FT News in Focus

Why do footballers in England get paid so much? Broadcasters pay billions of pounds to air the live matches from the Premier League. Henry Mance and Dan Thomas discuss the possible scenarios for Sky and BT in the upcoming high stakes broadcast rights auction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uber's Travis Kalanick clearly sees a utilitarian advantage in funding clever Carnegie Mellon scientists to help his company explore driverless technology, says Andrew Hill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The advent of a Greek government led by the far left Syriza party spooked investors, but the new finance minister Yanis Varoufakis has been in Europe on a post-election roadshow to win support for his plans to tackle the country's massive debt burden. Patrick Jenkins talks to Martin Arnold about the reception he received in London Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, former head of the IMF, goes on trial in France this week on charges of “aggravated pimping". The so-called Carlton Affair centres on allegations that businessmen and police officials in the town of Lille in northern France supplied women for sex parties in Lille, Paris and Washington. It is the latest twist in a steep fall from grace for the former global finance chief since 2011. Fiona Symon talks Michael Stothard about the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do women build a career when they have pre-school children and their partners are in full time work? For well paid professionals a nanny is often the answer, but those on lower incomes often rely on relatives for affordable and flexible childcare. One relatively new solution, dubbed extreme childcare, is to find after hours and even overnight nurseries which allow parents to meet the growing need to work long hours and shifts. Emma Jacobs visits one of the few nurseries in the UK to offer such care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Goodluck Jonathan is facing a challenge from former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari in next month’s presidential election in Nigeria, which comes at a time when the outlook for the country is bleak. The economy has been hit by the falling oil price and the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast is becoming a serious security threat. Fiona Symon discusses the rival candidates with William Wallis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google is doubling the number of US cities that will receive its super fast broadband service and is calling for better co-operation from local authorities to help improve internet speeds in their areas. Ravi Mattu talks to Hannah Kuchler about why Google is so keen to spread its superfast network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zaid al-Ali, expert in the rule of law and constitutional affairs in the Arab world, talks to Borzou Daragahi, FT Middle East correspondent, about what went wrong with the pro-democracy revolutions of the Arab Spring four years ago and why so little real political progress has been made. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greeks voted emphatically this weekend against the austerity policies of the last few years, electing into government a leftwing party which has vowed to renegotiate terms with Greece’s creditors. Fiona Symon discusses what happens next with the FT’s Europe Editor, Tony Barber Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Financial Times has published its global MBA rankings for 2015. Della Bradshaw, business education editor, and Laurent Ortmans, the statistician in charge of the rankings, discuss the key trends the data reveal with Jonathan Moules, business education correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year’s crash of rockets operated by Virgin Galactic and Orbital Sciences were a reminder of the risks inherent in space exploration. But those accidents haven’t put off investors. Space X, Planet Labs and OneWeb all announced new investment this week, in the latest round of the private space race. Ravi Mattu talks to Tim Bradshaw. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Libya has been locked in an escalating civil war since the toppling of Muammer Gaddafi in 2011. There is now a real risk of the country falling prey to terrorist groups like the Islamic State, but recent talks have brought the first glimmer of hope that agreement can be reached to end the fighting. Borzou Daragahi talks to Bernardino Leon, UN special envoy to Libya, who has been leading the efforts at reconciliation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

India is set to overtake China as the world's most populous country within about a decade despite years of efforts to bring down the birth rate. But right-wing religious leaders, worried about the erosion of the Hindu majority by Muslims, are urging Hindu women to produce more, not fewer babies. Fiona Symon talks to the Victor Mallet about India's battle of the babies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An Argentine prosecutor who had accused the government of a cover-up in relation to a terrorist attack on a Jewish community centre 20 years ago has been found dead a day before he was due to explain his allegations to the Argentine congress. Fiona Symon talks to Benedict Mander about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Alberto Nisman's death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amazon won its first Golden Globes on Sunday for Transparent, and laterannounced it had commissioned Woody Allen to produce a seriesexclusively for its Prime Instant Video streaming service. Henry Manceand Matt Garrahan discuss the company's burgeoning productiondivision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme resume this week, Najmeh Bozorgmehr talks to Iranians about their hopes for an easing of the economic embargo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few months ago, no-one had heard of Pegida but this week the German group, which stands for Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West, mustered 25,000 supporters in the city of Dresden to march against immigration and the growing presence of Islam in Europe. Fiona Symon talks to Stefan Wagstyl about the origins and aims of the group. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is already close to death and now a fresh disagreement has arisen over a decision by the Palestinians to apply to join the International Criminal Court. Fiona Symon talks to John Reed about why Palestinians want to join it and why Israel opposes the move. