What makes rare earths so critical?
2026-01-19
Rare earths are integral to modern daily life, yet China has a near-monopoly on them. Rachana Shanbhogue, The Economist’s business affairs editor, explains how these metals ended up being used as a bargaining chip in economic warfare.
Video supported by @mishcondereya
What China’s military learnt from Trump’s Venezuela raid
2026-01-17
Has Trump’s Venezuela raid helped China plan military strikes? Jeremy Page and Sarah Wu, co-hosts of the Drum Tower podcast, discuss whether America’s extraction of Nicolás Maduro could offer lessons for a possible future attack on Taiwan.
#theeconomist #venezuela #china
Could Donald Trump end Iran’s internet blackout?
2026-01-14
Iran is experiencing its sixth day of a nationwide internet blackout, as authorities try to quell some of the biggest protests the country has ever seen. President Trump has said he wants to “rescue” the protesters and help restore the internet—can he?
Netanyahu: we didn’t carpet bomb Gaza
2026-01-10
Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu defends his country’s record in Gaza in an interview with The Economist.
John Bolton: Trump would sell out Taiwan for a deal
2025-11-26
“They should be scared.” John Bolton, the US President’s former national security adviser, says Donald Trump would sell out Taiwan for a trade deal with China.
How strong is Iran’s regime?
2025-11-21
Nicolas Pelham, our Middle East correspondent, and Adam Roberts, our digital editor, are just back from a rare reporting trip to Tehran. They join our top editors in the studio to discuss the future of the Islamic Republic. After 46 years of theocracy and a brief but bruising 12-day-war, where does power now lie? And with the prospects of a succession crisis, has Iran been permanently weakened—or is it storing up trouble?
00:00 – Has Iran’s defence strategy failed?
01:09 – Who could be the next supreme leader?
03:51 – Can the regime survive for another five years?
04:59 – How Iranian society is changing
06:21 – What could prevent the opening of Iranian society
Watch the full show: https://econ.st/4r9mmzX
An interview with Iran’s foreign minister: https://econ.st/43HWDEL
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