Ft News

EU leaders are gathering for one of the most difficult summits in years, with member states divided over migration and the German chancellor Angela Merkel facing an ultimatum by her conservative coalition allies to come up with a pan-European approach. The FT’s Mehreen Khan and Michael peel discuss what’s at stake for the EU and Germany.Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Despite some efforts at recycling, more than half of all plastic waste created in the industrialised world has been exported for recycling elsewhere, mainly to China. But now Beijing has banned imports of most plastic waste. So where will the waste go now and how much of it is ending up in the ocean? Leslie Hook puts the question to Amy Brooks and Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia, who’ve recently published a study on the global trade in plastic wasteRead the study by Amy Brooks and Jenna Jambeck hereContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For generations, ambitious young Americans flocked to the country’s biggest cities, looking for opportunity in commercial hubs like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. But the generation who came of age around the year 2000 is breaking the mould. Liberty Martin discusses how their choice of where to live is redrawing the map of America with the FT's Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson and Hannah KuchlerRead more hereContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With just nine months left before Britain leaves the European Union, the government remains deadlocked on key decisions relating to the single market and customs union. For the first time since the referendum two years ago, industrial giants like Airbus, BMW and Honda are sounding the alarm. Elaine Moore discusses their fears with the FT's Peter Campbell and Alex Barker.Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The US Supreme Court has overturned a ruling that enabled many ecommerce retailers to avoid collecting sales tax from customers. The FT's Jessica Dye explains the move, and the implications for the consumer economy. Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last year, a violent campaign of military repression forced nearly 700,000 Rohingyas to flee from Myanmar into neighbouring Bangladesh. Now, seasonal Monsoon rains spell further disaster for the refugees, the FT’s South Asia correspondent Kiran Stacey tells Jyotsna SinghContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ZTE, one of China’s biggest telecoms equipment makers, has been plunged into crisis after being barred from operating in the US. The company is being punished for shipping banned products to Iran and North Korea, but it is also at the centre of the US’s escalating trade war with China. Its plight has highlighted China’s reliance on imported silicon chip technology. Aliya Ram discusses the story with the FT’s Nic Fildes and Edward White.Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Challenger companies have been taking on established food brands by catering to the tastes of millennials, who drink less alcohol, want to know what is in the food products they buy and are increasingly eco-conscious. Madison Darbyshire discusses how big food companies are responding to the challenge with the FT’s Scheherazade DaneshkhuContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Donald Trump claims that after his summit with Kim Jong UN, nuclear-armed North Korea is no longer a threat to the US, but has torn up a multilateral treaty with Iran, which does not have nuclear weapons. John Murray Brown discusses what’s behind the US administration’s contrasting approaches to the two countries with the FT's Katrina MansonContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Few mergers in recent memory have been as contentious as the AT&T/Time Warner deal that was approved last week by a US district court judge. Rana Foroohar, the FT's global business columnist, explains what the verdict means for M&A activity, and how it might inform antitrust regulation in the future.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Despite Narendra Modi’s announcement that he had managed to bring electricity to the last village in India, the reality is that tens of millions still lack power. Kiran Stacey and Jyotsna Singh visited some villages in Uttar Pradesh, where half the households are still waiting for connections.Read Kiran and Jyotsna’s article hereContribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Should medical data be treated differently from other personal data, and what impact will Europe’s new GDPR rules have on medical research and health tech companies? Darren Dodd puts these questions to the FT’s Sarah Neville, Tina Woods of Collider Health and data protection and privacy expert Kristof van Quathem. Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This summer’s World Cup will probably attract more viewers than ever, but millennials will be not be sitting in groups in front of their television sets as previous generations did. Murad Ahmed talks to FT columnist Simon Kuper about how new consumer habits are changing the business behind the global tournament. Contribute to our listener survey and enter our prize draw here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Theresa May’s plan for leaving the European Union is being tested in parliament this week, with several key votes on amendments to Brexit legislation that could radically alter the outcome of her negotiations. Siona Jenkins asks the FT’s public policy editor James Blitz to preview the votes.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The relationship between the US and its closest allies plunged to new depths at the annual meeting of the Group of Seven countries after Donald Trump clashed with fellow leaders on trade, and called for Russia to be readmitted to the group. The FT's Sam Fleming reports on what went wrong at the summit, and what to expect from the G7 in the future.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Apple unveiled new tools this week to help consumers reduce their screen time and curb some of the techniques used by marketers to monitor people’s browsing activity. Leslie Hook asks the FT’s Tim Bradshaw whether this marks the start of a shift in the power balance between consumers and big tech companies.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The EU, Canada and Mexico have announced retaliatory tariffs in response to the White House move to slap steel and aluminium tariffs on its closest allies. The FT's Shawn Donnan explains the action, and how it will affect future trade negotiations.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Millennials, a generation both celebrated and derided as individualistic, creative and entitled, have come of age. These digital natives have preferences and habits that pose a disruptive threat to everything from the media and entertainment to food and fashion. Elaine Moore discusses the millennial moment with the FT’s John Gapper.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Spain’s new prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is in a precarious position after ejecting the government of Mariano Rajoy.  He is hoping to reverse cuts to social programmes and improve relations with secessionist leaders in Catalonia. Will he succeed or will he be forced to seek early elections? Hannah Murphy puts the question to the FT’s Madrid correspondent Michael Stothard.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some big name fast fashion retailers are sourcing their inventory closer to home in order to get the latest pieces into the hands of their shoppers fast. But how is it possible such labour intensive production is taking place in one of the most expensive economies in the world? With the FT's Sarah O'Connor. This episode originally aired on the Behind The Money podcast.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.