FT News Briefing
A rundown of the most important global business stories you need to know for the coming day, from the newsroom of the Financial Times. Available every weekday morning.
Episodes
Elon Musk’s $3.6tn gamble to merge SpaceX and Tesla
Meta plans to create a new class of non-voting shares, Mathias Döpfner, chief executive and co-owner of Germany’s Axel Springer, has sought to acquire a stake in TikTok’s European operations, and US envoy Steve Witkoff discussed resuming peace talks between Russia, the US and Ukraine. Plus, can Elon Musk pull off a merger of SpaceX and Tesla?Mentioned in this podcast:Meta to create new non-voting
Israel pushes to restart strikes against Iran
The leaders of Ukraine, Finland and Norway hailed progress in talks in Oslo on Tuesday, SpaceX and Tesla are studying a merger, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing to restart large-scale strikes on Iran. Plus, UK gilts are catching back up with their peers after a sharp sell-off earlier this year.Mentioned in this podcast:Finnish president hails progress in talks about ending
Can Big Tech calm investors' AI jitters?
Protests across Europe over the high cost of living have turned increasingly disruptive, investors are racing to buy credit default swaps to protect their portfolios in the event the AI boom unravels, and Big Tech starts releasing their earnings reports this week. Plus, India’s second-richest man will try to pull off the country’s biggest initial public offering and Saudi Arabia has postponed its
French government in crisis mode after a weekend of riots
France is reeling after "unprecedented" violent riots, America’s debt-laden $10tn AI infrastructure boom is a reckoning for the data centre build-out underpinning the US economy, and Albertans gear up to vote today on whether to leave Canada.Mentioned in this podcast:France reels after ‘unprecedented’ violent riotsMacron faces political firestorm after riots‘The Switzerland of North Amer
Martin Wolf on the US midterms: Is American democracy safe?
As Americans prepare to vote in the November 3 midterm elections, FT chief economics commentator Martin Wolf asks what the result will mean for Donald Trump, the future of US democracy and America's place in the world. In the first of a six-part series of interviews with leading historians and political analysts, Martin speaks to the scholar and former Republican adviser Robert Kagan, who has
Investors fret over AI debt
UK Chancellor John Healey has dropped his strongest hint yet of higher taxes on banks, and Anthropic secured a credit rating one notch below investment grade earlier this year. Plus, investors are losing confidence that revenues from the AI boom will be sufficient to support the vast debt piles financing data centres.Mentioned in this podcast:Healey signals Budget bank tax raidAnthropic secured hi
Zelenskyy doesn’t mince words about Trump
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized US President Donald Trump in an interview with the FT, US inflation jumped to 3.7% and leaked emails reveal that Freshfields law firm considered a carve-out of itsAI unit that would be worth billions. Plus, leading AI labs are responding to the alleged bugging incident at OpenAI and salmon producers are changing up the diet for their fish.Mentione
France’s Marine Le Pen readies for fight with EU
France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen is gearing up for a fight with the EU if elected president next year, investors in Accenture cannot decide if AI will be an existential threat or an incredible boost, CoreWeave is chasing insurers’ vast pools of capital, and the US Treasury has fined Bank of America more than $1bn for “egregious and continued” money laundering and sanctions violations. Plus,
An election supercycle could push Europe to the right
The IMF is warning that the world’s leading economies need to take “urgent” action to rebuild their public finances, Pakistan is stuck in a tricky place as its ally Saudi Arabia fights off the Houthis, and Mark Zuckerberg says Meta has caught up with rivals at the “frontier” of AI. Plus, a number of elections in Europe could fundamentally shift the EU, and the UK has imposed new sanctions on Iran
Houthis attack Riyadh airport
The Iran-backed Houthis have struck Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia multiple times this week, US president Donald Trump claims an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, and AI companies are pulling back new debt issuance. Plus, US bank earnings this week suggest the good times may be over.Mentioned in this podcast:US threatens to block arms for Ukraine over attacks on Russian refineriesUkra
SoftBank wants Gulf money to expand AI bet
SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to raise as much as $100bn from Gulf investors to further his massive bet on AI, the Flydubai co-pilot who tried to hijack a flight to Tel Aviv expressed misogynistic views online, and Donald Trump has said Washington will not strike Iran ahead of the US midterm elections. Plus, two Latvian men allegedly trespassed at a UK military base, and two crypto gro
Oil companies are full speed ahead in the Middle East
