FT News in Focus

A bid by China’s Anbang Insurance to buy Novo Banco has collapsed, leaving the future of Portugal's biggest retail bank up in the air. Patrick Jenkins, the FT's financial editor, discusses the implications with Martin Arnold, FT banking editor, and Laura Noonan, investment banking correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hundreds of thousands of companies operating in Russia have been thrown into confusion by new data privacy rules that will help Moscow expand surveillance of its citizens. Kathrin Hille, Moscow Bureau chief for the Financial Times, spoke to some of them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

S Africa bank chief rules out defence of the randSouth Africa’s rand hit all time lows against the dollar this week as currency turmoil swept across emerging markets. Andrew England, the FT's Southern Africa bureau chief, spoke to Lesetja Kganyago, the central bank governor, about how he viewed the current market volatility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Burgis takes a tour of the FT's podcasts and videos in a week when events in China shook the world, Corbynmania made headlines and a single email from Apple's chief executive saved his company $80bn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A political crisis has erupted in Malaysia involving questions about how nearly $700m made its way into the prime minister’s personal bank account and the mismanagement of the country’s sovereign development fund. Ben Bland talks to David Pilling, the FT’s Asia editor, about the scandal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Concerns about the Chinese economy and the country’s stock market gyrations have shown little sign of abating this week. Martin Sandbu asks the FT's economics editor Chris Giles, and US economics editor, Sam Fleming what impact this is likely to have on the wider global economy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An email from Tim Cook to 'Mad Money' television host Jim Cramer helped calm investors and save Apple nearly 80 billion dollars in its market value this week after global markets fell in reaction to turmoil in China. Ravi Mattu talks to Tim Bradshaw about the highly unusual move by the Apple CEO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Corbyn, the surprise front runner in the UK opposition Labour party's leadership contest, speaks to Jim Pickard, the FT's chief political correspondent, about his views on the deficit, banks, media ownership and Nato. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance looks the recent flare-up of fighting in Ukraine, the tribulations of white collar workers, the valuation of new media companies Buzzfeed and Vox, and talks to Sarah O'Connor, employment correspondent, about the way Amazon treats its employees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While some countries fret over banks that are too big to fail, South Korea is grappling with the concept of systemically important business executives. Simon Mundy tells Fiona Symon why a prominent business leader convicted of fraud was recently pardoned. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rising violence in eastern Ukraine has prompted the leaders of France, Germany and Ukraine to convene an emergency summit to try to halt the fighting; at the same time Kiev's talks with its creditors are at a critical point. Ben Hall discusses the twin crises with Neil Buckley and Elaine Moore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive, has been forced on the defensive over stinging allegations about the retail company's management style. Matthew Vincent talks to Hannah Kuchler, FT correspondent in San Francisco, about the allegations and the differences in work culture between Seattle and Silicon Valley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraq’s prime minister has responded to a wave of street protests by launching a sweeping overhaul of government to tackle corruption and strengthen his own powers. Fiona Symon asks the FT’s Middle East correspondent Erika Soloman whether he can succeed where previous efforts have failed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance reviews Google's transformation from a profitable search engine to a tech conglomerate, China's decision to devalue its currency and the abuse of migrants by British employers, and talks to Andrew Hill, management editor about the best business books of the year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is China's renminbi devaluation a move towards liberalisation or a desperate bid to halt the country's economic slowdown? Ben Hall discusses the move with James Kynge and Gabriel Wildau. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google has announced a broad restructuring which sees the US technology company renamed Alphabet and puts its internet search business into a subsidiary company. Matthew Vincent asks Richard Waters why Google has decided to reinvent itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China's island building in the South China Sea has led to friction with countries that share maritime borders around the sea and with the US which remains the dominant power in the region. James Kynge asks Charles Clover, FT correspondent in Beijing, how China has reacted to the criticism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Students who fail in the first round of recruitment after leaving education in Japan are excluded from the country's lifetime employment system and condemned to a precarious life of temporary contracts and part time work. Robin Harding, FT Tokyo correspondent, talks to one of them Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance rounds up this week's news with a look at London's Garrick Club, Obama's plan to combat climate change, and the first banker to be jailed for rigging rates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an excerpt from this week's episode of FT Alphachat, host Cardiff Garcia is joined by Alphaville colleague Matt Klein and FT reporter Anna Nicolaou to discuss Prime Minister Stephen Harper's call for an election as the country is threatened by recession. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Arabia is considering borrowing money on the local market in order to fund a growing budget deficit caused by the drop in oil prices and its expensive war in Yemen. Fiona Symon talks to Simeon Kerr, FT Gulf correspondent, about the kingdom's options. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Obama's plan to impose emissions cuts on the US power sector is opposed by political rivals and some industry. How significant is the plan and can it succeed? Orla Ryan puts the question to Pilita Clark, FT environment corresponent and Barney Jopson, Washington correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Hayes, a former star trader at UBS and Citigroup, has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for conspiring to rig Libor, the first conviction in the global scandal over the manipulation of benchmark interest rates. Martin Arnold talks to Lindsay Fortado about the implications of the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance rounds up this week's news with a look at the fightback against hack attacks, why Britain's Conservative leader David Cameron should not be too complacent, and why annual appraisals at work may be on their way out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4m vehicles last week amid fears the company's Jeep Cherokees could be compromised by hackers, sending shockwaves through the industry. Murad Ahmed asked Andy Sharman, the FT's motor industry correspondent how carmakers are dealing with the cyber security threat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nato allies have welcomed Turkey's decision to step up its fight