredictable. How should ‘middle powers’ such as Japan, Canada, Brazil and the UK react? Gideon speaks to Robin Niblett, warden of New College, Oxford, who is the former chief executive of Chatham House, and author of ‘After America: The End of the Old Order and the Rise of the Middle Powers'. They discuss how middle powers are co-ordinating on defence and trade, how necessity is drawing former rivals closer together, and why co-operation is worthwhile – even when it’s difficult. Clip: Face the Nation

Further reading:

Australia’s treasurer says middle powers should co-operate to avoid being hostage to geopolitics

Sorry Carney, the world does need a great power with better manners

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The senior producer was Edwin Lane. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity and Samantha Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Democrats secured control of both chambers of congress in a stunning victory for the party, and a sharp rejection of President Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats won closely-watched senate races in Michigan and Maine, as well as in conservative strongholds including Texas and Kansas. Now that the results are (mostly) in, what should we expect during the next two years of American politics? Gideon speaks to Edward Luce, the FT’s US national editor, about how Republicans and Democrats will position themselves in the last years of the Trump presidency, who might run in 2028, and how, if at all, losing control of congress could hamper Trump’s foreign policy agenda.

Clip: James Talarico

Further reading:

Democrats ready Trump probes and affordability measures

Republicans turn on each other after disastrous midterms

Stocks climb after Democrats’ midterms sweep

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer was Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Samantha Giovinco and Breen Turner.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Benjamin Netanyahu emerged from this week’s Israeli elections with a slender lead over his closest rival, Gadi Eisenkot, but his far-right coalition fell short of an overall majority. The prime minister’s performance was better than pre-election polls had predicted, and sets up weeks (or even months) of political gridlock in the country. Host Gideon Rachman speaks to Dahlia Scheindlin, a political analyst and columnist for Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, about the role Arab parties could play in forming a government, what happens next, and Israel’s drift rightward. Clip: Sky News

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Further reading:

The fear factor giving Benjamin Netanyahu the edge

How Israel’s opposition fell short against Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel's Arabs seek a slice of power

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. 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.

A third world war may seem a distant prospect to the general public, but to world leaders, it’s very real. In recent years, In recent years, presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping along with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte have all alluded to the possibility of a global conflict. International wars are ongoing in Europe and the Middle East, while China’s designs on Taiwan are no secret. Are we sleepwalking into a third world war? Gideon discusses his new book, War is Interested in You with foreign editor Alec Russell. Clip: FT

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Further reading:

Are we sleepwalking into World War III?

Presented by Alec Russell. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. 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.

Saturday’s missile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia since the US and Israel’s war on Iran began in February. By bringing the conflict to the heart of Saudi Arabia, Houthi rebels are hoping to inflict economic damage on the kingdom, which is in the midst of an ambitious programme to diversify away from oil. How effective has the Houthi campaign been so far? How will Saudi’s allies, including the US, Turkey and Pakistan, react to this danger? And why are the Houthis so hard to defeat? Gideon speaks to Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Clip: BBC News

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Further reading:

Military briefing: Houthis expose limits of Saudi Arabia’s vast arsenal

Houthi assault on Saudi airports strikes at MBS’s economic vision

Houthis attack Saudi Aramco headquarters

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The senior producer was Laurence Knight. Sound design is by Samantha Giovinco and Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Flávio Bolsonaro took a clear lead in the first round of Brazil’s presidential election, and is the favourite to assume power after a run-off against the incumbent, Lula Ignacio da Silva, later this month. Will Flávio, who is the son of imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, follow his father’s playbook, by cosying up to Trump and slashing environmental regulations – or will he follow a more moderate path? Gideon speaks to Oliver Stuenkel, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Brazil and fellow with the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, to find out how a Bolsonaro victory would change Brazil. They discuss Brazil’s relations with the US, China, and its Latin American neighbours: and they examine why whoever wins the Brazilian election is unlikely to have a long honeymoon period. Clips: APT

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Further reading:

Brazil’s Bolsonaro dynasty closes in on stunning comeback

Brazil’s Bolsonaro comeback exposes Lula’s weakness

Brazil’s markets surge as investors bet on Flávio Bolsonaro election win

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. 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.

High-profile AI safety incidents, as well as warnings from industry figures about AI’s rapid progress, have stoked a new wave of fear about the future of humanity. Artificial intelligence systems are becoming more and more capable. Can we regulate this technology effectively – or is it too late to put the AI genie back in the bottle? Gideon speaks to Toby Ord, senior researcher at Oxford university’s AI Governance Institute, and author of ‘The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity.’

Clip: C-Span

Subscribe to Gideon’s show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.

Further reading:

Anthropic warns of ‘existential risks to humanity’ in IPO prospectus

Why the AI race has its creators fearing human extinction

Donald Trump praises tech bosses’ ‘self-regulation’ of AI

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval.

The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa.

Sound design is by Samantha Giovinco and Breen Turner.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than three decades after The End of History and the Last Man made Francis Fukuyama one of the world’s best-known political thinkers, he is still correcting misconceptions about what he actually meant. In a wide-ranging conversation with host Gideon Rachman, Fukuyama revisits his original thesis and explores how resentment and the search for recognition are reshaping liberal democracy. They also discuss whether US institutions can withstand Donald Trump’s authoritarian impulses, why Fukuyama remains optimistic about American democracy, China and Russia’s quest for status, and his own intellectual journey away from neoconservatism. Cip: BBC

Free links to read more on this topic:

In the Realm of the Last Man — how the future disappeared from politics

A German election result heard around the world

A spreading war threatens Trump and MBS

Supreme Court rejects Donald Trump’s restrictions on mail-in ballots for midterms

Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts — please listen, rate and subscribe.

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. 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.