FT News Briefing

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

Episodes

September 23, 2026 10 mins

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 with ties to the Trump family to bid f...

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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 banks

Polymarket starts Eur...

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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.


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German chanc...

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September 18, 2026 12 mins

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 bycrypto 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 data centre ...

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September 17, 2026 11 mins

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 2023

EU asks China to voluntarily limit car exports

Von der Leyen to paint EU as the only port in a global geopolitical storm

AI is trans...

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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.


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Can the US and China work tog...

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September 15, 2026 11 mins

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 supply chain cost inflation

Ten-yea...

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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. 


Mentioned in this pod...

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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.


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Global bond sell...

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September 10, 2026 11 mins

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 warns currency trad...

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September 9, 2026 11 mins

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 secondary market.


Ment...

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September 8, 2026 10 mins

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 decide


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


Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts 


The FT News Briefing was produced ...

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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. 


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Far-right AfD surges in German state elections

John Ternus’s first ...

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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 the trade war with Ottawa, ...

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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 official

Deutsche Ban...

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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 controls

Uber allies with driver unions in bid to slow robotaxi rollout

Chevron to do...

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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 missiles

US launches further strikes on Iran a...

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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 AI

Can Donald Trump’s 65bn-...

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August 31, 2026 12 mins

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 courts investors a...

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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 an int...

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