The US dollar surged to its highest level in two decades on Thursday, the US economy contracted unexpectedly in the first quarter, Twitter admits an ‘error’ in audience figures for the past three years, and Amazon shares fell after the company said it expects revenue growth to remain sluggish. Mentioned in this podcast: Falling sales and high costs weigh down Amazon earnings US economy contracts for first time since mid-2020 Dollar surges to highest level in 20 years Twitter admits overstating a...
Apr 29, 2022•10 min
EU leaders accused Moscow of “blackmail” over gas exports, and Spotify tries to distance itself from Netflix after reporting decent quarterly earnings. Plus, the FT’s Owen Walker explains how Credit Suisse shakes up its top executives to shake off mega scandals. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this podcast: European gas prices soar after Gazprom halts supplies to Poland and Bulgaria Spotify chief distances music streaming group from Netflix Credit Suis...
Apr 28, 2022•10 min
US tech stocks fell to their lowest level in more than a year, the Brexit trade deal has caused a “steep decline” in UK trade with the EU, Chinese businesses have scoured the globe for important strips of land including islands in the South Pacific. Mentioned in this podcast: Alphabet earnings decline as online advertising momentum slows UK-EU trade relationships tumble after Brexit The Chinese companies trying to buy strategic islands US steps up efforts to court Solomon Islands after China sec...
Apr 27, 2022•10 min
EU member states are looking at whether to impose a ceiling on what they would pay for Russian oil as a way to hit Kremlin revenues, Twitter’s board has accepted a roughly $44bn offer to sell the company to Elon Musk that would result in the world’s richest man seizing control of the influential social media platform, and French President Emmanuel Macron faces much tougher challenges in his second term in office. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this po...
Apr 26, 2022•9 min
Emmanuel Macron has been elected for a second term as president of France, the EU will force Big Tech to police content online more aggressively after approving a major piece of legislation, and Sri Lanka is working with the major multilateral agencies on ways to salvage the country from the current economic meltdown Mentioned in this podcast: EU approves groundbreaking new rules to police Big Tech Emmanuel Macron set to be re-elected in France UN asks Sri Lanka to negotiate ‘debt-for-nature’ sw...
Apr 25, 2022•11 min
In the latest episode of this Tech Tonic season about US-China tech rivalry, the FT’s US-China correspondent Demetri Sevastopulo tells the inside story of his scoop on China’s secret hypersonic weapon test and how it changed geopolitics. We hear about the new space race between China and the US, including powerful satellite-destroying missiles and the pursuit of commercial space capabilities. Could China and the US ever co-operate on space exploration or are we seeing the dawn of a new space rac...
Apr 24, 2022•29 min
This weekend we’re returning to the first-ever episode of the FT Weekend podcast, from September. Lilah talks to Eleven Madison Park’s Daniel Humm and Chez Panisse’s legendary Alice Waters to discover how the world’s top chefs are finding purpose beyond their restaurants. Humm created a buzz in May when he announced that his world-famous restaurant would be going entirely plant-based. Has that risk paid off? And what does it mean to do good as a chef? Plus: the FT’s design critic Edwin Heathcote...
Apr 23, 2022•26 min
Elon Musk unveiled a $46.5bn financing package to fund his takeover bid for Twitter, Netflix lost close to 40 per cent of its market value after revealing that its once-blistering subscriber growth had gone into reverse, Fed Chair Jay Powell signalled the Fed could raise rates by a half point in May, the FT’s Climate Game allows players to try and save the planet from the worst effects of climate change. Mentioned in this podcast: Elon Musk unveils $46.5bn financing package to fund Twitter bid N...
Apr 22, 2022•12 min
FT correspondents provide insight on the latest developments in Ukraine, why Algeria cannot supply more energy to meet Europe’s demand, and US airlines respond to a judge’s decision to strike down a mask mandate for transport. Mentioned in this podcast: Mexico nationalises lithium in populist president’s push to extend state control Algeria struggles to meet rising demand for its gas after Russian invasion of Ukraine Covid travel mask ruling threatens to tie CDC’s hands on future pandemics The F...
Apr 21, 2022•9 min
Elon Musk’s $43bn bid to take Twitter private is struggling to draw interest from private equity groups, Netflix shares tumbled on Tuesday after its first quarter earnings report, and the International Monetary Fund has cut its global growth forecast. Plus, the journalist Neri Zilber explains how Israel is handling an influx of immigrants leaving their countries because of the war in Ukraine. Mentioned in this podcast: Big buyout groups rule out writing equity cheque for Musk’s $43bn Twitter bid...
