FT News Briefing

The top US military official denied that America would be pulling troops out of Iraq, blaming a leaked “draft” letter indicating otherwise. Plus, Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, John Bolton, said he is willing to testify in the president’s Senate impeachment trial if subpoenaed, and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein faces new sexual assault charges in Los Angeles as he prepares for the start of a criminal trial in Manhattan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

France warns the US about the repercussions of imposing tariffs in response to the digital services tax on the likes of Google and Amazon, Boris Johnson is expected to pressure the European Commission to fast-track Brexit-related trade talks, and Spain is one step closer to its first coalition government in modern times after a parliamentary vote on Sunday. Plus, the FT’s Katrina Manson reports on the fallout from the US assassination of Qassem Soleimani. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US regulators unveil long-awaited restrictions on some flavoured e-cigarettes, Bernie Sanders notched up the biggest quarterly money haul so far of any Democratic US presidential candidate and Brussels is preparing a fresh push to create an EU-wide tax on plastic waste. Plus, the FT’s David Sheppard highlights what investors will be watching in the oil markets in 2020.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lebanon pressed for Carlos Ghosn’s return one week before the former Nissan chairman escaped from Tokyo and Google Health has created a system that can identify breast cancer more accurately than radiologists. Plus, the FT’s Robin Harding explains why employees are gaining more power in Japan’s changing labour market.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Private equity groups spent more on deals this year than at any time since the financial crisis, investors gear up for the final day of share trading in 2019, and former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn leaves Japan, where he was on house arrest, for Beirut. Plus, the FT’s companies editor, Tom Braithwaite, breaks down the year in IPOs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fraudsters are milking companies of tens of billions of dollars a year with fake responses to online ads, new documents reveal that WeWork will have to pay $17m for some executives’ golden parachutes, and the number of small businesses being created in France has surged this year. Plus, why Warren Buffett says companies cannot be moral arbiters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew Bailey has been selected as the new governor of the Bank of England, Democrats and Republicans trade barbs over tactics in the delay to President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial and Uber’s former chief executive, Travis Kalanick, has sold the majority of his stake in the company. Plus the FT’s US markets editor, Jennifer Ablan, explains why investors have piled into some of the riskiest US debt as the year draws to a close. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bank of England admits that high-speed traders have been able to listen in on market-sensitive press conferences, the man who came to be a symbol of corporate corruption is granted an early release from his 25-year sentence, and the challenge faced by European carmakers from electric vehicles sees Fiat Chrysler and PSA strike a deal to create the fourth-largest automaker in the world. Plus, the US House of Representatives voted to impeach president Donald Trump. The FT’s US managing editor, Peter Spiegel, explains what this means for the upcoming Senate trial.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FedEx cuts its annual earnings guidance for the second time in three months, a new report shows that Royal Dutch Shell paid no corporate income tax in the UK in 2018 and Sterling surrendered its post-election gains on Tuesday after Boris Johnson signalled he will try to push legislation that could cause a “cliff-edge” Brexit next year. Plus, like other countries in central Europe, Poland is facing a labour shortage. The FT’s James Shotter explains how some Polish manufacturers are replacing these workers.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global stocks hit fresh record highs on Monday as the US and China hit pause on the long-running trade war, while Mexico and the US resolve a row over the enforcement of labour provisions in the USMCA trade pact, Netflix reveals how quickly it is growing outside of the US and Boeing plans to temporarily suspend production of the 737 Max in January. Plus, the FT’s Kiran Stacey explains why US technology companies are pushing back on a call from the Trump administration to cut Huawei out of their supply chains.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A deal to implement the new USMCA trade agreement was under threat after Mexico said it did not agree to certain provisions, Apple will face a shareholder vote next year calling for the iPhone maker to publicly commit to respecting freedom of expression as a human right and Boris Johnson plans to pour billions of pounds into the midlands and north of England after his election win. Plus, the FT’s Leslie Hook explains why UN climate delegates in Madrid could not reach a deal on the last article of the Paris climate accord. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boris Johnson declared a powerful mandate for Brexit after a crushing UK election victory. The FT’s Sebastian Payne breaks down the results. Plus, the US House of Representatives judiciary committee pushes a critical vote on the impeachment process into Friday, and the US and China were closing in on a limited trade deal on Thursday night.Follow live updates on the UK election at FT.com/ukelection. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve leaves its policy rate unchanged and indicates that it has no plans to make changes through 2020, and the climate summit in Madrid could stall over the question of how to create a global carbon trading market. Plus, new findings show the US Federal Aviation Administration failed to ground Boeing’s fleet of 737 Max aircraft even after its analysis showed the plane was more accident-prone than most aircraft, Israel faces its third election in a year, and Harvey Weinstein reaches a tentative $45m settlement with a group of women who accused him of sexual assault. Then, the FT’s Michael Peel explains how Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi went from human rights icon to a leader defending allegations of genocide.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

UK prime minister Boris Johnson makes a final plea to voters in the “most important election in a lifetime”, Saudi Arabia renews its push for a $2tn valuation for Saudi Aramco, Democrats in the US House of Representatives unveil two articles of impeachment against president Donald Trump and trade negotiators from the US, Canada and Mexico sign changes to the USMCA trade pact. Plus, the FT’s Alan Beattie explains why European countries are turning to green trade policy and why some critics say it has more to do with protectionism than the planet. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump says “a lot of strides” have been made on the USMCA trade deal, Morgan Stanley is cutting around 1,500 jobs worldwide, Amazon claims it was denied a $10bn US defence contract because of pressure from the president and SoftBank has agreed to sell its nearly 50 per cent stake in Wag back to the dog walking company. Plus, Paul Volcker has died at the age of 92. The FT’s Gillian Tett looks back on the life and legacy of the former Federal Reserve board chairman.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beijing orders all government offices and public institutions to remove foreign computer equipment and software within three years, the FBI is treating a US naval base shooting as an apparent terrorist attack, even though the White House is not and UK officials are questioning Boris Johnson’s claims that Britain will make a clean break with the EU in December in 2020. Plus, the FT’s Laura Hughes lays out Northern Ireland’s role in the UK general election in the days leading up to the vote.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dark money has made it way into political advertising in the UK general election, buyout group CVC Capital Partners holds talks with Fifa and Real Madrid about creating new global football tournaments and Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Uber releases its first-ever safety report and Nancy Pelosi, instructs fellow Democrats to draw up articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. Plus, the FT’s Anjli Raval breaks down Saudi Aramco’s $25.6bn IPO as Opec leaders meet in Vienna.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former World Bank president Robert Zoellick delivers a public rebuke of Donald Trump’s China policy, Boris Johnson vows not to involve Huawei in Britain’s 5G telecommunications networks if it compromises the country’s ability to work with security allies and the owners of the New York Mets are in talks to sell up to 80 per cent of the baseball club to hedge fund manager Steven Cohen. Plus, Saudi Arabia is pushing Opec to announce a deeper oil production cut. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin step back from their day-to-day roles at Alphabet, US senator Kamala Harris drops out of the 2020 presidential race and the 70th-anniversary summit of Nato begins on a fractious note.  Plus, US House Democrats have accused Donald Trump of abusing his office for political gain. The FT’s Peter Spiegel unpacks the report that will pave the way for articles of impeachment and a trial in the Senate.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Trump administration is on a tariff blitz, proposing levies on goods from France, the EU, Brazil and Argentina. In the UK, the Conservative party braces for what could be the most perilous week of the election campaign, and Sweden backs away from negative rates despite a weakening economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Federal Reserve is considering letting inflation run above its 2 per cent target, UK politicians play a blame game after Friday’s tragedy at London Bridge and the EU’s ambitious new commission is likely to be overshadowed by a festering row over the budget. Plus, we will look at what Brussels is doing to retool industrial policy.