Oil executives expressed their appetite for investing in the Middle East despite the war, the conflict has blown a near-£12bn hole in Britain’s public finances, and big investors are “bottom fishing” among beaten-down assets, including Italian bonds and corporate debt. Plus, China is building data centres at rapid speed across Inner Mongolia and a measure of credit risk at Elon Musk’s SpaceX rose
Skydance’s debt pile takes the spotlight
Paramount Skydance is tackling a huge pile of debt following its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, oil tanker captains are being paid rates equivalent to $100,000 a month for travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, and the UK’s tax authorities probed Manchester City in 2018. Plus, the battle for control of the $265bn Tata Group hinges on India’s motorbike billionaire, and Brussels is considering
The bond sell-off comes for corporate America
A sharp rise in US government borrowing costs this year is bleeding into the corporate debt market and Hong Kong’s de facto central bank questioned HSBC on why its new AI hub would be established in Singapore. Plus, Brazil’s currency, stocks and bonds jumped after rightwing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro won a first-round victory, and insurers are preparing for multimillion-dollar claims
The Tories go back to basics
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch will solidify her role at the head of the party during this week’s conference, and corporate dealmaking was on the decline last quarter after the collapse of mega-deals. Plus, Estonia is moving troops to its border with Russia and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government supports aggressive settler expansion in the run-up to the country’s elections.Mentione
Unhedged: An ode to stock picking
We're bringing you a recent episode from our fellow FT podcast, Unhedged.Over the summer, the FT held a revamped version of its stock picking game – think fantasy football for the global equity markets. Some 13,000 people took part – a shocking number considering how unfashionable active fund management has become in the real world. Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong invite their FT Money colleagu
Zelenskyy says Putin’s gloves are off
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government is searching for a British alternative to Palantir, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed his military leaders to abandon the rules of war, according to intelligence intercepted by Kyiv. Plus, Eurozone borrowing costs surged, and Brazil’s election pits the leftwing incumbent against a rightwing former president’s son.Mentioned in this podca
US Big Tech gets the most facetime with EU
One pilot of a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv stabbed the other and attempted to crash the aircraft. An FT analysis reveals US Big Tech companies have an outsized influence in Brussels. Plus, RSM, one of the world’s largest accounting firms, is exploring a possible initial public offering, and Nike is struggling to compete in China.Mentioned in this podcast:What we know about the Flydubai flight to
Trump shrugs off AI regulation
UK businesses react to Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s speech to the Labour conference, US and French bonds are in hot water, and could an American ban on diesel exports backfire? Plus, US President Donald Trump has dismissed calls for stricter AI regulation, in a show of dominance over tech executives who he summoned to the White House.Mentioned in this podcast:UK bosses left in dark by Burnham and
Nvidia turns to insurers to offset AI risks
UK chancellor John Healey has told the Labour Party conference that the economic conditions enjoyed by New Labour are “simply not there now”, Nvidia has held talks with insurance companies about shouldering the risks of lending against its chips, and oil prices and US Treasuries are locked in their tightest relationship since the first Gulf war in 1990. Plus, an oil field project in the Falkland I
Andy Burnham’s first Labour conference as prime minister
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham returns to the Labour conference to sell his vision, EU countries are considering a Nato-style joint response to Russia’s hybrid war, and foreign investors have been buying up Panama’s debt despite social unrest and threats from US President Donald Trump.Mentioned in this podcast:‘Hope again’: Burnham returns to Labour conference to sell his visionEU countries consid
Bond rout pushes US mortgage rates past 7%
Xi Jinping said the US and China should avoid being drawn into a “conflict” in remarks at the White House, and Brussels has warned Britain needs to raise tariffs on Chinese cars if it wants to avoid barriers that would hit crucial exports. Plus, dozens of foreign officials walked out of the UN General Assembly as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began his address, and the FT’s Kate Duguid
US Treasury yields soar
US Treasury yields soared on Wednesday, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was prepared to negotiate with the US, and the FT’s Sam Fleming explains why the UK budget is in a tight spot. Plus, billions of dollars of Rosneft’s foreign earnings were funnelled through a Kremlin-backed money-laundering network, and Syria’s search for justice for Assad-era crimes could spark more unrest.Ment
Will Trump and Xi extend their trade truce?
