The Rachman Review

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 NewsSubscribe to Gideon’s show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Further reading: Military briefing: Houthis expose limits of Saudi Arabia’s vast arsenalHouthi assault on Saudi airports strikes at MBS’s economic visionHouthis attack Saudi Aramco headquartersPresented 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

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: APTSubscribe to Gideon’s show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Further reading: Brazil’s Bolsonaro dynasty closes in on stunning comebackBrazil’s Bolsonaro comeback exposes Lula’s weaknessBrazil’s markets surge as investors bet on Flávio Bolsonaro election winPresented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design is by Sean McGarrityRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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-SpanSubscribe to Gideon’s show on Apple, Spotify, Pocket Casts or wherever you listen.Further reading: Anthropic warns of ‘existential risks to humanity’ in IPO prospectusWhy the AI race has its creators fearing human extinctionDonald Trump praises tech bosses’ ‘self-regulation’ of AIPresented 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

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: BBCFree links to read more on this topic:In the Realm of the Last Man — how the future disappeared from politicsA German election result heard around the worldA spreading war threatens Trump and MBSSupreme Court rejects Donald Trump’s restrictions on mail-in ballots for midtermsSubscribe 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 TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The world is experiencing a record number of conflicts, just as governments retreat from international aid and diplomacy to leave a more politically fragmented international landscape in their wake. That is the view of David Miliband, the former UK foreign secretary and president of the International Rescue Committee, in conversation with host Gideon Rachman. They discuss the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the collapse in humanitarian funding and whether middle powers can ever fill the vacuum left by the US. Clip: Al JazeeraWant more? Free links:Fragile states in Africa and Middle East hit by more than 40% cut in UK direct aidLife on the frontline against EbolaHow will UK foreign policy change under Ed Miliband?Donald Trump reboots foreign aid with cash-for-data strategyPresented by Gideon Rachman. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Sound design by Breen Turner and Sam GiovincoRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

War is raging in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, while tensions are rising between China and Taiwan. What is driving this surge in global conflict, how should we respond and where, if anywhere, are the prospects for peace? Gideon is joined by Sir John Sawers, former head of MI6; Tom Tugendhat, the UK’s new shadow foreign secretary; and Kim Ghattas, FT contributing editor and author of Black Wave. They discuss how today’s conflicts are connected, the risk of further escalation and the importance of ending a war well. This episode is an edited recording of an event organised by FT Weekend Festival. Clip: CBS NewsFree links to read more on this topic:Trump envoys take Ukraine peace proposal to meeting with PutinTrump envoys hold talks with Zelenskyy in Kyiv after meeting Putin in MoscowRussia launches missile strikes against Kyiv as pause in raids endsWhy the US and Iran keep escalatingLebanon warns of ‘dangerous escalation’ after Israeli strikesSubscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts - please listen, rate and subscribe.Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen TurnerRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com