Podcast Summary: The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim

Episode Title: Has China humiliated Trump?
Date: September 3, 2025
Hosts: Yalda Hakim (Sky News), Richard Engel (NBC)

Overview

This wide-ranging episode, recorded as Yalda returns from a summer break and Richard reports from Israel, explores major global flashpoints. The duo addresses the evolving perspectives inside Israel about the Gaza conflict, China's assertive geopolitical summit and its implications for US power (particularly under Donald Trump), media suppression and risks faced by journalists in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan made worse by Taliban restrictions, and political upheaval in France. Their analysis, based on frontline experience and direct interviews, offers deep context, memorable quotes, and candid views on world events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Changing Israeli Attitudes Towards the Gaza War

[06:04–13:00]

• Richard reports a significant shift: He’s met Israeli reservists who've refused to fight, citing the conflict's moral and reputational toll on Israel and Jews worldwide.
• Growing Israeli dissent: Not only among reservists (~350 have signed an anti-war petition) but also in the wider public. Even those with direct trauma from October 7 now question the campaign’s value.
• Notable Interview Clip: [08:59–09:55]

  "Most of the Israelis want to end this war now mainly because there's nothing more to do in Gaza militarily because it's just a wasteland... People are starting to realize the moral price of this war going on forever and ever."
  — Unnamed Israeli reservist interviewed by Richard Engel

• Impact: The conversation is no longer about just security, but about Israel’s global image and foundational values, with public protests returning to the scale seen on October 6, 2023.

2. Trump, Gaza, and the “Riviera Plan”

[12:28–16:23]

• Domestic instability and Trump’s proposals: Yalda describes rising Israeli emigration fears if Netanyahu remains, and leaks about US plans for post-war Gaza.
• ‘Absurd’ development plans: Trump and Kushner’s plan for a Mediterranean tech/resort hub involves moving Palestinians out ("voluntarily") and compensating them with $5,000 or QR codes—a plan Yalda calls "ethnic cleansing."
• Vivid description: [14:19–16:23]

  “Move all the Palestinians out, give some of them $5,000 and give some of them QR codes.”
  — Richard Engel

3. Journalist Fatalities and Media Blockade in Gaza

[16:23–21:32]

• Rising journalist deaths: Yalda stresses 189 Palestinian journalists killed (Committee to Protect Journalists), some in “double tap” strikes.
• Accountability concerns: The Israeli military cited targeting a “Hamas camera,” raising doubts about proportionality and intent.
• Recognition: [18:10–19:16]

  "I do want to name some of these journalists because they shouldn't go nameless... a devastating situation where they're doing their work for people like you and I because we cannot go into Gaza."
  — Yalda Hakim

• International media protest: [20:48–21:32]
  Reporters Without Borders:

  "At the rate journalists are being killed in Gaza by the Israeli army, there will soon be no one left to keep you informed."

4. Israeli Media’s Narrative and Public Shifts

[21:32–23:36]

• Israeli coverage: Focuses heavily on existential threat from Hamas, justifying continued military action.
• Emerging openness: Israelis increasingly turn to foreign outlets (BBC, Sky, NBC) seeking alternate perspectives.

5. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization: China’s Geopolitical Play

[24:24–31:23]

• Xi Jinping’s summit: Major show of force—26 heads of state gathered, including Putin, Kim Jong Un, and (notably) India’s Modi, for a vast military parade ([25:03]).
• Strategic realignment:
  • China offers India an alternative after Trump's tariffs; India signals declining US allegiance, strengthening the "axis" against the West.
  • Yalda: "[India] built this relationship with the United States and Donald Trump... has frankly trashed that relationship, humiliated the Indians..." [26:42]
  • Richard: "That's how empires end... these are big shifts in global politics that matter." [27:20]
• US humiliation: China’s growing confidence contrasts sharply with US missteps, especially Trump’s transactional diplomacy.
• Military parade symbolism: Meant as a clear signal—China is "out, we are strong, we are proud" ([31:07]).