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will discuss a potential extension of their trade war truce this week, UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Trump for the first time, and the cost of hiring an oil supertanker has passed $1.2mn a day for the first time on routes between the Middle East and Asia. Plus, billionaire financier Todd Boehly has secured the backing of the US government and Gulf power brokers wit
How a Russian forgery scheme evaded sanctions
Standard Chartered, Citigroup and other international banks have handled billions of dollars from a Kremlin-backed fintech company that tricked its way into the global financial system, and Polymarket is lobbying to win over European financial watchdogs. Plus, Germany’s election might impact the EU’s budget.Mentioned in this podcast:Kremlin-backed forgery scheme moved $6.9bn through global banksPo
Germany’s Merz vows to stay despite ‘disaster’
German chancellor Friedrich Merz faces a crisis of confidence as exit polls show his party missed the threshold for representation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The right-wing Alternative for Germany won there instead. Plus, Volkswagen is getting the boot from the Eurostoxx50 index. And Georgia’s Senator Jon Ossoff attempts to revitalise moderate politics in the upcoming US midterms.Mentioned in this
Reform UK mega-donors stir controversy
The Venezuelan government and the country’s opposition are close to reaching an agreement to transfer the central bank’s gold reserves, critics are scrutinising donations to UK Reform by crypto billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne, and Glencore has suspended one of its senior executives in the wake of an escalating scandal. Plus, OpenAI’s listing delay raises stakes for SoftBank’s $50bn
Fed interest rate rises are back
The Federal Reserve has raised rates for the first time since 2023, and the EU has asked China to restrict exports of hybrid cars as part of a deal to prevent a trade war. Plus, AI has revolutionized warfare.Mentioned in this podcast:Federal Reserve defies Donald Trump with first rate rise since 2023EU asks China to voluntarily limit car exportsVon der Leyen to paint EU as the only port in a globa
US billionaires bankroll Republican election push
US and Chinese experts meet to discuss mitigating AI risks despite an ongoing tech rivalry, and US megadonors are largely backing Republicans in this midterm election season. Plus, Prime Minister Mark Carney strikes out on his pitch for a “unique alliance” between Canada and the EU, and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery is expected to be Africa’s biggest IPO.Mentioned in this podcast:Can the US and C
What an AI slowdown could mean for investors
Tech stocks fell yesterday as markets reacted to ongoing talk of an AI apocalypse, industrial America is contending with a fresh wave of supply chain inflation, and foreign investors are now buying more US stocks than government bonds. Plus, China has implemented sweeping new controls on overseas travel for Chinese citizens. Mentioned in this podcast:US manufacturers hit by fresh burst of sup
Fed and BoJ expect rate hikes as US bond market flails
US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s interventions in the American bond market haven’t worked so far, but could interest rate decisions from the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan this week change things? Plus, Russia hit a Ukrainian train line moments after foreign dignitaries transited it, and the FT’s Zehra Munir explains how protesters cancelled a data centre project in Virginia. Mentione
Oil hits $108 ahead of Iran’s meeting with Gulf states
US long-term borrowing costs surged to their highest level in more than two decades, and Gulf foreign ministers plan to meet their Iranian counterpart to negotiate a deal temporarily managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Plus, Brics – the developing world’s answer to the G7 – meets this weekend during a unique moment of opportunity to remake the global order.Mentioned in this podcast:Glo
AI rewrites the venture capital playbook
US government bond yields jumped to their highest level in almost three years, and the Japanese yen has strengthened this week. Plus, the IMF ditched a top candidate for chief economist at the last minute, and AI is writing the playbook for venture capital. Mentioned in this podcast:US Treasury yields jump as plans for $6bn buybacks disappoint investors‘I am the house now’: Bessent warn
DeepSeek mania spawns shadow market
Anthropic declined to submit its latest model to Britain’s AI Security Institute for testing before release, Greece wants to become the next hedge fund hub, and crude prices jumped to nearly $100 a barrel after the US launched fresh strikes on Iranian oil tankers. Plus, as DeepSeek’s valuation climbs to more than $70bn, investors are clamouring to get a piece of the Chinese AI company through a se
Is the global maritime order breaking down?
