FT News in Focus

India’s chief justice this week made a tearful plea to the government for more judges to help tackle the country’s vast backlog of more than 33m outstanding cases. India’s justice system is notoriously slow, with actions and appeals sometimes lasting decades. Ben Hall asks Victor Mallet, the FT's South Asia bureau chief, what is being done to tackle the problem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shareholder activism is on the rise, often motivated by outrage over the stratospheric pay rises that chief executives award themselves. Sharlene Goff asks David Oakley, FT Corporate Affairs correspondent, what have been the biggest recent rebellions and whether they can make a difference. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why would a big US telecoms company be looking to buy a struggling internet brand? The FT's Shannon Bond and David Crow discuss Verizon's alleged interest in merging Yahoo with its AOL business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goldman Sachs, the go-to bank of the rich and powerful, is moving into consumer lending and consumer savings. Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, discusses the surprise development with US banking editor Ben McLannahan, UK banking editor Martin Arnold, and Sam Theodore of credit rating agency Scope Ratings. Music by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The effort to develop an Ebola vaccine has made progress recently, but too late to save those who died during last year's epidemic. Scientists are now racing to find a vaccine against the Zika virus. Andrew Ward, FT pharmaceuticals correspondent, asks Charlie Weller of the Wellcome Trust why scientists are so often behind the curve. Music by David SappaRead more on vaccines in an FT Special Report at ft.com/vaccines Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EU has widened its landmark antitrust battle against Google, accusing the US technology group of abusing its dominance of the smartphone operating system Android. Ravi Mattu examines the case against Google with Murad Ahmed, the FT's European technology correspondent.Music by David Sappa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton secured substantial victories in the New York primaries on Tuesday night, strengthening Clinton's position as Democratic frontrunner but doing little to ease speculation of a contested nomination process at the Republican party convention in July. The FT's Washington bureau chief Demetri Sevastopulo talks to Neil Munshi about the results and the state of the nomination race. Visit FT.com/nbe to sign up for the White House Countdown email newsletter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death is being marked by celebrations around the world, including in London, where he wrote his plays. Sarah Hemming, the FT's theatre critic, speaks to Dominic Dromgoole, outgoing artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe, about why the playwright’s work has proved so influential around the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brazil is in a deepening economic and political crisis. Will the impeachment proceedings against President Dilma Rousseff help resolve the country's problems? Jonathan Wheatley asks Joe Leahy, the FT's Brazil bureau chief, what happens next. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Prof Iris Bohnet explains to Sarah Gordon, the FT's business editor, her research into "unconscious gender bias" in candidate selection and performance appraisals in business, and explains the famous experiment at the Boston Symphony Orchestra which now has 40 per cent female musicians after auditions were conducted behind screens. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Days before Citi releases its first quarter earnings, research analyst Brian Kleinhanzl of KBW makes a case for splitting up one of the largest US banks. Presented by Alistair Gray. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten Years, a bleak film about the future of Hong Kong, which has just won a prestigious industry award, has caused a stir for highlighting some of the political tensions between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Josh Noble talks to FT Hong Kong reporter Gloria Cheung about the film. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MetLife celebrated a victory this week when a district court in Washington ruled the Obama administration had acted unlawfully in determining the biggest US insurer by assets was "too big to fail". The FT's Alistair Gray tells Ben McLannahan which other companies might come forward to challenge the same designation, how the ruling could affect insurance groups like AIG, and what steps Washington could take to contest the ruling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Members of Britain's Bankers Association have revealed that they are against Britain leaving the European Union, which is in line with the views expressed by US bankers. Patrick Jenkins discusses the poll results and why bankers have been reticent about revealing their position with Martin Arnold and Laura Noonan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraq has announced the beginning of a long-awaited campaign to recapture Mosul from Islamic State forces. It is hoping to push the Islamists out of the city by the end of the year. Siona Jenkins asks Erika Solomon, the FT's Middle East correspondent, what are the chances of success. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A UK report on women in finance, led by Jayne-Anne Gadhia, head of Virgin Money, has found that women occupy only 14 per cent of top jobs in the sector. FT retail banking correspondent Emma Dunkley spoke to Ms Gadhia about how to fix the problem. Music by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brussels has come under terrorist attack in an assault on the arteries of Europe's diplomatic capital. Alex Barker. FT correspondent in Brussels, reports Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Valeant said on Monday that chief executive Mike Pearson would be stepping down. The Canadian drugmaker also traded blame with its former chief financial officer over providing incorrect information to the company’s auditors that it said led to the filing of erroneous reports with the US securities regulator. The FT's David Crow and Sujeet Indap discuss the company's future. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands of finance professionals spend their days in offices along the Thames, but the stretch of river that connects London's two financial districts is a different kind of workplace. Emma Jacobs spoke to some of the city's river workers about how they spend their day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

