FT News Briefing - Financial Times

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World Cup stirs up colonial past Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

OpenAI and Google are selling their advanced AI models to Chinese tech giants blacklisted by the Pentagon, and South Korea's SK Hynix is listing in the US on Friday in what could be the biggest share sale in America by a foreign company. Plus, the World Cup has led to match-ups with a lot of history: former colonised nations versus their colonisers.

Mentioned in this podcast:

OpenAI and Google sell AI models to blacklisted China groups

SK Hynix’s jumbo share sale a sign of overheated times

France’s diverse football factory and the struggle for national unity

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The FT News Briefing is produced by Victoria Craig, Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, Katya Kumkova, and Fiona Symon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Kelly Garry and Alex Higgins. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our intern is Cole van Miltenburg. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The cost of a broken ceasefire Jul 09, 2026

Show notes

The US struck Iran for the second night in a row, and the IMF warned that renewed conflict in the Middle East would drive up global inflation. Plus, US oil producers and refiners are set to post record profits from the Iran war.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Nato summit live news: Trump says ceasefire with Iran is over

IMF warns inflation threat looms large over global economy

US oil on collision course with Trump over Iran windfalls

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Marine Le Pen’s risky comeback Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

US President Donald Trump threatened to remove all American troops from Europe and is reviving his calls to take over Greenland, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said she will run for president, and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage resigned as an MP to force a by-election in which he’ll stand again. Plus, Meta is testing “super sensing” AI glasses that can record everything that you see and hear.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Trump threatens to remove all US troops from Europe

Marine Le Pen speaks after court ruling

Nigel Farage quits as MP to force Clacton by-election

Meta tests ‘super sensing’ AI glasses that can record every moment

Listen to Political Fix on Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify.

CREDIT: BBC

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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The Big Four’s problems Down Under Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Greek shipping companies have made at least $3.8bn transporting Russian oil over the past three years, Turkey wants its booming defence sector to arm Europe, and large institutional investors are committing billions of dollars to private credit funds. Plus, the Big 4 consulting firms are struggling with their credibility in Australia after a series of scandals.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Greek shipping companies made almost $4bn shipping Russian oil in past three years

Erdoğan rival shuttled between trials as Nato meets in Turkey

Turkey’s defence industry is booming. Europe is in its sights

Big investors commit billions to private credit despite turmoil

‘The brakes failed and they’ve crashed the car’: how the Big Four’s wheels fell off Down Under

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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London’s push for AI sovereignty Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

The tech industry is having a renaissance in London. It's home to the main foreign outposts for giants such as Google and Meta, as well as their well-funded AI challengers including OpenAI and Anthropic. But all those companies are American. Now there's a push to launch a homegrown competitor so the UK can have more sovereignty over its tech.

Mentioned in this podcast:

How the DeepMind mafia brought the AI boom to London

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Germany’s twin crises: football and the economy Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

The US economy fell short of Wall Street expectations by adding only 57,000 jobs in June, South Koreans are pouring AI stock windfalls into an overheated property market and investors in Blue Owl Capital tried to pull $4.7bn from the firm’s private credit funds in the second quarter. Plus, the FT’s sports editor Josh Noble and Berlin correspondent Laura Pitel explain how Germany’s shock exit from the World Cup pairs with wider discontent over the country’s economic woes.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US economy undershoots forecasts with 57,000 jobs added in June

South Koreans pour AI stock windfalls into overheated property market

Blue Owl hit by $4.7bn of redemption requests as investor exodus persists

Germany’s shock World Cup exit sparks reckoning

Friedrich Merz unveils €10bn tax cuts to revive German growth

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CREDIT: FOX Sports, FOX One

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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UBS bets on the US Jul 02, 2026

Show notes

OpenAI has discussed giving a 5 per cent stake to the US government, UBS will start trialling everyday banking services for its American employees within months, and dealmaking hit record levels in the first half of the year. Plus, many Russians are angry that the Ukraine war is now playing out on their territory.

Mentioned in this podcast:

OpenAI proposes handing Trump administration 5% stake

UBS to trial US banking services in push for wealthy American clients

Mega takeovers drive record $2.8tn in dealmaking

Putin admits Ukrainian drones are causing ‘problems’

Putin ties himself to ruling party as war fatigue bites

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Why Indonesians are souring on Prabowo Jul 01, 2026

Show notes

Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte told the FT that Europe’s rearmament drive was sustaining 195,000 US defence jobs through $300bn in arms orders, and Bending Spoons’ initial public offering will test how a page out of the private equity playbooks works in public markets. Plus, KNDS is having a hard time getting investors to back its IPO, and the FT’s Anantha Lakshmi explains why Indonesians are growing impatient with President Prabowo Subianto.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Europe’s rearmament drive is sustaining 195,000 US defence jobs, Nato chief says

Bending Spoons tries out an odd kind of financial magic trick

Indonesians sour on Prabowo Subianto as currency weakens

KNDS struggles to convince investors to back IPO at €12bn-plus valuation

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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US Supreme Court blocks firing of Fed governor Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

The US Supreme Court blocked President Donald Trump from firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, and investors are pivoting from the Magnificent Seven Big Tech stocks. Plus, foreign investors are worried the Japanese government is in danger of backsliding on corporate reforms.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US Supreme Court blocks Donald Trump from sacking Fed governor Lisa Cook

Magnificent Seven stocks shed $2.7tn in Wall Street tech rotation

Foreign investors fear Japan is backsliding on reform

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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AI wakes up the sleepy US power sector Jun 29, 2026

Show notes

The AI boom is fuelling a record surge in dealmaking in the US power and utility industry, and UK prime minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham will on Monday pledge to deliver “good growth in every postcode” of the UK. Plus, the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement expires on Wednesday.

Mentioned in this podcast:

AI fuels record $200bn M&A boom in US power sector

Andy Burnham sets out ‘10-year mission’ to raise living standards

Donald Trump suggests he may not renew trade deal with Mexico and Canada

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Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

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Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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