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US political parties develop new technology that will access voters through the phone contacts of their supporters, OECD data shows the European Union is hit hard by the global trade slowdown and premium economy class overtakes business on several airline carriers as the most profitable seats. Plus, the latest on Japan South Korea tensions. The FT’s Edward White explains why South Korean forced labour victims are being lobbied to drop their claims for reparations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump signs two bills supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters, Christine Lagarde pushes for climate change to be part of a strategic review of the European Central Bank’s purpose and assets under management at Fisher Investments hit a record high of $115bn at the end of October despite lewd remarks by its founder, Ken Fisher. Plus, India’s growth numbers are due out Friday. The FT’s Benjamin Parkin explains what is behind the country’s deepening economic slowdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xerox said it would take its proposal for a $33bn takeover of HP directly to the personal computer maker’s shareholders, Nasdaq’s listings business is on course to eclipse that of bitter rival the New York Stock Exchange this year and Manchester City’s owner has agreed to sell a $500m stake to private equity firm Silver Lake in a deal that breaks a record in sports valuations. Plus, the FT’s Leslie Hook explains why China’s commitment to renewable energy has lagged in recent years, and why it’s causing alarm ahead of the annual UN climate talks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies unleash a wave of global takeovers, agreeing to more than $70bn in deals, famed investor Bill Gross warns that US stock and bond markets are set for a tougher time in 2020, a judge rules that Donald Trump cannot stop his most senior advisers testifying to Congress and revised official data show that Mexico’s economy has entered a technical recession. Plus, Uber has been stripped of its London licence. The FT’s Tim Bradshaw explains what it means for the ride-sharing company.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pro-democracy candidates take more than half of seats in Hong Kong’s local council elections amid record voter turnout, UK prime minister Boris Johnson launches a low-risk Conservative manifesto and Michael Bloomberg officially announces he is running for US president. Plus, LVMH is set to buy Tiffany & Co for $16.7bn. The FT’s Eric Platt breaks down the latest offer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politicians and privacy campaigners call for Google’s $2.1bn deal for Fitbit to be blocked, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be hit by prosecutors on bribery, fraud and breach of trust charges, and a subsidiary of China’s largest construction group has suspended work on one of the nation’s tallest skyscrapers. Plus, the FT’s Eric Platt explains why Charles Schwab is ready to put down $25bn to acquire TD Ameritrade.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US ambassador to the EU, Gordon Sondland, turns against Donald Trump in an explosive impeachment testimony, Saudi Arabia marginalises global banks in the final stage of Saudi Aramco’s flotation process and GM sues rival Fiat Chrysler, claiming FCA bribed officials of the UAW union during bargaining talks with GM. Plus, the FT’s Alistair Gray explains why Walmart is thriving once again.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Boris Johnson narrowly beats rival Jeremy Corbyn in a high-stakes televised duel, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a current White House official, testifies that Donald Trump made an ‘improper” demand in a July 25 phone call with the Ukrainian president, and the US National Transportation Safety Board says the main cause of a fatal accident involving a self-driving Uber was the back-up driver’s “failure” to monitor the road. Plus, the FT’s Anna Gross breaks down why the Brazilian president’s decision to allow sugarcane cultivation has become another roadblock in the way for a landmark trade deal between the EU and South America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alibaba is set to raise up to $13.4bn in a secondary listing in Hong Kong even as violence in the financial centre intensifies. Many see the IPO as a critical test of confidence in both Hong Kong and Beijing. Next, Coty buys a controlling stake in Kylie Jenner’s cosmetics company and UK prime minister Boris Johnson shelves a proposed cut to corporation tax at the CBI’s annual conference on Monday.  Plus, Facebook declared that it had shut down 5.4bn fake accounts in the first nine months of this year. The FT’s Lex deputy editor, Elaine Moore, dives into the social network’s fake accounts problem.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Aramco scales back the initial public offering of its state oil giant, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, says she will “make sure” President Donald Trump does not “intimidate” the whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry, UK prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to pledge to reduce business rates and provide a series of tax breaks worth about £1bn a year and HP’s board of directors unanimously rejects a $22-a-share bid from rival Xerox. Plus, the FT’s Archie Hall explains why some yield-starved investors are piling into income share agreements with students looking to finance higher education.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US and China are struggling to complete a ‘phase one’ deal to halt their trade war, former Goldman Sachs chief executive Lloyd Blankfein takes aim at US Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren, saying that “maybe tribalism is just in her DNA” and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is fighting back against the Trump administration award of the $10bn Jedi military contract to Microsoft. Plus, the FT’s Madhumita Murgia reports on Google’s plan to lock down advertisers’ access to personal user data. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