George Osborne delivered his 2016 Budget against a backdrop of a lower growth forecast for the UK economy, putting further pressure on the chancellor's spending plans. Malcolm Moore discusses the highlights with FT economics editor Chris Giles and political commentator Janan Ganesh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bangladesh central bank governor Atiur Rahman has stepped down after the bank lost $81m through a cyber attack in one of the world's biggest ever bank robberies. Victor Mallet, the FT's South Asia bureau chief tells Patrick Jenkins what happened. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A large car bomb in Ankara has killed at least 37 people, underlining the threat to Turkish stability posed by Kurdish separatists and Islamic state militants. The FT's Mehul Srivastava reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you go about negotiating a pay rise or a promotion at work? Maggie Neale teaches the art and science of negotiation at Stanford Business School. She talks to Emma Jacobs about the secrets of getting more of what you want. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Sedol, world champion of the Chinese board game Go, has just been beaten by a computer. Murad Ahmed explains how Google's DeepMind AlphaGo programme did it, and why its victory is significant for the world beyond the Go board. Music by David Sappa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe’s top five investment banks are now making less than half as much revenue as the top five US operators, which beat their European rivals on almost every financial measure last year. Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, asks Laura Noonan, FT investment banking correspondent, what's behind the numbers.Music by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three years after the UK government began slashing welfare benefits, Financial Times reporters looked at the impact of the cuts on some of the poorest parts of the country. Barney Thompson discusses the results of their research with Sarah Neville and John Murray Brown.Picture credit: Charlie Bibby Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Harnessing the electronic signals of the human nervous system to treat diseases has been described as the next great frontier in medical science. Andrew Ward discusses the possiblities and risks with Clive Cookson, FT science editor. Music: David Sappa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women activists played a prominent role in Iran's recent parliamentary elections, campaigning on social media and urging women to come out and vote. Minou Khaleghi, one of 14 newly-elected women MPs, says her priority will be to push for for changes in the area of family law, maternity rights and employment rights for women. The FT's Najmeh Bozorgmehr reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US economy added an unexpected 242,000 jobs in February, exceeding economists' forecasts significantly and easing market concerns of a recession. But clouds remain over a lack of wage rises. The FT's Shawn Donnan explains how the underlying figures indicate why some Americans have become enraged about the US economic recovery and made it a major policy issue for potential White House nominees such as Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EU leaders are preparing for an emergency summit against a grim backdrop: desperate scenes at the Greece-Macedonia border, where crowds of migrants are being beaten back from storming a fence with salvos of tear gas. Alex Barker, FT Brussels corrrespondent, looks at German chancellor Angela Merkel's attempt to establish a common refugee policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deutsche Börse is seeking to merge with the London Stock Exchange, potentially creating an important bridge between the London and Frankfurt financial centres. But it is not the only prospective bidder. Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, discusses the development and its implications for investment banks with Lee McCormack, market infrastructure expert, and Laura Noonan, FT investment banking correspondent. Music by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, who heads Poland's Law and Justice Party, is leading a conservative counter-revolution that some see as anti-democractic. Henry Foy, the FT's Warsaw correspondent, was granted a rare interview. He talks to Gideon Rachman and Neil Buckley about the encounter. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iranians go to the polls on Friday in the first major test of public opinion since last summer’s nuclear accord. President Hassan Rouhani is seeking a mandate to press on with long-promised reforms. Najmeh Bozorgmehr, FT Tehran correspondent, talks to voters about their intentions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would a vote to leave the European Union be good for Britain's economy? John Redwood, Conservative politician, and Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator at the Financial Times, discuss the question in the third and final of a series of FT debates on Brexit. To read more on Britain's referendum on Europe, go to ft.com/eu-referendum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would a British vote to leave the European Union be a disaster for the City of London? Howard Shaw of investment bank Shaw Capital and Gina Miller of investment managers SCM Private discuss the question in the second of a series of FT debates on Brexit. To read more on Britain's referendum on Europe, go to ft.com/eu-referendum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would a UK vote to leave the European Union this year benefit Europe? Peter Mandelson, the Labour politician, and Daniel Hannan, a Conservative member of the European parliament, discuss the question in the first of a series of FT debates on Brexit. To read more on Britain's referendum on Europe, go to ft.com/eu-referendum Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China's appetite for acquiring overseas companies was dealt a major setback this week as regulatory fears hindered two potential takeovers. How will this affect the $44bn ChemChina deal to acquire Swiss agribusiness Syngenta and other large-scale deals? US M&A correspondent James Fontanella-Khan explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the justifications for the call from Federal Reserve of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari that the major banks should be broken up, and are his motivations political or in the best interests of society and investors? Lex US editor Sujeet Indap and US banking editor Ben McLannahan discuss. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple has taken a stand against a US court order that it must help the FBI unblock an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. Ravi Mattu discusses the FBI request and Apple's response with Sam Jones, FT defence and security editor, and Tim Bradshaw, San Francisco correspondent. Music by David Sappa. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The diversified mining group is targeting an extra $3bn to $4bn of asset sales this year as it seeks to recover from the commodities rout. Matthew Vincent asks James Wilson, FT mining correspondent, what's behind Anglo's plan and whether it can succeed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some of the world's biggest banks have seen their share prices fall again this week. Is the investor anxiety justified? Martin Arnold, FT banking editor, puts the question to Simon Peters, a portfolio manager at Algebris Investments, and Thomas Hale, FT capital markets correspondent. Music by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London business schools report a growing trend among large tech companies to hire MBA graduates. Jonathan Moules talks to David Morris of London Business School about how the schools are adapting to meet the new demand for tech-based courses. Music: Podington Bear Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world's largest container shipping company, AP Møller-Maersk, warned investors this week that it was seeing significantly tougher business conditions than it had during the 2008 financial crisis, marking the latest gloomy announcement in recent weeks about the weak state of global trade. The FT's Sujeet Indap asks industry correspondent Robert Wright about what to watch in the shipping industry for signs of a global slowdown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Simon Kuper is joined by journalists Amy Raphael, Jimmy Burns and David Winner for a behind the scenes look at how the interplay between soccer and culture will play out at Euro 2016. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In what could prove a decisive moment in Syria's civil war, the northern rebel stronghold of Aleppo is on the brink of falling to government forces backed by Russian air power. Ben Hall discusses what options remain for the US-backed rebels with Erika Solomon, FT Middle East correspondent, and Geoff Dyer, US diplomatic correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest report on the benefits of female corporate leaders shows that the presence of female executives appears to boost company profits. Carola Hoyos discusses the findings with Kate Burgess, FT corporate correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janet Yellen's testimony to the US Congress on Wednesday comes as confidence in the Federal Reserve is strained, demonstrated by a sell-off in bank stocks, sharp moves in bond markets and some critics calling the December rate rise a mistake. The FT's John Authers asks Mohamed El-Erian how Chair Yellen can reconcile with these forces. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five years after producing the US government's official report on the financial crisis, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission chairman Phil Angelides has written a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking why the Department of Justice has yet to hold Wall St executives accountable for the damage. Mr Angelides explains his position to US banking editor Ben McLannahan. Music by Kevin MacLeod. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The world's banks, especially European banks, have been routed in the equity and debt markets as fears mount about future earnings and levels of capital. Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, talks to Laura Noonan, investment banking correspondent, about the implications.Music: AcidJazz by Kevin MacLeod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Construction companies across the US are struggling to find enough workers to keep up with demand, due in large part to a dearth of Mexican immigrants who do much of the heavy lifting in construction trades. Gary Silverman sits down for lunch with three Mexican immigrants in Dallas, Texas who have found work in the local roofing business. Go to ft.com/bigread for the full story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.