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has declared 2015 "A year of Books", in which he and thousands of followers will read a nominated title every two weeks. The Romans would have loved it, says Andrew Hill Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The discovery of a new antibiotic has brought fresh hope that a looming health crisis caused by drug resistant infections can be avoided. Called teixobactin, it is the result of a private public collaboration involving universities in the US and Germany, and the US biotech company NovoBiotic pharmaceuticals. Andrew Ward, pharmaceuticals correspondent, talks to Clive Cookson, science editor, about the discovery. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four years after the Arab spring brought hopes of democratic change to the Arab world, the political repression that sparked the popular uprisings has been often been replaced by more autocracy, civil unrest or worse. Some Arab countries like Morocco have made progress towards greater civil liberties, but this is under threat because of growing security fears in the region, Borzou Daragahi tells Fiona Symon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

'On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me a partridge in a pear tree ...' along with French hens, swans a-laying, lords a-leaping and a sackful of other online orders to put the logistics of Yuletide to the test. Andrew Hill's Christmas carol for delivery services everywhere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Serial, the hit podcast in which journalist Sarah Koenig investigated the conviction of Adnan Syed for the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, has concluded its first series. It has been the most successful podcast ever, but it has also raised a lot of questions about journalism ethics, the role of social media in sensitive stories, and the future of the podcast form. After listening to the final episode, Sarah Gordon, the FT's business editor; Helen Warrell, FT public policy correspondent; Sarah O'Connor, employment correspondent, and Shannon Bond, US media and marketing correspondent, react to the questions left unanswered by the innovative series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Mullender is a former hostage negotiator for the UK Metropolitan Police. Listening has been key to his work, he says, and is an under appreciated skill. Today, he teaches it to business executives. He tells Emma Jacobs people need to stop asking questions and listen more to what's being said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manj Weerasekera is an executive coach in London. During the course of his work, he met many businessmen who would reveal that they were having relationship problems. A happily divorced man himself, he thought they needed a helping hand and now he says 40 per cent of his work is dedicated to guiding divorced men towards their ideal partner. He tells Emma Jacobs his story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Without global action, drug-resistant infections will cause 10m deaths a year worldwide by 2050 and cost at least $100tn during the next 35 years, according to the first economic analysis of the problem. Clive Cookson, FT Science Editor, spoke to Jim O'Neill, former Goldman Sachs economist and author of the review, about its findings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe's mainstream parties are facing a growing challenge from rightwing anti-immigration parties like the Front National in France and Ukip in Britain. But in Spain, the two parties that have ruled the country for decades have been unsettled by an upstart from the left. Podemos, which translates as “We Can” has managed in the space of 10 months to become one of the most popular political movements in the country. Fiona Symon talks to Tobias Buck about the rapid rise of the anti-establishment party. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands of foreign fighters have flocked to Syria to help create an austere Islamic state harking back to the past. But as Erika Solomon, FT correspondent in Beirut, found out, they have retained their taste for modern-day snacks and gadgets. She spoke to Fiona Symon about what she discovered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Some senior bank managers have been reported to be on the point of resignation because of the onerous nature of the new regulatory structure that is set to be imposed on the industry. Patrick Jenkins discusses the new rules and the objections to them with Anthony Brown, chief executive of the British Bankers Association. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nigerian Islamist extremists have carried out a series of increasingly bold attacks against towns and villages in the north east of the country, which the government security forces have seemed powerless to prevent. Fiona Symon talked to William Wallis in Lagos about the seemingly unstoppable rise of Boko Haram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Qatar has been under pressure from fellow Arab Gulf states over its alleged support for Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood, but according to Bahrain's foreign minister, it has now agreed to back the Egyptian government and curb the critical output of Al Jazeera - the TV network that once revolutionised the region's media with its fiercely independent voice. Simeon Kerr spoke to Sheikh Khalid Al Khalifa about the deal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zimbabwe’s veteran president Robert Mugabe has tightened his vice-like grip on power as his ruling Zanu-PF party gears up for a critical conference next week. His vice-president Joice Mujuru has been sidelined amid allegations that she was plotting against him, and the party has amended its constitution to give him sole power to appoint a deputy - or de facto heir apparent. Many people think he is lining up his wife Grace for the role. Fiona Symon spoke to Andrew England about the country's murky politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first Ebola vaccine to be tested on humans, developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the US National Institutes of Health, has shown promising results in early trials, paving the way for it to be tested on healthcare workers in west Africa in the new year. Fiona Symon spoke to Andrew Ward about the potential of the vaccine to address the Ebola crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraqi forces have begun to challenge the control of Islamist militants over parts of the Sunni province of Anbar west of the capital Baghdad. Fiona Symon talks to Borzou Daragahi, Middle East correspondent, about the new tactics being deployed by Iraqi forces in their battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian and Saudi Arabian telecoms companies have been targetted by a sophisticated cyber snooping operation reminiscent of the Stuxnet worm that was developed by US and Israeli government hackers to target Iran. Fiona Symon talks to Sam Jones and Hannah Kuchler how the operation - known as the Regin malware - came to light and who is thought to be behind it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apple is once again preparing to shake up the way people listen to music. After almost single-handedly creating the legal download market a decade ago, the company is now planning to bundle Beats music, a monthly subscription, into its iOS operating system. About 500m people own apple iPhones and iPads - so this has big implications for the music business. Robert Cookson talks to Matthew Garrahan about what this means for competitors like Spotify. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain is at the midway point in an austerity programme intended to bring down the deficit. However, as the FT pointed out in a series of articles recently, the cuts to come are set to be worse than those imposed so far and politicians have not been forthcoming about the pain that lies ahead or the choices the electorate faces. Readers put their questions about the series to FT Economics Editor Chris Giles Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iraqi forces have taken near full control of the Baiji oil refinery north of the capital Baghdad. This is being claimed as a milestone in the battle against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Fiona Symon discusses the development with Borzou Daragahi, FT Middle East correspondent Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrick Jenkins talks to Marshall Bailey, president of the ACI, which represents the foreign exchange industry, about how best to reform the industry in the wake of the recent trading scandal and the record settlement reached by big banks last week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcasts are undergoing a renaissance as millions download or stream audio recordings on their iPhones or through built-in apps in their cars. Robert Cookson talks to Shannon Bond about an industry that is starting to pull in serious money from advertisers and investors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The landing of a European space probe on a comet 500m km away has caught the world's imagination. Philae, launched from the Rosetta satellite, is sitting on the head of the comet - its scientific instruments are working, but it is not properly anchored. Clive Cookson, FT science editor, asked space scientist Ken Pounds what the project may reveal about the history of the solar system. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Britain's nine-year programme to cut its budget deficit has reached the midway mark. The results have been surprising: economic growth has returned, foreign investment is strong and employment is reaching record levels, but progress has been slower than expected and it seems the toughest part still lies ahead. Michael Stott is joined by Chris Giles and Jim Pickard to discuss the political implications. Chris Giles will answer questions about the cuts in a follow-up podcast next week. To take part, email [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An audio recording this week has raised fears that the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant has a growing presence in the Arab world's most populous country. Fiona Symon spoke to Borzou Daragahi about the implications for Egypt and the region. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guo Guangchang may be the most powerful Chinese businessman most westerners have never heard of. He co-founded China’s largest private conglomerate, the Fosun Group, which is bidding for control of Club Med, the French holiday chain, and may soon be buying a famous brand near you. Patti Waldmeir spoke to him over a vegetarian lunch in Shanghai about his philosophy of life and about getting rich in China. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Big celebrations in Germany this weekend will mark the moment the cold war ended 25 years ago when the Berlin Wall, symbol of the iron curtain, fell. Quentin Peel and Stefan Wagstyl discuss what the anniversary means for Germany and its European partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest UN report on global warming found that the risk of runaway climate change can be prevented without seriously denting global economic growth. But it also warned that without deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, the frequency of climate-related disasters will rise. Fiona Symon discusses this, and the findings of another report warning about the depletion of groundwater resources, with Pilita Clark, FT environment correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Libya has had two rival governments since a militia group from the western city of Misrata seized the capital from the elected government in August, forcing it to relocate to the east of the country. Unless the two sides can resolve their differences, the country risks falling into the hands of pro-Isis forces. Fiona Symon spoke to Borzou Daragahi, Middle East correspondent, about the conflict in the oil rich north African state. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dilma Rousseff's re-election as president of Brazil this week prompted a currency and stock market sell off, giving a foretaste of the battle she faces to deliver the improvements to Brazilians’ living standards that her voters expect. Fiona Symon spoke to Joe Leahy, São Paulo correspondent, about the economic challenges she faces. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Hungarian plan to impose the world's first internet tax has brought thousands onto the streets in protest. It has also drawn criticism from the European Commission, which said Viktor Orban's government should not be allowed to set a precedent with the proposed tax. Fiona Symon discusses the tax with Andrew Byrne, Budapest correspondent. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian parties that back closer ties with Europe have began talks on forming a coalition after winning the majority of seats in the country’s elections. It is a political victory for the west in its dispute with Russia over the future of Ukraine. But this is overshadowed by economic and security worries as the conflict in the breakaway Donetsk region continues. Neil Buckley, East Europe editor, talks to Fiona Symon about the challenges Ukraine’s new government will face. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.