FT News Briefing

Chinese companies have raised six times as much money through share sales in Europe than the US this year, and European farmers expect a sky-high food prices and droughts this winter. Plus, the FT’s Frankfurt bureau chief, Martin Arnold, explains why the European Central Bank is finally getting hawkish.  Mentioned in this podcast: Europe tops US on Chinese listings for first time ECB makes ha...

The EU is considering a windfall tax for energy companies, Zambia’s IMF bailout is a test for countries that have defaulted on Chinese debt, and US regulators are cracking down on bankers’ use of messaging apps.  Mentioned in this podcast: EU plans windfall tax to counter ‘astronomic’ energy bills Zambia’s $1.3bn IMF bailout to test how China handles defaults Wall Street’s $1bn messaging ‘nig...

Liz Truss will be the next UK prime minister after winning the Tory leadership race, Opec+ agreed on Monday to cut crude supply in a bid to prop up oil prices, Russia switched off Europe’s main gas pipeline until sanctions are lifted, and Singapore has become a haven for Chinese elite who are fleeing strict coronavirus lockdowns and potential blowback from geopolitical tensions.  Mention...

The oil producing cartel is meeting today and will consider a cut in oil supply to prop up prices, and UK Conservative Party members will vote today on a new leader to replace Boris Johnson. Plus, the FT’s Jemima Kelly tells us about the the passion of crypto believers she met for this season of the FT’s Tech Tonic podcast.  Mentioned in this podcast: Liz Truss promises economic action from D...

This week, guest host Topher Forhecz is joined by Los Angeles bureau chief Chris Grimes to hear about the future of TV's streaming wars. Since the pandemic, streaming services have poured huge amounts of money into new content, but it's unclear how long this boom will last. Then, we talk to Nature Therapy columnist Jonathan Guthrie about bees. He's estimated that we owe bees nearly $160bn for thei...

The US releases the latest jobs numbers today and analysts expect the pace of positions added to have slowed in August, eurozone unemployment fell to an all-time low of 6.6% of the workforce, the cruise industry is recovering from the pandemic but the industry now faces resistance from politicians and climate activists, and US officials have told semiconductor maker Nvidia it will need special lic...

Russia has halted the flow of gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Europe for three days, and the EU has agreed to suspend a visa deal with Moscow. Plus the FT’s John Paul Rathbone explains why Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the south of the country could be a gamechanger in the war.  Mentioned in this podcast: Russia shuts down Nord Stream gas pipeline to Europe EU rips up Russia visa d...

The world’s second-largest cinema chain incorrectly reported the identity of its largest shareholder, and ExxonMobil is contesting Vladimir Putin’s decree blocking the oil company from exiting Russia. Plus, economists are debating the impact that US president Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness programme will have on inflation.  Mentioned in this podcast:  Cineworld incorrectly reported...

Morgan Stanley has tapped a lawyer to keep an eye on its block trading, and airlines are bracing for a chilly winter. Plus, Liz Truss, the frontrunner to be UK prime minister, has been talking tough with US officials but is likely to keep UK-US ties on track.   Mentioned in this podcast: Morgan Stanley orders internal lawyer to supervise block trading desk Airlines braced for grim winter...

Financial markets are bracing for a longer period of high interest rates, EU foreign ministers are set to suspend the bloc’s visa facilitation agreement with Moscow, and Alibaba is trying to manoeuvre a rebound. Plus, the FT’s Stefania Palma explains why the US antitrust officials are targeting the $10 tn private equity industry.  Mentioned in this podcast: Jay Powell says Fed will ‘keep at i...

In the second episode of the latest season of Tech Tonic, FT columnist and host Jemima Kelly tries to understand why an influential Silicon Valley investment firm thinks that Web 3 is a good bet. Will blockchain technology really be the foundation of a new internet era? Is Web 3’s promise to decentralise the internet going to pose a challenge to companies such as Facebook and Twitter? The FT’s inn...

FT Weekend has its own podcast feed! For more content, subscribe to ' FT Weekend ' wherever you listen. This weekend, we meet a British pioneer of sound design. Errol Michael Henry invites us to the Air-Edel studios in London to show us how a song gets made. Errol is one of the few black sound designers in the UK. He’s been producing music through his independent label, Intimate Records, since the...