6. The “Axis of Upheaval” and Taiwan’s Peril

[28:11–29:50]

• Veiled threats become open: Chinese officials directly criticize US "bullying"; parade showcases nuclear might.
• Richard’s note: "Taiwan must be watching this with great concern." [29:13]
• On Trump: "Donald Trump would not be looking at those images of those leaders meeting in Beijing with concern—he'd be more upset that he wasn't invited." — Yalda [29:44]

7. Afghanistan Earthquake: Taliban Misogyny Exacerbates Crisis

[31:23–36:47]

• Natural disaster made worse by policy:
  • Yalda details (from her reporting) how Taliban bans on women working in aid roles mean women and girls remain trapped, under-rescued, and underserved after a catastrophic quake ([32:23–36:00]).
  • Richard: “Are women being neglected because men don’t want to touch them? …Even if somebody’s injured, a male rescuer can’t say, okay, I’m gonna…she’s being crushed by a wall?” [35:12]
  • Yalda: “Male rescue workers, male aid workers, health workers, doctors are not allowed to. So this has left the women of Afghanistan in a conundrum.” [35:31]
• Dire gendered impact: Expectation that women’s casualties will rise, as cultural and legal barriers block timely rescue and aid.

8. Predictions: Gaza, France, and Unrest

[36:47–41:34]

• Gaza: Richard forecasts a major Israeli offensive on Gaza City:

  "Gaza City is probably going to face a similar fate [as Rafah]. It's just going to be flattened." [36:47]

• France’s political turmoil:
  • Yalda tracks an impending no-confidence vote and predicts the prime minister’s resignation, with strikes and unrest looming ([37:15–40:50]).
  • Discussion on Macron’s international strengths but domestic failures—fueling protests and a political shakeup.
  • "[This is] your sixth Prime Minister that's been pushed out that you've appointed." [39:33]
  • Calculations on whether Macron should call snap elections while far-right rival Marine Le Pen is entangled in courts.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Richard (on Israeli soul-searching):
  "I'm having conversations like these with many Israelis these days, which you didn't have in the beginning. ...It's been doing harm to Palestinians from the beginning, but...a growing number of Israelis believe that it is harmful...to Israeli citizens and...the reputation of Jews around the world." [07:41–08:59]
• Yalda (on Trump's ‘Gaza Riviera’):
  "It's absurd and it is ethnic cleansing." [13:51]
• Richard (on China’s resurgence):
  "It reminds me...of 2008 for the Olympics...This one was big and bold and strong and even a little bit frightening. It was an announcement for China to say, we're here, we're back." [30:07–31:07]
• Yalda (on Afghanistan’s hidden victims):
  "The images you're seeing right now...are just of boys and men and people are saying, well, where are the women? Well, the women are being crumbled and left behind." [36:00]
• On travel advice before French strikes:
  Richard: "If you want to get into France on Wednesday, go Tuesday." [41:44]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:04–13:00]: Israeli reservists and the moral price of Gaza
• [14:19–16:23]: Trump’s post-war Gaza plans and reaction
• [16:23–21:32]: Journalist deaths and information blackout in Gaza
• [24:24–31:23]: China’s summit, optics, and military parade
• [31:23–36:47]: Afghanistan earthquake—a gendered humanitarian crisis
• [37:15–41:34]: Prediction: French political crisis and its implications

Tone

The conversation is candid, urgent, and informed by deep on-the-ground experience, blending personal anecdotes with direct reporting and critical political analysis. Both hosts balance empathy with sharp questioning, willing to challenge powerful actors and critique their own industry and governments.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode provides a front-row seat to key global crises—armed conflict, shifting alliances, and humanitarian disasters—with special attention to the power plays of China and the US, and ordinary people bearing the brunt of policy decisions. Yalda and Richard’s firsthand accounts, analysis, and direct interviews make for an essential listen for anyone seeking context and meaning behind the headlines.