FT News Briefing - Financial Times

Latest Episodes:

The ABCs of CBDCs Aug 30, 2024

Show notes

Turkey’s stock rally hits reverse as juicy interest rates lure savers out of the market, and the FT’s Polina Ivanova explains how Telegram is a lifeline for both Russian and Ukrainian troops and civilians. Plus, Cornell University’s Eswar Prasad says Thailand could open a window into how central bank digital currencies might be used in future.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Turkey’s blazing stock rally falters with high rates luring savers away

War unfiltered: how Telegram straddles the Ukraine fron tline

Thailand may tell us a great deal about the future of money

The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Michela Tindera, Prakriti Panwar, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ford loses its grip on the wheel Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

Nvidia’s record-breaking earnings still somehow disappointed investors, China’s use of the renminbi in cross-border trading is at a record high, and Berkshire Hathaway becomes the first publicly traded US company outside of tech to be valued at $1tn. Plus, Ford’s big plans to boost profits continue to fall short.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Nvidia revenue more than doubles as demand for AI chips remains strong

China’s international use of renminbi surges to record highs

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway surges past $1tn market value

Ford shares have stalled: can CEO Jim Farley steer out of its rut?

The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US-China ‘cat and mouse game’ Aug 28, 2024

Show notes

The Japanese operator of 7-Eleven is discussing ways to defend itself against a takeover bid by Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard, Chinese export controls on crucial semiconductor materials are starting to hit supply chains, and the fintech company Klarna plans to axe almost half of its staff in favour of artificial intelligence. Plus, Nasa is turning to Elon Musk’s SpaceX after Boeing’s Starliner, which was meant to bring two US astronauts home, suffered technical problems.

Mentioned in this podcast:

7-Eleven’s Japanese owner explores protected status to thwart foreign bid

China’s export curbs on semiconductor materials stoke chip output fears

Klarna aims to halve workforce with AI-driven gains

How will Nasa return two US astronauts stranded in space?

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Telegram CEO arrest reignites free speech debate Aug 27, 2024

Show notes

French authorities detain Telegram’s chief executive as part of a content moderation investigation, which has reignited the debate about free speech online. Plus, oil prices reached a two-week high as Libya says it is shutting down oil production, and Grenada triggers a first-of-its-kind ‘hurricane clause’ to pause its debt repayments.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Oil hits 2-week high after Libya says it will shut down crude exports

Grenada triggers ‘hurricane clause’ to suspend bond payments

Telegram says detained founder Pavel Durov has ‘nothing to hide’

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Money surges into the Harris campaign Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

Israel’s military launched a wave of air strikes in southern Lebanon on Sunday, small-dollar donations surged to Kamala Harris’s campaign after she replaced Joe Biden on the Democratic ticket, and the world’s largest aerospace and defence companies are set to rake in record levels of cash over the next three years. Plus, computer programming might be the first job function to be transformed by the latest wave of AI technology.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Top defence contractors set to rake in record cash

Israel launches strikes in Lebanon

Kamala Harris spends 10 times as much as Trump on digital ad blitz

Kamala Harris raised four times as much cash as Donald Trump in July

AI-powered coding pulls in almost $1bn of funding to claim ‘killer app’ status

The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Molly Nugent, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Swamp Notes: Democrats find a feeling at the DNC Aug 24, 2024

Show notes

Democrats from across the US gathered in Chicago for their presidential convention this week, promising to move past the Donald Trump-era of American politics. But if their newly-minted nominee, vice-president Kamala Harris, wins November’s election, she’ll have her work cut out to keep her party together. The FT’s deputy Washington bureau chief, Lauren Fedor, and US political news editor, Derek Brower, join this week’s Swamp Notes from Chicago to explain what the future of the party might look like.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Five key points from Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech

Kamala Harris vows to ‘strengthen, not abdicate’ US global leadership

Kamala Harris’s underwhelming economic agenda

Swamp Notes is produced by Ethan Plotkin, Sonja Hutson, Lauren Fedor and Marc Filippino. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.

CREDIT: PBS NewsHour

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A soft landing at Jackson Hole Aug 23, 2024

Show notes

Kamala Harris made a bid for national unity at a rapturous Democratic National Convention. Plus, all eyes are on Jackson Hole today, where the Fed will reveal how it will lower US interest rates without triggering a recession. Meanwhile, investors are hedging their bets on these cuts coming soon, sending gold soaring.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Kamala Harris pitches unity message as she makes her case to American voters

Gold goes for it

Gold hits record highs as investors bet on rate cuts

Cooling US jobs market looms over central bankers at Jackson Hole

The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Ethan Plotkin, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Japan opens for (foreign) business Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

PwC faces a six-month business ban in China, and Mexico’s Supreme Court judges go on strike. Plus, a potential takeover of 7-Eleven may set the tone for a new era of Japanese acquisitions.

Mentioned in this podcast:

PwC expects six-month ban in China over Evergrande audit

Mexico’s judges to strike over López Obrador’s plan to fire them

After 7-Eleven, Japan’s M&A scene may never be the same again

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Arabia is keeping it in the kingdom Aug 21, 2024

Show notes

China’s flagship fund to buy up unsold housing is off to a limp start, and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is to prioritise domestic spending. Plus, a growing number of Americans are suffering from tip fatigue.

Mentioned in this podcast:

China’s landmark property rescue plan limps off the starting line

The US tipping system is teetering

Saudi wealth fund brings era of easy money to an end

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kamalanomics goes on defence Aug 20, 2024

Show notes

The US dollar sinks to its lowest level since the start of the year and Democrats are rushing to defend vice-president Kamala Harris’s economic road map. Plus, rising US-China tensions could threaten a decades-old science and technology pact.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Dollar hits 8-month low as US stocks start week higher

Democrats on defensive after Kamala Harris’s economic plans poorly received

China-US tensions erode co-operation on science and tech

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Marc Filippino, and Niamh Rowe. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.