Chinese tech giant Huawei faces a US racketeering trial. Bankers for Anthropic and OpenAI push for top-tier credit ratings. Plus, the EU signals greater openness to mega mergers.Mentioned in this podcast:Was Huawei’s rise built on crime? A US jury will decideWant to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.comNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts The FT News Briefing was
A foldable iPhone: John Ternus’s first test as Apple CEO
Alternative for Germany (AfD) is projected to surge to first place in regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, John Ternus faces his first test as Apple CEO, and the US and Ukraine held talks on how to end the conflict with Russia. Plus, defence officials think Europe isn’t deterring Moscow’s “hybrid” war. Mentioned in this podcast:Far-right AfD surges in German state electionsJohn Ternus’s first
Extended chat: Top US trade official defends Trump’s record
US trade representative Jamieson Greer is President Donald Trump’s top trade official. He has played a critical role in negotiations between Washington and its trading partners. This includes recent talks with Canada, whose retaliatory tariffs against the US go into effect later this week. The FT's Aime Williams sat down with Greer for a wide-ranging interview. They covered everything from th
Top US trade official reveals ‘problem’ in UK negotiations
The US trade representative says the UK is choosing the EU over America and Deutsche Bank organised almost $1bn of loans to a Hollywood studio landlord now in default. Plus, Nvidia has agreed to buy AI model platform Hugging Face for $13bn, and a look at how chicken became the world’s favourite protein.Mentioned in this podcast:UK-EU alignment is ‘problem’ for US trade deal, says top Trump officia
Uber teams up with driver unions to fight robotaxis
Auditors warned Guggenheim Partners about weak controls within its business, and Uber is teaming up with driver unions to try to slow the rollout of robotaxis. Plus, US oil major Chevron and Italy’s Eni are boosting investment in oil production in Venezuela.Mentioned in this podcast:KPMG warned Guggenheim unit over deficiencies in internal controlsUber allies with driver unions in bid to slow robo
Russia secretly helping Iran develop supersonic missiles
An FT investigation found Russia has been secretly helping Iran develop advanced supersonic cruise missiles, the US launched fresh strikes on Iran, and the global bond sell-off deepened on Tuesday. Plus, AI groups are racing to address the risk that future models could help users create bioweapons. Mentioned in this podcast:Russia secretly helping Iran develop supersonic cruise missilesUS lau
How viable is Trump’s oil deal with Venezuela?
Wall Street banks are pushing large law firms to cut fees because of AI, and analysts say Donald Trump’s Venezuela oil agreement may not succeed in attracting investment from US companies. Plus, London’s Tube is set to finally roll out mobile coverage across its entire network by the end of the year. Mentioned in this podcast:Wall Street banks push Big Law to cut fees because of AICan Donald
AI’s threat to consulting
Soaring demand for natural gas has pushed dealmaking to a decade high, the consulting industry is headed for an AI showdown with its own clients, and the Taliban wants to strike a minerals deal with the US. Plus, it’s Tim Cook’s last day as chief executive of Apple. Mentioned in this podcast:Scramble for gas assets pushes dealmaking to record high Controversial Venezuelan executive
EU policy could ice out closest trading partners
Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has replaced the chief executive at one of the country’s flagship real estate mega-projects, and global issuance of zero-interest convertible bonds is on track for a record year. Plus, the EU’s closest economic partners are worried about Brussels’ increasingly protectionist policies, and Britain’s Prime Minister Andy Burnham sought to calm corporate nerves in a
What Meta’s $18bn settlement means for social media
Nvidia reported strong sales, Meta has agreed to pay up to $18bn to settle its blockbuster social media addiction legal battle, and bond investors think that France is Europe’s new problem child. Plus, more than $80bn has been wiped off the value of bitcoin treasury companies since the middle of last year.Mentioned in this podcast:Nvidia sales more than double to $96bn on bumper AI demandMeta to p
The risks of investing $7tn in AI data centres
Traders and analysts are warning oil prices could soon hit $100 a barrel again, Germany is becoming a magnet for international defence groups, and Canada has announced retaliatory tariffs of up to 50 per cent on US imports. Plus, Wall Street is stretching itself to finance massive investment in data centres, and European heatwaves have prompted the continent to look to the Gulf for air-conditionin
US threatens Iran’s economic partners
Scott Bessent said the US would expand the scope of secondary sanctions on Iran, and JPMorgan Chase is relaxing its approach to lending money against shares in companies that have recently gone public. Plus, US private equity growth funds raised a record amount of capital in the first half of this year, and Pakistan’s focus on securing US financing is a big shift after years of relying on state lo