against Isis. But its decision to include Kurdish opponents as the target of its air attacks is causing some concern. Siona Jenkins discusses Turkey's strategy with Daniel Dombey and Alex Barker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years ago the Chinese government ended the renminbi's strict peg against the US dollar. Since then the currency has gained in stature in world trade, investment and as a reserve currency, reflecting China's growing international influence. James Kynge asks David Pavitt of HSBC and Jinny Yan of Standard Chartered what further changes are in store. Read more at ft.com/renminbi. Music: David Sappa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chinese equities have been in turmoil, suffering one of their worst days on record this week. FT Banking editor Martin Arnold asks Gabriel Wildau, the FT's correspondent in Shanghai, how damaging this is for the country's banking system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Shrimsley rounds up the best of the FT's week in audio and video, including a look at corruption allegations in Brazil, what the removal of a financial regulator says about changing political priorities in Britain, dangerous spreadsheets and the mysterious disappearance of ugly people. Plus, Michael Skapinker joins the show to explain why he thinks it no longer makes sense to own a car. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Much of the hope for Africa's progress in recent years has centred on Nigeria, with its emerging middle class and renaissance in business and the arts. Roula Khalaf asks William Wallis whether the country's new president can keep those hopes alive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Brazil president's second term in office has had a shaky start, with a barrage of corruption allegations fuelling discontent over the country's economic woes and even talk of impeachment. Fiona Symon asks Joe Leahy, FT Brazil bureau chief, how bad things look for Dilma Rousseff. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The City of London is celebrating the departure of Martin Wheatley as head of the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Patrick Jenkins, financial editor, asks Caroline Binham, financial regulation correspondent, whether this ushers in a more lenient era for the banks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Error rates in spreadsheets are frighteningly high and small mistakes can have significant impacts. But is this enough to justify testing in spreadsheets along the lines of what software developers do for code? Lisa Pollack reports on this and more from the 16th annual conference of the European Spreadsheet Risks Interest Group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Were the two big deals resulting from this week's marathon diplomatic talks about Greece and Iran worth celebrating? Henry Mance reviews what the FT commentators said.Also in the highlights of the week: drug baron Joaquin Guzman's escape from a Mexican prison. And why hasn't the wealth management industry realised that in many of Britain's wealthiest households, women are the highest earners? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eliot Higgins has become a leading authority on the conflict in Syria by monitoring social media sites to piece together what's happening on the ground. FT technology editor Ravi Mattu spoke to him about his groundbreaking citizen journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The outlook for Greece's banks has improved now that the government has reached an agreement with its creditors. Patrick Jenkins, the FT's financial editor, discusses what happens next, with FT investment banking correspondent Laura Noonan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iranians tell Najmeh Bozorgmehr, FT correspondent in Tehran, of their hopes for an improved economic outlook when sanctions are lifted Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jude Webber, FT correspondent in Mexico City, tells Fiona Symon why the escape of the country’s most famous fugitive, Joaquin Guzman, represents such a blow to the country's reforming president Enrique Peña Nieto. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance scrolls through the week's news and offers his selection of the best of the FT podcasts. This week: money - Chinese investors are losing it, George Osborne is juggling it, Greece is running out of it and Microsoft's chief executive is too busy talking about ecosystems, DNA and magical things to even mention it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A decade-old corruption scandal in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has erupted on to the national political stage following the sudden death of a number of witnesses and an investigative journalist. Fiona Symon asks Victor Mallet, the FT's South Asia bureau chief, what's going on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could plans to raise the UK living wage change the legacy of the Tories and chancellor George Osborne? FT's Michael Stott asks political commentator Janan Ganesh, and delves into the numbers behind the Summer Budget with economics correspondent Ferdinando Giugliano. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How long can Greece's banks survive the current political turmoil? Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, discusses this question, and what happens when the money runs out, with Ronit Ghose, banks analyst at Citigroup and Martin Arnold, FT banking editor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Puerto Rico has been called America's Greece, because of the ruinous scale - and nature - of its debt. Leaf Arbuthnot talks to the FT US Markets Editor Robin Wigglesworth about the problems facing the island. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the pension age increases, sustaining a career until 70 is set to become a pressing issue. Emma Jacobs asks Lynda Gratton of London Business School and Chris Ball of the Shaw Trust how this can be done. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance scrolls through the week's news and offers his selection of the best of the FT podcasts. This week: a terror attack in Tunisia, Prince Alwaleed promises to give away his fortune, and an African scandal unfolds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peterson Feital, minister to the creative industries for the Diocese of London, has been dubbed the “red carpet curate” for his appearance at glitzy premieres, He explains his mission to Emma Jacobs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ignazio Marino, the Mayor of Rome, is fighting for his political life, as details emerge of an immense corruption scandal reaching right into the heart of the Eternal City. Does he deserve to be nudged out of office? Leaf Arbuthnot asks James Politi, FT Rome Bureau Chief, to explain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greece has become be the first developed country to miss a payment to the IMF. Martin Arnold, FT banking editor, discusses what the default means for the global banking system with Ferdinando Giugliano, Emma Dunkley and Laura Noonan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Denmark's topsy-turvy election, the party that won most seats has had to cede the premiership to a party that came third, and whose share of the vote actually diminished since the last election. What's going on? Leaf Arbuthnot asks Richard Milne, FT Nordics Correspondent, to explain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Mance scrolls through the week's news and offers his selection of the best of the FT podcasts. This week: the chess game between Russia and Nato, the future of Formula One and why Americans always moan about taxes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.