WeWork said its losses more than doubled to $1.3bn in the third quarter of 2019, researchers say a smartphone app developed by the Home Office for EU citizens has serious vulnerabilities, Google is talking to US banks about offering checking accounts to its customers and outgoing European Council president Donald Tusk takes aim at Brexiters “longing for the Empire”. Plus, the FT’s Peter Spiegel analyses the first day of public impeachment hearings on the Trump administration’s dealings with Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some popular UK health websites are sharing people’s sensitive data to ad-targeting giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook, and US president Donald Trump threatens to escalate the trade war with China if no truce is reached. Plus,Tesla has plans to bring its first European production site to Berlin and Spain’s Socialist party strikes a deal with the radical leftwing Podemos party in what could be the country’s first modern coalition government. Plus, Germany is on the brink of a recession, but the country’s services business and consumer spending are thriving. The FT’s Martin Arnold explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sources tell the FT that US private equity firm Cerberus has lost faith in Deutsche Bank’s chairman Paul Achleitner and is pushing for him to be replaced, WeWork has held talks with T-Mobile US boss John Legere to become its new chief executive and KKR woos Walgreens with a $70bn buyout proposal. Plus, the FT’s political editor George Parker unpacks how the UK elections have unravelled and what to expect next.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christine Lagarde is expected to face calls for an overhaul of how the European Central Bank decides monetary policy, Apple has piled on more than $400bn of market capitalisation so far this year, Bolivia’s socialist President Evo Morales has stepped down after almost 14 years in power and elections in Spain failed to break the country’s political impasse. Plus, the FT’s Anna Nicolaou explains why teens and media executives, alike, are taking note of TikTok.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have another FT podcast to share. With FT Politics: UK Election Countdown, you can keep up with the twists and turns of the December 12 poll.The first week of the election did not go to plan for the Conservatives, as their campaign was beset by gaffes and mistakes. Can Boris Johnson get back on track? Is Labour pleased with how its campaign is going? Plus, the politics team delves into the new fiscal rules pledged by both parties and what the spending splurge means.You can find FT Politics: UK Election Countdown wherever you listen to podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bankers for Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering have dangled the possibility of bonus payouts that could take the company’s annual dividend past $100bn and Disney’s costs climb as it gets ready to debut its new streaming service. Meanwhile, billionaire and former mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg has taken his first official steps to run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, US stocks closed at record highs on Thursday following reports that Washington and Beijing agreed to remove some trade tariffs in phases and the Bank of England has given its clearest signal yet that it will be prepared to cut interest rates if the UK economy slows further. Plus, Spain will head to the polls on Sunday for the fourth time in as many years. The FT’s Daniel Dombey explains the political deadlock, and what to expect from the upcoming election.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Airbnb is being valued at up to $42bn by investors buying indirect stakes ahead of an IPO next year and the US Department of Justice has charged two former Twitter employees with using the platform to spy for the Saudi government. Meanwhile, SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son admits turning a “blind eye” to governance lapses at WeWork, Uber shares hit a new low on Wednesday following the end of the early investors’ lock-up period and Xerox launches a bid to acquire its much larger rival HP for more than $30bn, including debt. Plus, the French government has pledged to “take back control” of its immigration policy. The FT’s Victor Mallet explains why the crackdown is coming now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump’s envoy to the EU acknowledges Ukraine aid was linked to a probe into Joe Biden, Ikea and H&M resist retail disruption by investing hundreds of millions of euros into venture capital investments and Germany’s finance minister, Olaf Scholz, offers hope of a breakthrough in plans to create a full eurozone banking union. Plus, an FT investigation shows that air pollution on the London Underground is as much as 10 times above health guidelines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uber’s rising revenue fails to stem a large loss in the third quarter and SoftBank tightens governance at companies it backs following the near collapse of WeWork. