Meet the boss: Minouche Shafik, former president of Columbia University
At the International Monetary Fund, it was the arrest of her boss. At the Bank of England, it was Brexit. Time and again during her career, Minouche Shafik has been confronted by crises. Her most recent was at Columbia, where protests over the war in Gaza engulfed the campus.
To listen to the full series, subscribe to Economist Podcasts+.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
an hour ago
- The National
SNP candidate calls out Tory rival for being in 'lockstep with failed ideology'
John Redpath, the party's candidate for the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire constituency hit out at incumbent MSP Rachael Hamilton for failing to deliver for the local community as he officially launched his campaign for Holyrood 2026 over the weekend. A founding member of Yes Berwickshire, Redpath launched his campaign with an event at Gordon Village Hall, the village where he grew up. We told how he was confirmed as the SNP candidate in April. SNP members, supporters and local residents took part in the event, where Redpath pledged to fight for more investment in rural infrastructure. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' Redpath will contest the seat against the Tory deputy leader, who he accused of taking part in 'plenty of photo ops' without delivering for local residents. Speaking at the launch, Redpath said: "I believe this constituency deserves more than just timid and inactive representation. It deserves ambition. It deserves action. 'It deserves a voice in Parliament that will fight for your interests. 'For too long, rural communities like ours have been ignored or taken for granted by politicians who stoke division in Parliament but say little of substance here at home. 'Farmers have been hit hard by the fallout from Brexit - a decision Scotland overwhelmingly opposed. (Image: SNP) 'Fishing communities, local businesses, and our NHS have all faced the ripple effects of decisions made in London, not in Holyrood - and certainly not in the Borders. 'And what has Rachael Hamilton done about it? Plenty of photo ops. Plenty of party line speeches. 'But when it comes to delivering real change - she's marched in lockstep with a failed right-wing ideology that has delivered nothing for the Borders. I'm standing for a different kind of politics - one that is rooted in Scottish values, Scottish democracy, and Scottish priorities.' Hamilton was appointed deputy leader of the Scottish Tories by Russell Findlay in September 2024, after he won the contest to replace Douglas Ross. The Scottish Borders MSP has been in a number of rows during her time in the Scottish Parliament. In 2022, Hamilton prompted a furious response after she suggested that families who are forced to turn to food banks are 'less well-educated' when it comes to cooking and preparing meals. In January 2023, she raised eyebrows after she suggested Scotland's parliament only had the right to pass legislation if it was 'good law' during a discussion on the UK Government blocking Scotland's gender reforms from becoming law. We also told how she repeatedly failed to declare an interest in blood sports while attempting to water down hunting legislation. In response to Redpath's comments, Hamilton said: 'As MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire, my priority has always been to champion the issues close to the hearts of my constituents. 'I know how important to Scotland rural communities are, unlike the out of touch SNP who have neglected the genuine concerns of rural Scotland over the last 18 years. READ MORE: Furious Anas Sarwar clashes with BBC journalist over Labour policies 'I'm focused on the issues that really matter to people living in this constituency rather than the fringe obsessions of the cosy left-wing consensus at Holyrood.' Redpath also warned of the 'clear and present threat' of Nigel Farage's Reform UK, who came third in the recent Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, won by Labour, where the SNP came second. He argued that Westminster failings had opened the door to Farage's 'dangerous' ideology. At the event, Redpath was surprised by a £500 kickstarter donation from Scottish Borders SNP Councillors, announced by SNP group leader Councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol.