Finland will host talks with Sweden and Turkey for talks on the Nordic countries’ Nato membership bids, and we’ll take a look at the ins and outs of Revlon’s bankruptcy. Plus, the FT’s Benjamin Parkin recently visited Afghanistan and reports back what it has been like there a year since the Taliban regained control.  Mentioned in this podcast: Finland and Sweden hold talks with Turkey to push...

Hedge funds have lined up the biggest bet against Italian bonds since the global financial crisis, Japan is looking to rebuild its nuclear energy capacity, and Blackstone has joined the bidding to buy Pink Floyd’s music. Plus, the FT’s Colby Smith looks at how the Federal Reserve handled inflation in the past and whether chair Jerome Powell can engineer a soft landing this time around.  Menti...

Today marks six months since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a Twitter whistleblower says the company hid security flaws and fake accounts, and the waters off the coast of Somalia are no longer high risk for shipping   Mentioned in this podcast: They dig, and dig and dig: Russia entrenched in Ukraine six months into war Twitter covered up security flaws and fake accou...

Ben & Jerry’s lost a legal dispute with its parent company over sales in Israel and investors are sceptical about this summer’s equities rally. Plus, the FT’s Madison Darbyshire talks about how a 20-year-old American college student made $110mn betting on a meme stock.  Mentioned in this podcast: How a 20-year-old student made $110mn riding the meme stock wave   Investors fret over d...

Apple employees are pushing back against the iPhone maker’s call for workers to return to the office next month, and major droughts across the globe are having a significant impact on everything from agriculture to tech. Plus, the FT’s Sam Agini explains what a potential deal for Manchester United would mean for the football club.       Mentioned in this podcast: Group of...

A new season of Tech Tonic asks whether crypto and its supporting technology - the blockchain - have a future following a market crash. In the first episode of this five-part series, FT columnist and host Jemima Kelly casts a sceptical eye on what led to the boom in digital assets and their subsequent collapse. She assesses the damage with the FT’s digital assets correspondent Scott Chipolina, and...

FT Weekend has its own podcast feed! For more content, including our special Food & Drink mini-series, search ' FT Weekend ' where you listen to podcasts and subscribe there. This weekend, we go to Ukraine. FT columnist Gillian Tett introduces us to the tech entrepreneurs and engineers who have built strong links with Silicon Valley and western tech companies over the past few decades. These...

Middle East states are expected to bring in $1.3tn in additional oil revenues, big US retailers posted quarterly earnings this week and results were mixed, scientists have discovered a way to destroy harmful “forever chemicals”. Plus, we’ll look at the longlist for this year’s FT Business Book of the Year award.  Mentioned in this podcast: Middle East states set for $1.3tn oil windfall,...

Federal Reserve officials discussed the need to keep interest rates at levels that restrict the economy “for some time” in a bid to contain inflation, Short-term UK borrowing costs surged to the highest level since 2008, and Tencent posts its first quarterly revenue fall. Plus, the collapse of Chinese food delivery app, Miss Fresh, could be a cautionary tale for other tech giants in China.  M...

Amazon has accused the FTC of harassing top executives as part of an antitrust investigation, hedge fund Elliott Management has dumped almost all of its shares in SoftBank, and Harvard will offer tuition-free MBA programs to low-income students. Plus, the man who blew up WeWork, Adam Neumann, has a new real estate venture that’s attracted a major investment from Silicon Valley royalty.  Menti...

Elections officials in Kenya announced a winner in last week’s presidential election but the result is being challenged , Iran denies involvement in the stabbing of controversial author Salman Rushdie, and China cut a crucial lending rate for the first time since January. Plus, we look at how the private equity industry evolved from a group of mercenary dealmakers to co-operative rivals.&nbsp...

Saudi Arabia has agreed to renew a three billion dollar deposit at Pakistan’s Central Bank, Saudi Aramco reported record profits, and an expected US tax on stock buybacks isn’t expected to have a big impact on earnings. Plus, Mexico’s president wants beer makers in the north to cut back due to the region’s drought.  Mentioned in this podcast: Saudi Arabia renews $3bn deposit to Pakistan Saudi...

For more FT Weekend content, including our special Food & Drink mini-series, search 'FT Weekend' where you listen to podcasts and subscribe there. This week Lilah goes to Savannah, Georgia, to visit chef Mashama Bailey. Mashama recently won Outstanding Chef at the James Beard Awards. Since 2014, she has been chef and partner at The Grey, a restaurant located in a formerly segregated bus statio...