FT News Briefing

Russia has succeeded in avoiding G7 sanctions on most of its oil exports, Poland is calling for less support for Ukraine, China’s answer to the World Bank wants to commit more money to climate, and the restaurant group, Big Mamma, is going global thanks to private equity.  Mentioned in this podcast: Russia dodges G7 price cap sanctions on most of its oil exports A tug of war in Poland and Slo...

A hardware revolution in recording devices and a software revolution in artificial intelligence is enabling researchers to listen in to all kinds of conversations outside the human hearing range, a field known as bioacoustics. Some scientists now believe these developments will also allow us to ‘translate’ animal sounds into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John...

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chair of Fox and News Corp, Russia has barred the export of diesel and petrol, and the Bank of England has held interest rates at 5.25 per cent after a knife-edge vote. Plus, India has stopped issuing visas to Canadians and told Ottawa to reduce its diplomatic presence in the country. Mentioned in this podcast: Rupert Murdoch steps down as chair of Fox and News C...

Federal Reserve officials on Wednesday signalled support for another rate rise this year and fewer cuts in 2024, share buybacks on the US stock market have dropped to the slowest pace since the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the FT’s Gideon Rachman talks about his new three-part podcast series on Bidenomics.  Mentioned in this podcast: Federal Reserve signals fresh rate rise this ye...

Shares in grocery delivery group Instacart jumped more than 10 per cent on their first day of trading, oil prices climbed above $95 a barrel for the first time in 2023, and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau sparked fury in India when he said authorities were investigating whether “agents” of New Delhi were behind the June killing of a prominent Sikh activist in a Vancouver suburb. Mentioned i...

Instacart’s public listing this week is set to inch Nasdaq further ahead of the New York Stock Exchange in their closest fight for new listings in five years, and a build-up of leveraged bets has the potential to dislocate trading in the $25tn US Treasuries market. Plus, the FT’s Mercedes Ruehl explores whether an influx of Chinese migration and money to Singapore could threaten its status as a ne...

US auto workers are striking to protect workers against the move to electric vehicles, and UK prime minister Rishi Sunak won’t attend the climate ambition summit at the UN General Assembly this week. Plus, Instacart has raised the price range for its initial public offering following the success of Arm’s blockbuster debut.  Mentioned in this podcast: Strike pits US auto union in existential s...

Shares in chip designer Arm jumped by 25 per cent as it began trading on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday, and the European Central Bank has raised interest rates to an all-time high. Plus, the FT’s Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan explains how digital cash got caught up in the culture wars.  Mentioned in this podcast: Arm shares jump by 25% on first day of trading ECB raises interest rates to all-...

Rising energy costs pushed US inflation above forecasts in August, Bernard Looney’s resignation from BP puts the oil company’s green energy transition into doubt, and China is walking back a corruption crackdown in the country’s healthcare sector.  Mentioned in this podcast: US inflation rises in August as petrol prices jump BP chief Bernard Looney resigns over past relationships with colleag...

BP’s chief executive Bernard Looney is resigning and SoftBank’s Arm is set to hit the public market on Thursday. Plus, we look at why Germany’s economy is stalling and how its economic woes are hurting its neighbours.  Mentioned in this podcast: BP chief Bernard Looney resigns over past relationships with colleagues Arm targets valuation of up to $52bn in IPO Olaf Scholz vows to cut bureaucra...

Some scientists believe that rapid advances in artificial intelligence may also hold the key to decoding animal sounds, allowing us to ‘translate’ them into human language. In a new season of Tech Tonic, FT innovation editor John Thornhill and series producer Persis Love explore how the same technology that powers ChatGPT is being applied to research in animal communication. Could we one day learn...

Norway’s $1.4tn sovereign wealth fund has become the biggest shareholder in UBS, a landmark antitrust trial between Google and the US government starts today, and the FT’s Mary McDougall explains why the euro is having such a tough time.  Mentioned in this podcast: Norway’s $1.4tn oil fund becomes top UBS shareholder  Google prepares for biggest US antitrust showdown since Microsoft Euro...

