Andrew England, the FT’s Middle East editor, speaks to Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, about Iran’s escalating crisis. Can diplomacy prevent a war between the Trump administration and Tehran? What are the prospects for reform of the increasingly unpopular Islamic regime in Iran? Clips: Channel 4 News; CBS

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US and Iran set to meet in Oman as Middle East tensions spiral

‘The game is over’: critics of Iranian regime seize on killings to push for change

Iran’s people stand to lose whether or not talks succeed

Arab and Muslim powers mount last-ditch effort to avert US-Iran conflict

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Presented by Andrew England. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Bill Gates tells Gideon that a climate of fear has taken hold in the US business community under the Trump administration: “People are afraid to speak out about being afraid to speak out.” He discusses falling aid budgets, why philanthropy cannot replace government funding, and an ambitious new collaboration with OpenAI to improve access to healthcare in Africa. Gates also reflects on the more destabilising uses of artificial intelligence and his past association with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Clips: NBC4, Bill Gates

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Bill Gates and OpenAI back $50mn AI rollout in African health clinics

Tech titans lined up for Trump’s second inauguration. Now they’re even richer

Bill Gates and Sergey Brin among newly released Epstein photos

Bill Gates warns aid cuts risk big increase in child deaths

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, received a standing ovation at the World Economic Forum in Davos after warning that the global order has entered a period of “rupture”. In a post-speech interview with Gideon, Carney reflects on how globalisation went wrong — and on what can still be salvaged through deeper co-operation among countries and institutions that share common values. Interview and clips courtesy of the World Economic Forum

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Mark Carney warns of ‘rupture’ to global order as Donald Trump rattles allies

Donald Trump’s ‘wrecking ball’ set to touch down in Davos

Republicans begin to push back against Donald Trump’s pursuit of Greenland

America’s barbarians inside the gates

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

Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Breen Turner and Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner and the executive producer is Flo Phillips.

Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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