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Swinney – Reform voters in Hamilton by-election ‘angry', not racist
The First Minister was asked on the BBC Scotland's Sunday Show if those who backed Reform were 'gullible' or 'racist' – a term the SNP leader has previously used to describe the party. Mr Swinney said the 7,088 people who backed Reform – more than a quarter of the vote – in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse ballot were 'neither', but were instead 'angry at the cost-of-living crisis'. He added: 'I think that's what motivates the Reform vote. People have got poorer because of one central thing – Brexit, and the author of that is (Reform UK leader Nigel) Farage. 'I'm standing up to Farage. I'm going to make no apology for it.' He said the SNP is 'in the process of recovery' and he had come into office as First Minister a year ago 'inheriting some significant difficulties' within the party, and that it needs to get stronger before the Holyrood election in 2026. He said voters are 'having to work hard for less' and are concerned about public services, particularly the NHS. Mr Swinney was asked about comments he made prior to the vote saying 'Labour were not at the races' and claiming it was a 'two-horse race' between the SNP and Reform. Labour's Davy Russell gained the seat from the SNP with 8,559 votes, while SNP candidate Katy Loudon came second on 7,957, ahead of Reform's Ross Lambie. The First Minister said that since the general election campaign last year, people he has met have pledged never to vote Labour due to the winter fuel allowance being cut, while Reform's support increased. Mr Swinney said: 'People were telling us on the doorsteps, they were giving us reasons why they weren't supporting Labour. We could also see that Farage's support was rising dramatically and that's happening across the United Kingdom, it's not unique to Hamilton. 'I positioned the SNP to be strong enough to stop Farage, and that's what we were determined to do.' Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has branded the SNP's campaign 'dishonest and disgraceful' and said it had put the spotlight on Reform. Those comments were put to the First Minister, who said he had previously been allies with Mr Sarwar in a campaign to 'stand up to far-right thinking'. Mr Swinney said: 'That was months ago and then we found ourselves in the aftermath of the UK local authority elections, the English local authority elections where Farage surged to a leading position and won a by-election south of the border. 'So the dynamic of our politics change in front of us. 'I've been standing up to Farage for months, I've been warning about the dangers of Farage for months, and they crystallised in the rise of Farage during the Hamilton, Stonehouse and Larkhall by-election.'
Leader Live
3 hours ago
- Leader Live
Swinney – Reform voters in Hamilton by-election ‘angry', not racist
The First Minister was asked on the BBC Scotland's Sunday Show if those who backed Reform were 'gullible' or 'racist' – a term the SNP leader has previously used to describe the party. Mr Swinney said the 7,088 people who backed Reform – more than a quarter of the vote – in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse ballot were 'neither', but were instead 'angry at the cost-of-living crisis'. He added: 'I think that's what motivates the Reform vote. People have got poorer because of one central thing – Brexit, and the author of that is (Reform UK leader Nigel) Farage. 'I'm standing up to Farage. I'm going to make no apology for it.' He said the SNP is 'in the process of recovery' and he had come into office as First Minister a year ago 'inheriting some significant difficulties' within the party, and that it needs to get stronger before the Holyrood election in 2026. He said voters are 'having to work hard for less' and are concerned about public services, particularly the NHS. Mr Swinney was asked about comments he made prior to the vote saying 'Labour were not at the races' and claiming it was a 'two-horse race' between the SNP and Reform. Labour's Davy Russell gained the seat from the SNP with 8,559 votes, while SNP candidate Katy Loudon came second on 7,957, ahead of Reform's Ross Lambie. The First Minister said that since the general election campaign last year, people he has met have pledged never to vote Labour due to the winter fuel allowance being cut, while Reform's support increased. Mr Swinney said: 'People were telling us on the doorsteps, they were giving us reasons why they weren't supporting Labour. We could also see that Farage's support was rising dramatically and that's happening across the United Kingdom, it's not unique to Hamilton. 'I positioned the SNP to be strong enough to stop Farage, and that's what we were determined to do.' Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has branded the SNP's campaign 'dishonest and disgraceful' and said it had put the spotlight on Reform. Those comments were put to the First Minister, who said he had previously been allies with Mr Sarwar in a campaign to 'stand up to far-right thinking'. Mr Swinney said: 'That was months ago and then we found ourselves in the aftermath of the UK local authority elections, the English local authority elections where Farage surged to a leading position and won a by-election south of the border. 'So the dynamic of our politics change in front of us. 'I've been standing up to Farage for months, I've been warning about the dangers of Farage for months, and they crystallised in the rise of Farage during the Hamilton, Stonehouse and Larkhall by-election.'