Apr 20, 2022•10 min
Bank of America gave a bullish revenue outlook as the second-largest US lender reported better than expected earnings, and Mexico’s opposition politicians helped defeat a radical energy reform bill backed by President López Obrador. Plus, the FT’s Eric Platt explains why real yields on US treasury bonds are nearing positive territory and what it means for other financial markets. Mentioned in this podcast: Fed policy tightening sends US ‘real yields’ to brink of positive territory BofA offers ro...
Apr 19, 2022•10 min
Many people with lingering symptoms of Covid-19 struggle to work or have been forced to leave the workforce entirely. Plus, the FT’s capital markets correspondent, Robert Smith, talks about the lessons learned from the collapse of Greensill Capital a year later. Mentioned in this podcast: Long Covid: the invisible public health crisis fuelling labour shortages The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber, Mic...
Apr 18, 2022•11 min
Our latest season of Tech Tonic continues, with a deep dive into the semiconductor industry and Taiwan’s unique position as a bastion of computer-chip talent. James Kynge, the FT’s global China editor, looks into the unintended consequences of the race for semiconductor dominance. We hear from Chad Duffy, a Taipei-based cybersecurity expert who helped uncover a major hack on Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers. James talks to Dan Wang, an analyst with the Shanghai-based Gavekal Dragonomics, ab...
Apr 17, 2022•26 min
This week, we bring our classic Life of a Song series to your ears, with the dramatic story behind 'Bam Bam', Sister Nancy's reggae dancehall classic. Despite being one of the most sampled reggae tracks of all time, it didn't make Sister Nancy a penny for more than 30 years, Alice Kemp-Habib tells us. Then, undercover economist Tim Harford teaches us how to think about failure. What can we learn from an early 2000s Broadway flop that went on to win a Tony award? -------------- Want to say hi? We...
Apr 16, 2022•33 min
US president Joe Biden announced yesterday he would send $800mn in additional military aid to Ukraine, the FT’s John Paul Rathbone outlines Russia’s changing military strategy, and our US financial commentator, Robert Armstrong, unpacks the debate over whether the US economy is heading into a recession. Mentioned in this podcast: Recession whispers grow louder Recession whispers, part 2 Military briefing: Ukraine and Russia prepare for defining Donbas battle US to provide $800mn in new military ...
Apr 14, 2022•10 min
Stockpiles of some of the world’s most important industrial metals have dropped to critically low levels, US banks start reporting quarterly earnings today and Boris Johnson has become the first British prime minister to commit a criminal offence. Plus, the FT’s Frankfurt correspondent, Joe Miller, explains why Volkwagen is pivoting its strategy away from growth and toward profit. Mentioned in this podcast: Metal stockpiles shrink as energy prices hit production US banks set for big hit to reven...
Apr 13, 2022•9 min
Investors are bracing for another tough report on US inflation, Putin’s war in Ukraine has sparked an exodus of educated professionals from Russia and could worsen the country’s population decline, and conservative shareholder activists in the US have filed a record number of proposals this year as they try to counter what they call “woke-ism” in corporate America. Mentioned in this podcast: Ukraine war threatens to deepen Russia’s demographic crisis Political proxies: conservative activists fil...
Apr 12, 2022•10 min
Incumbent Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen will advance to the final round of voting after yesterday’s first round of the French presidential election, and Stefania Palma explains the big themes that have emerged from the 1MDB scandal. Plus, the FT’s Asia financial correspondent, Tabby Kinder, explains why China is changing its audit secrecy rules. Mentioned in this podcast: Emmanuel Macron to face Marine Le Pen in French election run-off Ex-Goldman banker Roger Ng found gui...
Apr 11, 2022•10 min
In the second episode of this season of Tech Tonic, James Kynge, the FT’s Global China Editor, asks how significant Chinese intellectual property theft has been to the country’s rise as a global tech superpower. We hear from an FBI agent based in Silicon Valley whose job is to prevent the theft of trade secrets, and ask whether China’s ‘talent programmes’, under which Beijing funds scientists and engineers around the world, are actually spy recruitment networks or whether they are genuine attemp...
Apr 10, 2022•31 min
This weekend, we delve into the world of celebrity via the app Cameo. What does it mean that we can now pay celebrities to send us personalised video greetings? And how has our interaction with famous people shifted over the last decade? Lilah talks to gaming critic Tom Faber about the ethics and absurdities of fame in 2022. Then, interior design columnist Luke Edward Hall gives us his top tips on making your home really feel like yours. -------------- Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. E...
