Ft News

China has launched a quantum satellite to test whether communications can be rendered hack-proof, in its latest challenge to US supremacy in space. Clive Cookson, the FT’s science editor, discusses the development with Lucy Hornby, FT Beijing correspondent. Music from Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The share of electricity that the world’s 20 major economies are generating from the sun and the wind has jumped in the space of five years, new figures show. John Murray Brown asks FT environment correspondent Pilita Clark whether this breakthrough is sustainable and what it means for the battle against climate change.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Europe plans to regulate 'over-the-top' web services like WhatsApp and Skype as part of a radical overhaul of rules on telecoms due out in September. Duncan Robinson, FT correspondent in Brussels, tells Chris Nuttall why the EU is trying to fix this regulatory grey area and what it will mean for companies and consumers.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why does Jamaica, an island nation of just 2.7m, produce sprinters that so easily trounce those from richer, more populous nations? The FT's Murad Ahmed put the question to Usain Bolt shortly after he won his third 100m Olympic gold medal, and he tells John Burn-Murdoch how the athlete replied.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Britain's ancient system of patronage for the ruling elite has come under renewed scrutiny after David Cameron showered honours and titles on his allies shortly before leaving office. Janan Ganesh, the FT's political columnist, tells Hugh Carnegy he thinks Theresa May, the new prime minister, has the puritan instincts to clean up the system.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Bank of England's bond buying programme intended to cushion an expected slowdown in the economy caused by the British vote to quit the European Union had a dramatic effect on financial markets this week, with yields on UK government bonds turning negative for only the second time in history. Hugh Carnegy asked FT markets editor Michael Mackenzie and economics writer Martin Sandbu to explain what happened and why it matters.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

South Africa’s ruling ANC has been forced into coalition talks after suffering its worst electoral performance at local polls last week. The party once led by Nelson Mandela lost its primacy as South Africans’ party of choice after voters registered their grievances over high unemployment, shoddy governance and a scandal-prone president. Andrew England discusses the vote and its repercussions with Krista Mahr, who covered the polls for the FT.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A radical overhaul of India’s tax system will replace national, state and local taxes with a new unified value added tax, improving the country’s competitiveness and boosting growth. James Kynge discusses the breakthrough with the FT’s South Asia bureau chief Amy Kazmin.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Google’s parent company Alphabet is teaming up with British drug company GlaxoSmithKline to invest in bioelectronics. The aim is to treat diseases by targeting the electronic signals that pass along the body’s nerves. Chris Nuttall discusses the prospects for this new branch of medicine with the FT’s Science editor Clive Cookson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The digital advertising industry was rattled this week starting with Verizon's Yahoo takeover and followed by record second quarter earnings for Facebook and Google, underlining the two groups' dominance in the online media market. The FT's global media editor Matt Garrahan discusses this and more with West Coast editor Richard Waters. Visit FT.com for the full story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Phil Gordon, one of Hillary Clinton's foreign policy advisers, tells the FT's Gideon Rachman how the alleged involvement of Russian hackers in the leak of Democratic party emails could revive tension between Washington and Moscow and affect November's vote.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lex writer Sujeet Indap explains why Verizon's $4.8bn acquisition of Yahoo's core operating business is a good deal for the US telecom giant and what it means for Yahoo. Visit FT.com for more on the story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The FT's Cardiff Garcia reports from Munich where a lone gunman killed nine people in an attack near a shopping centre on Friday evening before taking his own life. Visit FT.com for more on the story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In an economic climate of low interest rates and choppy capital markets, US banks are struggling to improve their day-to-day operations. The FT's Ben McLannahan and Alistair Gray discuss the forces restricting revenue growth at the big Wall Street banks, and what to expect in the second half of the year. Music by Kevin MacLeod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the expected departure of Roger Ailes from Fox News Channel, Financial Times editor Lionel Barber and media correspondent David Bond discuss what’s at stake for the future of 21st Century Fox, a key part of Rupert Murdoch’s global media empire.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The UN-backed government in Tripoli is close to pushing Islamic State fighters out of the coastal city of Sirte, considered one of the terror group's most important bases outside of Syria and Iraq. But with little sign of a return to stability across the country, Martin Kobler, the German career diplomat appointed to oversee the peace process in Libya, worries that the problem may simply be displaced elsewhere. He spoke to the FT's Heba Saleh about Libya’s wide-ranging problems during a recent visit to Cairo.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The FT's James Fontanella-Khan travels to Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania, for a rare interview with Fethullah Gulen, the man Turkish President Recap Tayyip Erdogan accuses of masterminding the failed coup that rocked Turkey. Erdogan's clash with a 75-year-old living in remote Pennsylvania has put in jeopardy America’s ties with a key ally in its fight against Isis. Visit FT.com for more on this story.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Devotees love spreadsheets for their directness. You click the formula that you want, edit it instantly and it updates, live. But their use can also lead to problems, as the UK retailer Marks and Spencer recently discovered to its cost. Columnist Lisa Pollack reports on the latest attempts to make spreadsheets more formal and professional For a related column on this topic, visit's Lisa's page on ft.com. Music credits: Whispering Through by Asura and Our Ego [Feat. Different Visitor] by Broke For Free  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

SoftBank, the Japanese telecoms giant, has agreed to buy UK-based chip designer Arm Holdings in a deal worth more than $32bn. It's an enormous bet by chief executive Masayoshi Son that the UK company will make Softbank a leader in one of the next big markets, the “internet of things”. Chris Nuttall discusses the timing of the deal and what it means for both companies with Arash Massoudi, who covers mergers for the FT and Richard Waters, West Coast Editor. Picture credit: Charlie Bibby  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Turkey has sacked thousands of police officers and detained up to 8,000 in the wake of a failed coup in which some 290 people were killed. The government's political opponents came out against the attempted coup but are criticising the crackdown as an overstep in power. Erika Solomon reports for the FT from Istanbul  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.