PwC is planning to give up tens of millions of dollars of consulting work for its US audit clients, Australia’s biggest pension fund is going big on digital infrastructure, and Venezuelan government bonds are having a moment. Plus, the FT’s John Reed explains why this year’s G20 summit was a huge win for India.  Mentioned in this podcast: G20 backs bigger role for reformed World Bank PwC to c...

India hosts the G20 summit this weekend, Germany is pushing the European Commission to postpone tariffs on electric vehicle sales between the UK and the EU, Apple shares are taking a beating, and Huawei has seen a resurgence despite sanctions from the United States.    Mentioned in this podcast: Joe Biden pushes for bigger World Bank to combat China’s rising influence Germany backs EV ta...

US and European corporate bond markets have started September with a bang, the EU released a list of digital services that will have to comply with the bloc’s new regulations, and the FT’s Alice Hancock explains how Europe’s drought is hitting the agriculture and energy industries.  Mentioned in this podcast: US and European companies rush to issue debt before rate decisions Big Tech faces fr...

The EU’s competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager is stepping aside, and the UK has clawed back less than 2 per cent of losses owing to fraud and error on business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Plus, Ukraine is doubling down on its counteroffensive.  Mentioned in this podcast: Didier Reynders to take over as EU competition chief UK government ‘slow to take action’ on Covid-19 grant...

Lloyds Banking Group joins HSBC and US group Citi in ordering employees back into the office, a shortage of accountants is causing problems in the US and Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, is caught up in a scandal over expensive jewellery from his time in office. Plus, the FT’s Courtney Weaver on the FT’s latest podcast series, ‘The Russian Banker’, about a controversial Russian financier...

Global growth is set to slow next year after outperforming economists’ expectations so far in 2023, American mothers are re-entering the workforce at high rates, and the Hollywood strikes are starting to bite into California’s economy. Plus, the FT’s Dan McCrum unpacks his latest investigation into India’s Adani Group.   Mentioned in this podcast: Economists grow gloomier on 2024 as cent...

UBS has reported the biggest-ever quarterly profit for a bank, eurozone core inflation has edged down, and Switzerland has proposed sweeping measures to clamp down on money laundering.  Mentioned in this podcast: UBS breaks record with $29bn profit after Credit Suisse deal ‘Deal of the century’ — How UBS’s rescue of Credit Suisse proved a boon Eurozone core inflation edges down ahead of crunc...

Military officers in oil-rich Gabon said they had seized power, US commerce secretary Gina Raimondo wrapped up a visit to China, and the billionaire founder of Apple supplier Foxconn is running for president of Taiwan.  Mentioned in this podcast: Fed warned Goldman Sachs over risks and compliance oversight at fintech unit Military leaders seize power in oil-rich Gabon US commerce secretary ha...

The EU is set to import record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia this year, asset management firm Grayscale won a US court ruling to launch an exchange traded fund tracking bitcoin, and Goldman Sachs has used a fund set up with Chinese state money to buy a series of US and UK companies.   Mentioned in this podcast: EU imports record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia...

Goldman Sachs plans to sell one of its personal financial management divisions, Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, is close to sealing an unlikely alliance, and the European defence industry is struggling to keep up with demand for ammunition for the Ukraine war. Plus, European Council president Charles Michel proposes a target date for adding new members to the EU. Mentioned in this p...

Chinese corporate earnings reports are forecast to log poor performance and companies are set to downgrade outlooks, and policy makers walked away from Jackson Hole acknowledging they need to adjust to the changing global economy. Plus, the FT’s Jamie Smyth explains why Ireland is still in a good position for the life science industry boom despite a higher corporate tax. Mentioned in this podcast:...

Russia's leader Vladimir Putin on Thursday publicly said warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin was dead, the emerging markets group Brics has invited six more countries to join, and Turkey’s central bank has sharply boosted interest rates. Plus, biomedical companies are under more pressure to stop using horseshoe crabs for testing.  Mentioned in this podcast: Putin says Prigozhin is dead in first Kremlin...

Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly died after a plane crash north-west of Moscow, Nvidia’s revenue more than doubled in the latest quarter on soaring demand, and US regulators are imposing tougher disclosure rules on private funds. Plus, the FT’s Eli Meixler unpacks the latest developments in Thailand’s government.  Mentioned in this podcast: Yevgeny Prigozhin in f...