- 30 minutes 55 secondsThe cockroach rebellion in India
What began as outrage over a senior judge's comments has become one of the most striking youth protest movements India has seen in years. Gideon talks to Professor Mukulika Banerjee of the London School of Economics about why so many young Indians have taken to the streets, what the "cockroach movement" says about the country's economic and educational pressures, and whether it poses a genuine challenge to Narendra Modi's government.
Clip: BBC
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Abhijeet Dipke, the face of India’s victorious ‘cockroach’ protests
India’s ‘Cockroach’ Gen Z has had enough
India should listen to its frustrated youth
Why India’s student protests are different
India’s ‘cockroach’ movement halts protests after minister quits
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner
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7 August 2026, 10:17 am - 31 minutes 8 secondsThe weaponisation of trade
Tariffs, sanctions and chokepoints have become the weapon of choice to punish political rivals - but what happens when these fail? Gideon discusses the impact of geopolitical disputes on global trade with Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. Clip: Al Jazeera
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Trump vows to deliver ‘beating’ to Iran in retaliation for latest attack
Saudi Arabia joins US strikes on Iran-backed militias in Iraq
Ukraine, Iran and how regional wars go global
Donald Trump rebuilds his tariff wall
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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30 July 2026, 4:00 am - 28 minutes 7 secondsDoes Nato have a future without US leadership?
Gideon talks to Julianne Smith, former US ambassador to Nato about the future of the alliance. There seems to be greater transatlantic agreement on Ukraine, but tensions remain over Europe’s stance on Donald Trump’s war on Iran. So can the alliance survive without the US at the helm? Clip: ANI News
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Nato’s carnival of Trumpian caprice
Why the world trusts China more than America
Ukraine’s drone swarms test Moscow air defences
Nato opens its cheque books in bid to keep Trump engaged
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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23 July 2026, 4:00 am - 23 minutes 54 secondsTrump, Infantino and the political history of the World Cup
Gideon talks to Simon Kuper, FT columnist and author of World Cup Fever, about what distinguishes this World Cup from previous tournaments. What role has geopolitics played historically in the World Cup and is there any truth to some of the conspiracy theories surrounding this year's events? Clip: ITV Sport
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Bellingham brace carries England past Norway into World Cup semi-final
World Cup shows US is ‘golden market’ for football, says Major League Soccer boss
How western Europe became a formidable football factory
Why are China and India so bad at football?
Inside the secretive Fifa committee that suspended the US red card
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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15 July 2026, 4:00 am - 29 minutes 10 secondsWhat would a far-right government in France look like?
Marine Le Pen has run for the French presidency several times before, but her chances of winning next year look better than ever. Gideon talks to the FT's Victor Mallet about the source of her growing popularity and what a far-right government would mean for France and the EU. Clip: The Guardian
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Le Pen revives presidential bid echoing Trump
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen says she will run for president
Marine Le Pen’s massive double gamble on presidency
France’s crowded race to replace Emmanuel Macron
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Simon Panayi.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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9 July 2026, 4:00 am - 20 minutes 54 secondsLebanon peace deal: can it hold?
The war in Iran triggered a new round of conflict between the Hizbollah militia in Lebanon and the Israeli army. More than 4,000 people have been killed and about a million displaced. Lebanon and Israel signed a peace deal in Washington at the weekend to end the fighting, but without Hizbollah’s participation, can the deal hold? Gideon puts the question to the FT's editor Roula Khalaf and Andrew England, the FT's Middle East editor. Clip: This is Beirut
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Lebanon’s deal with Israel sparks backlash
How Hizbollah’s fighters ended up in court
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrive in Doha for talks over US-Iran deal
How Benjamin Netanyahu’s big moment backfired
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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2 July 2026, 4:00 am - 27 minutes 57 secondsBonus episode: Rahm Emanuel on how to fix America
In this special edition of the Rachman Review, Edward Luce, the FT's Washington commentator, talks to Rahm Emanuel, former White House chief of staff for Barack Obama, about where the Democratic party has gone wrong in recent years and how to win back the confidence of middle America. This is an edited version of a discussion that took place at the recent FT Weekend Festival in New York.
Free links to read more on this topic:
Rahm Emanuel says Trump ‘got schooled’ by Iran in bad ceasefire deal
Why young America is trending socialist
Rahm Emanuel and the 2028 ‘ideas primary’
How Benjamin Netanyahu’s big moment backfired
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Presented by Gideon Rachman and Edward Luce. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Sean McGarrity.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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28 June 2026, 4:00 am - 26 minutes 28 secondsAmerica's waning power
What are the repercussions of the Iran war for American power? How will the outcome be viewed by America’s allies and the leadership in Beijing? Gideon discusses these questions with Kevin Rudd, the former prime minister of Australia, Katherine Thompson, who until recently was a senior official in the Pentagon under President Trump, and Philip Gordon, who was national security adviser to vice-president Kamala Harris. This is an edited version of a discussion that took place at the recent FT Weekend Festival in New York. News clip: Fox News
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America’s allies look to declare independence from the US
The rise and fall of US hegemony
Nato chief reveals Italy allowed US planes to use bases in Iran war
Trump and Xi will not determine Taiwan’s fate
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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25 June 2026, 4:00 am - 27 minutes 31 secondsJaishankar and Nusseibeh on the challenges of a world at war
How much should we care about wars that are not in our neighbourhood? What role can countries not directly involved play in paving the way for a more peaceful world? Gideon discusses these questions with India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar, Lana Nusseibeh, minister of state for foreign affairs for the United Arab Emirates, and Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen. The discussion was recorded at the Kultaranta conference in Finland. Clip: CNN
Join Gideon live on Saturday, June 20 at the FT's inaugural NYC Weekend Festival
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Donald Trump says US will not invest in $300bn fund for Iran
Brussels approaches Kremlin over potential Ukraine talks
A fragile Iran peace follows a war without victors
The long way back from the Iran energy shock
How the US-Iran deal came together
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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18 June 2026, 4:00 am - 33 minutes 46 secondsBritain’s post-Brexit policy options
Where should Britain stand in the great power struggle between the US and China? Does the special relationship with Washington mean anything anymore or do all roads lead back to Europe? Gideon discusses these questions with Ben Judah, former special adviser to deputy prime minister David Lammy.
Clip: Channel 4 News
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Donald Trump warns US will soon hit Iran ‘hard’ again
It is time for a European Security Council
Britain re-entering the EU ‘an inevitability’, says Treasury minister
Putin and Trump don’t have the cards
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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11 June 2026, 4:00 am - 25 minutes 39 secondsMideast war: The view from Tehran
What is life like in the Iranian capital and is the regime ready to compromise to achieve a lasting peace? Gideon discusses the mood in Tehran and the changing political landscape in the country with the FT’s Tehran correspondent, Najmeh Bozorgmehr. Clips: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg.
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Greek shipping tycoon Evangelos Marinakis ready to pay Strait of Hormuz transit fees
One killed and dozens hurt in Iranian strike on Kuwait airport
Benjamin Netanyahu faces backlash after Donald Trump call
Why Iran fears a deal today means more war tomorrow
Iran is beating Trump at the art of the deal
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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design is by Breen Turner.
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