Apr 09, 2022•26 min
French bank shares and bonds were rattled this week after the recent poll showed stronger results for right-wing French presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen. Aluminium producer Rusal became the first Russian company to publicly call for an investigation into the alleged war crimes in the Ukrainian town of Bucha, and FT markets editor, Katie Martin, discusses whether sanctions against Russia might affect the global dominance of the US dollar. Mentioned in this podcast: Le Pen’s poll surge rattle...
Apr 08, 2022•8 min
The US has imposed its most severe level of sanctions on Russia’s Sberbank and Alfa-Bank, and Brazil might have finally settled on a chief executive for Petrobras. Plus, the FT’s China correspondent, Eleanor Olcott, spoke to staff at a Chinese autonomous vehicle company who say AutoX conducted risky test drives in a push for better data and investment. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this podcast: US imposes ‘severe’ sanctions on Russian banks after Bu...
Apr 07, 2022•9 min
US and eurozone government debt sold off on Tuesday as traders weighed the prospect of stronger sanctions against Russia and comments from a top policymaker at the Federal Reserve signalling more aggressive action, President Joe Biden announces US, UK and Australia co-operation on hypersonic weapons, and in China’s financial hub, Shanghai, there are signs of growing public anger at the government’s stringent zero-Covid lockdown measures. Mentioned in this podcast: Government debt hit as traders ...
Apr 06, 2022•10 min
The venerable venture capital firm, Sequoia Capital, has announced a change in leadership, Elon Musk has bought a nearly-10 per cent stake in Twitter, French president Emmanual Macron has called for a ban on Russian oil and coal. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this podcast: EU moves closer to boycott of Russian energy Twitter/Elon Musk: social media star becomes social media owner Huawei faces dilemma over Russia links that risk further US sanctions T...
Apr 05, 2022•10 min
EU prepares more sanctions against Russia after apparent atrocities near Kyiv, French president Emmanuel Macron has warned his supporters not to assume that he will win a second term in this month’s election, and international auditors are resigning from China’s heavily indebted property developers. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Mentioned in this podcast: EU prepares more sanctions against Russia after apparent atrocities near Kyiv Big Four under growing pressure...
Apr 04, 2022•10 min
In the first episode of this season’s six-part series, the FT’s Global China Editor James Kynge tracks China’s dramatic transformation from the manufacturing workshop of the world to the next global superpower. The driver of that change is technology, sparking a battle between China and the US over who will dominate. Numerous ethnic Chinese scientists working in the US have found themselves ensnared in this bitter rivalry, including US-based physics professor Xiaoxing Xi, wrongly accused of indu...
Apr 03, 2022•32 min•Season 3Ep. 1
This week, guest host Marc Filippino discusses the FT's war coverage in Ukraine with our Editor, Roula Khalaf. How does a news organisation make decisions during wartime? Then Marc talks with Maria Stepanova, author of In Memory of Memory, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize last year. Maria tells us why so many intellectuals are leaving Russia and what it’s like to be Russian and against the war. —------------- Special offers for Weekend listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to...
Apr 02, 2022•31 min
The White House announced a “historic release” of about 180mn barrels of oil from the US emergency stockpile in an attempt to cool oil prices, and the two-year Treasury yield this week rose above the 10-year Treasuries for the first time since 2019. FT markets editor, Katie Martin, explains what this signals for the US economy. Mentioned in this podcast: US orders biggest ever release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve US yield curve inverts in possible recession signal US bonds: don’t fret about ...
Apr 01, 2022•9 min
SoftBank will slow down further investments amid a scramble for cash, journalist and “Putin’s People” author Catherine Belton talks about the impact sanctions are having on Russian oligarchs. Plus, the FT’s Frankfurt bureau chief, Martin Arnold, talks about Russia’s threat to halt gas shipments to Germany and what that could do to the German economy. Mentioned in this podcast: Softbank to slow investments after crash in tech holdings Germany takes step towards gas rationing over payments standof...
Mar 31, 2022•11 min
Russia has decided to “dramatically” scale back its military activities in the Kyiv area, and Barclays faces a £450mn hit after the bank mistakenly issued $15bn-worth more of financial products in the US than it had permission to do so. Plus, the FT’s chief economics commentator, Martin Wolf, explains how the war in Ukraine is further disrupting the global economy. Mentioned in this podcast: Russia says it will ‘dramatically reduce’ military activity around Kyiv The VXX plot thickens with Barcla...
Mar 30, 2022•9 min