Warsh heads to Jackson Hole as economic worries mount
US Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh will seek to soothe investors’ nerves at this week’s Jackson Hole symposium, Andy Burnham is headed to Ukraine for his first overseas trip as Britain’s prime minister, and Saudi Arabia held talks with London brokers for a state-backed war insurance scheme. Plus, we take a deep dive into an investment giant that’s slowly unravelling, and Canada’s prime minister
Why the energy crisis won’t save western oil refineries
Investors have warned that Treasury secretary Scott Bessent’s attempts to slash long-term US borrowing costs are doomed to fail, and European oil refinery capacity is set to shrink by a fifth over the next decade. Plus, Shanghai’s answer to the Nasdaq index is benefiting from an investor frenzy for Chinese technology stocks, and a Chinese court has sentenced Evergrande founder Hui Ka Yan to life i
US Treasury tries to soothe the bond market
Shares in vaccine-maker Moderna lept after it reported successful trial results for an experimental cancer vaccine, and the US Treasury department will at least double the size of its buyback of long-term government debt. Plus, top US legal firms are sparking controversy for hiring students in their first few months of law school and Irish pubs are disappearing. Mentioned in this podcast:US T
Borrowing costs hit multi-decade highs
Iran has weighed attacking US military targets in Europe should Donald Trump escalate the war, according to people close to the regime. Long-term borrowing costs across major economies hit multi-decade highs, and Revolut has proposed increasing the amount chief executive Nik Storonsky can borrow against his stake in the fintech fivefold. Plus, US President Donald Trump is presiding over an unlikel
Airlines in stand-off over cutting ticket prices
Airlines are locked in a “stand-off” over whether to cut ticket prices, and Mark Carney is making a last ditch bid to avert Donald Trump’s latest tariff threat. Plus, the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history and Malaysia has been an unassuming AI winner.Mentioned in this podcast:Mark Carney in last-ditch effort to avoid Donald Trump’s
Private credit’s woes continue
Private credit is under strain as troubled loans swell, JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon warned Britain’s chancellor against higher bank taxes, and the cost of shipping through many global maritime chokepoints are hitting record highs. Plus, the US is sitting on a mountain of debt – can anyone fix it? Mentioned in this podcast:Private credit under strain as troubled loans swellJamie Dimon warns UK c
Venezuela demands its gold back from the UK
Leading US AI labs are releasing cheaper models to compete with cut-price alternatives from Chinese rivals. Venezuela’s government and opposition unite to demand $4bn in gold reserves back from the Bank of England. A flood of foreign currency bond issuance by Big Tech groups is shaking up the world’s smaller credit markets. Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema is running for a second term amid gr
Anthropic’s anticipated $2tn IPO
Anthropic investors expect the AI start-up to be the largest ever initial public offering, and US inflation edged lower to 3.4 per cent in July as petrol prices declined. Plus, Iranian businesses are increasingly resorting to “buy now, pay later” schemes as the cost of living spirals out of control.Note: This episode of the FT News Briefing has been updated. A segment was removed. Mentioned in thi
US asks Ukraine to stop strikes on tankers using Russian port
Ukraine has halted drone strikes on oil tankers using a critical Black Sea port after a request by the US, suspected Chinese hackers hit Taiwan with an autonomous AI cyber attack, and the head of the Boston Federal Reserve thinks policymakers may be forced to raise rates in September. Plus, measures of volatility in stocks and currencies have tumbled this summer despite the geopolitical uncertaint
Spain’s migrant crisis exposes serious challenges for young Moroccans
Wall Street giants are partnering with Nvidia on a $500bn AI financing deal, the mega-merger between AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb has been put on ice, and queues at some EU airports have doubled because of border checks. Plus, the FT’s Malaika Kanaaneh Tapper explains why Morocco’s economy isn’t helping its young workers. Mentioned in this podcast:Wall Street giants partner with Nvidi
Deadly protests in Kashmir test Pakistan’s government
China is bypassing shipping chokepoints with an “Ice Silk Road” route through the Arctic, dozens of people have been killed in election clashes in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and Germany’s economy minister warned that growing support for a far-right political party could deter foreign investors. Plus, we take a look at the bank behind China’s AI listings bonanza, and how the UAE has won over Wa
Crude retreats but fuel prices stay high