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials debate whether to remove some existing tariffs on Chinese goods to seal a partial deal, UK MPs vote in favor of Lindsay Hoyle as the next Speaker of the House of Commons, and a second senior executive leaves McDonald’s after the chief executive was fired over a relationship with an employee. Plus, are Americans better off financially than they were four years ago? A new FT-Peterson poll has some interesting answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump agrees to answer questions by House Republicans, Saudi Aramco launches its long-awaited IPO, regulators call on Deutsche Bank’s Christian Sewing to give up his dual role as chief executive and investment bank head, and McDonald’s sacks its chief executive over a relationship the fast-food giant said is a violation of company policy. Plus, Facebook, Google and other big technology companies are facing several US investigations into their corporate power. The FT’s Kiran Stacey looks at which investigations the industry should worry about. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US House of Representatives votes to begin a new public phase in the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, Adam Neumann’s former chief of staff accuses WeWork and its co-founder of discriminating against women, Shares in Pinterest fall after the company reported third-quarter revenues below expectations and Altria writes down the value of its investment in Juul by $4.5bn. Plus, the FT’s David Crow explains why European banks have run out of options to protect profits.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US Department of Justice strikes a deal with the Malaysian financier at the centre of the 1MDB scandal, Apple posts quarterly earnings showing strong accessory sales even as smartphone and Mac sales declined, and new documents reveal that Boeing pushed to limit expensive pilot training for its 737 Max jet. Plus, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates for the third time this year. The FT’s Jennifer Ablan explains what this signals about the central bank’s outlook for the US economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British MPs set a general election for December 12, the owner of French carmaker Peugeot is in merger talks with rival Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to create a company worth more than $47bn, and US senators lash out at Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg in his first appearance before Congress since the two fatal crashes of its 737 max jet. Plus, the FT’s Mehul Srivastava reports on a WhatsApp hack that led to the targeting of 100 journalists and dissidents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alphabet revenues were hit by rising costs in the third quarter despite a strong performance by Google’s ad business, and UK prime minister Boris Johnson will push ahead with another attempt to set a December general election. Plus, the FT reports that TikTok parent company ByteDance is planning to go public in Hong Kong next year, Beyond Meat posts its first quarterly profit since going public and the US House of Representatives will vote to formalise its impeachment inquiry. Then, Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic made its trading debut on Monday, becoming the first space tourism company to launch on to public markets.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alberto Fernández defeats Mauricio Macri to become the next president of Argentina, Lloyds Banking Group failed to pass on the wills of thousands of deceased customers to their families and President Donald Trump announces that Isis Leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed by US special forces. Plus, the FT’s San Francisco correspondent Patrick McGee explains how Uber is trying to become the west’s first super-app. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon shares dropped as much as 9 per cent in after-hours trading on Thursday after the company reported lower profits than a year ago, Boris Johnson makes a fresh push for a UK general election, the European Central Bank keeps rates on hold at president Mario Draghi’s last policy meeting and Paris overtakes Berlin in tech start-up activity. Plus, leftwing populists are poised to retake power in Argentine elections on Sunday. The FT’s Colby Smith explains what this could mean for the country’s debtholders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tesla shares soar 20 per cent in after-hours trade after posting a net profit in the third quarter, and Donald Trump says he will remove sanctions imposed on Turkey a day ahead of a Nato defence ministers meeting. Plus, WeWork plans to axe 4,000 jobs, European Council president Donald Tusk is trying to persuade leaders to back a Brexit delay and Boris Johnson’s government and party are split on whether to push for a general election. Then, the FT’s Washington correspondent, Kiran Stacey, unpacks Mark Zuckerberg’s defence of the Libra digital currency project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British MPs back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal in principle, but derail his attempt to take the UK out of the EU by October 31, and US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross floats new talks with the EU as an alternative to imposing car tariffs next month. Plus, the top US diplomat in Kiev says Donald Trump withheld Ukraine aid over a request to investigate political rivals, Turkey and Russia agree to the removal of Kurdish fighters from a buffer zone in north-east Syria, the Chinese government is drawing up a plan to replace Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, and Snapchat’s parent company says it expects to hit its target of turning a profit by the end of the year. Then, FT industry editor Peggy Hollinger tells us what Boeing has to do to regain trust as it tries to get its 737 Max plane back in the air.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.