Weakened refining capacity in Russia and the Gulf is a boon to US refiners. Plus, the Trump administration’s decision to revoke legal protections for migrants could hurt the US economy, and Google is shifting control of its AI effort from London back to Silicon Valley.Mentioned in this podcast:Refining crunch keeps fuel prices high as crude retreatsGoogle shifts AI power back to Brin as DeepMind’s
How Ukrainian drone expertise is helping Colombian narcos
Iran said it reached an agreement with Oman on a route through the Strait of Hormuz, US Democrats hope to win control of Congress in the midterm elections and scammers are taking advantage of the disruption caused by the EU’s new crypto rules. Plus, the FT’s Joe Daniels explains how Ukrainian drone technology is helping cartels and guerillas in Colombia.Mentioned in this podcast:Iran says it has r
SpaceX outperforms in debut earnings
SpaceX surpassed analysts’ expectations in its debut earnings report, China is hunting for hundreds of billions of dollars in unpaid taxes and power cuts in Tunisia have provoked protests against President Kais Saied. Plus, the rise in US diesel prices is the latest blow to inflation-weary Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections.Mentioned in this podcast:SpaceX posts 92% rise in revenue in
America’s puzzling yen intervention
Novo Nordisk’s CEO checks in on his first year at the helm, and Russia is quietly assembling a "shadow fleet" of ships to circumvent EU sanctions. Plus, we take a deep dive into a historic joint intervention in Japan’s currency.Mentioned in this podcast:‘Arrogance kills’: Novo chief injects risk-taking into Ozempic-makerAstraZeneca investors raise concerns over mega-merger talksRussia expands shad
Spain’s migrant crisis reopens deep EU rifts
UK drugmaker AstraZeneca is in talks to combine with US rival Bristol Myers Squibb, and European governments will hold an online meeting to discuss Spain’s migrant crisis. Plus, wildfires and heatwaves in Europe have already cost more than €3bn this year. Mentioned in this podcast:AstraZeneca holds talks with Bristol Myers Squibb over $400bn tie-upEU ministers to discuss Spain’s migrant crisi
JPMorgan walks into another football firestorm
Amazon reported accelerated cloud growth in the quarter to the end of June, and JPMorgan has walked into another football firestorm as it works on a plan with Fifa. Plus, Citadel bought Situational Awareness equity holdings after the hedge fund suffered steep AI losses, and DR Congo’s cobalt boom carries an unwanted cargo: uranium. Mentioned in this podcast:Amazon shares surge higher after cl
Fed holds rates as inflation fears grow
Meta and Microsoft reported quarterly earnings as investors raised concerns about AI spending, and the US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady. The Bank of Japan is also expected to leave rates unchanged at its meeting on Friday, and UK oil and gas companies are looking away from the North Sea in favour of foreign investment opportunities.Mentioned in this podcast:Microsoft’s cloud business
The Big Tech earnings dilemma
Ukraine is shifting its long-range drone campaign to focus on critical Russian infrastructure, and Big Tech companies are facing an AI dilemma as they report quarterly earnings. Plus, Google DeepMind is leaving behind its Nobel-winning AlphaFold project for new ventures, and PwC published “thought leadership” reports containing AI-generated hallucinations.Mentioned in this podcast:Ukraine adapts s
Ares’ big play in private equity
A crucial gauge of risk in holding the debt of companies at the centre of the AI boom has hit a record high, private capital group Ares Management has held talks to acquire Leonard Green & Partners, and French company TotalEnergies will be able to continue selling gas from its flagship Siberian project to Asia. Plus, institutional investors are snapping up bundles of UK homes at large discount
Hike or hold: Investors split ahead of Fed decision
Investors raised their bets the Federal Reserve will raise rates on Wednesday after this month’s jump in oil prices. And, firefighting efforts were boosted in France and Spain as “violent” wildfires raged. Plus, developing nations make plans for the next energy shock, and US artificial intelligence companies spend record amounts on lobbying. Mentioned in this podcast:Investors crank up bets o
Oil hits $100 and drives global bond sell-off
The US unveiled new tariffs to replace old ones, oil’s jump above $100 deepened a global bond sell-off, and thousands of supporters of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement in India continued protesting over problems in the education system. Plus, the European Central Bank held interest rates, but other central banks may not follow suit. Mentioned in this podcast:US hits 60 countries with new du
US oil refineries race against dwindling supply
Tesla reported its first cash burn in more than two years in the second quarter, and US oil refineries are running at full tilt as wars in the Middle East and Ukraine choke global supplies of fuels such as diesel. Plus, the UK consumer price index dropped in June, and Deutsche Bank’s headquarters was raided for the third time this year. Mentioned in this podcast:Tesla profits plunge as
The US has $13bn in Venezuelan oil money. Where is it?
Ukraine has a new commander-in-chief after days of protests, and FT calculations show the US has collected more than $13bn in revenues from Venezuelan oil sales this year, but it's unclear what has happened to the money, and US President Donald Trump may unleash fresh tariffs on dozens of countries as soon as this week. Plus, Samsung is in talks to invest in French AI start-up Mistral, and investo
UK chancellor John Healey inherits tricky finances
The US has said it will hit Canada with tariffs of 50 per cent on a wide range of goods, Chinese regulators are considering tightening export controls on AI and semiconductor technologies, and UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham picked John Healey as Britain’s new chancellor. Plus, a US federal judge paused Paramount’s $110bn acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery and the London Stock Exchange will launc
Andy Burnham’s first day
Andy Burnham enters No 10 today as prime minister, the US continued trading fire with Iran over the weekend, and Morgan Stanley has become Wall Street's top bank for AI debt deals. Plus, Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz is pitching his country to investors as “Europe’s bedrock of stability”. Mentioned in this podcast:Andy Burnham urged to use flexibility in fiscal rules to boost investment
The Bethlehem Project: American identity after 250 years
The US celebrated its 250th anniversary this month during a very politically divided era. The FT’s Sonja Hutson went to a block party on Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s main street to ask locals what they think it means to be an American in 2026. Do they feel like the country shares a national identity? Listen to all episodes of The Bethlehem Project here. The Bethlehem Project is hosted
Andy Burnham ghosts the UK business community
Netflix’s shares fell more than 8 per cent on Thursday despite as-expected earnings after the streaming giant forecast its worst revenue growth in three years, and incoming UK prime minister Andy Burnham is leaving phone calls from the country’s business community unanswered. Plus, teams from western Europe keep winning the World Cup, and that’s because they’ve invested heavily in the sport from t
Is China’s economic slowdown here to stay?
Energy companies going public are raising money at their fastest pace this century and China’s growth rate is at its lowest in decades, according to the country’s latest GDP numbers. Plus, oil traders are worried that crude supplies are running low, and the US state department is struggling under President Donald Trump, with one-fifth of the diplomatic corps gone and few ambassador posts filled.Me
The EU’s push to deregulate banks
British teenagers face a midnight curfew on social media platforms, US inflation dipped in June and Wall Street’s top banks brought in $19.3bn in revenue from equities trading. Plus European regulators are considering loosening bank regulations. Mentioned in this podcast:UK teenagers face midnight curfew on using social media platformsKevin Warsh vows Federal Reserve will be ‘resolute’ in inf
Dubai wants to bypass Strait of Hormuz
The United Arab Emirates is trying to build a port that will bypass the Strait of Hormuz, and American small-cap companies are soaring after years of underperformance. Plus, the FT’s Michael Pooler explains how Brazil’s instant payment system ended up at the centre of a new US tariff threat.Mentioned in this podcast:US to resume Strait of Hormuz blockade and charge fees on ships, Trump saysDubai p
Citigroup’s ruthless remake
Wall Street banks are set to report their biggest haul from investment banking fees in four and a half years, while Citigroup boss Jane Fraser has ruthlessly rebuilt the bank to get it back to its pre-financial crisis glory. The US launched another round of strikes against Iran, and trustees at the World Economic Forum are clashing over leadership reforms.Mentioned in this podcast:Wall Street feas
Rewiring sport: How technology is helping athletes break barriers
Introducing Rewiring Sport from Tech Tonic. For the next episodes in this season go to the Tech Tonic feed.For decades, sportspeople have been getting fitter, faster and reaching ever-higher levels of performance. But as the margin between winning and losing shrinks, athletes are turning to technology to make the difference.In this new season of Tech Tonic, Josh Noble explores how advanced ‘supers
World Cup stirs up colonial past
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
