Ft News

Self-belief is vital for leaders, but Lehman, Hanergy and Fifa show the dangers, says Andrew Hill.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Smartphones are everywhere and the media industry is getting ready for a shake-up. By 2020 there will be more than 6bn smartphone subscriptions worldwide according to a new report by Swedish technology group Ericcson. Henry Mance discusses the findings with Daniel Thomas and Shannon Bond.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If Iran and the world powers reach a nuclear deal and international sanctions are lifted, Iran’s tech sector, one of the world’s biggest untapped markets, will be one of the main sectors to watch, says FT Tehran correspondent Najmeh Bozorgmehr.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Chinese buyer looks set to acquire one of Portugal's biggest banks as Chinese companies expand their interest in European financial services. Patrick Jenkins, FT financial editor, discusses the deal and its implications with Luigi de Vecchi, one of Europe's most senior bankers at Citigroup, and FT banking editor Martin Arnold.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some companies are experimenting with tracking their employees with wearable devices. We fitted Sarah O'Connor, the FT's employment correspondent, with a sleep tracker, a mood ring and a fitness tracker, and then shared the data with her boss. She tells Robin Kwong about the week-long experiment, what it feels like to be tracked as an employee, and whether this sort of data collection could actually be useful to an employer.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can Fifa president Sepp Blatter survive the corruption allegations at football's world governing body? What happens when employers track employees with wearable technologies? Why is there so much secrecy around the Trans-Pacific Partnership? And what does artificial intelligence mean for the future of humanity? Henry Mance answers these big questions looking back at the best of this week's Financial Times videos and podcasts.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed trade deal between the US, Japan, and 10 other economies in Asia and Latin America, has run into a barrage of criticism. But why have the governments involved gone to such lengths to keep the negotiating texts secret? The FT's Alan Beattie thinks this is a mistake.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Henry Mance looks at how to be a schmuck and make lots of money, how to invest in a mysterious solar energy company and lose a lot of money and how, maybe, to save the Great Barrier Reef.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Isis forces have captured Palmyra, site of an ancient city that survived for 2000 years but is now facing destruction. It is a severe blow to Syria’s cultural heritage, but also signals the weakness of the Assad regime. Fiona Symon discusses the reasons for the regime's recent reverses with Erika Soloman.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jane Owen, FT's House & Home editor, talks to designers about their experience of this year's show and brings us her highlights  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Internet services have seen advertising revenues soar as consumers turned to smartphones to access the web. But they are having to contend with a new threat: ad-blocking. Ravi Mattu discusses the trend with Robert Cookson.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Deutsche Bank is examining whether to move parts of its British operations to Germany if the UK votes to leave the EU, underlining the potential fallout in the City of London. Patrick Jenkins discusses the move with Martin Arnold and Laura Noonan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Erika Soloman has been speaking to residents of the Iraqi city of Ramadi about the conditions they face since city fell into the hands of fighters from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Sunday. She speaks to Fiona Symon about their predicament.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Milan is seeking to emulate New York and London in attracting international investors to its fashionable new property developments. Serena Tarling speaks to Rachel Sanderson and Lavinia Albertini about the rebranding of the city.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The US move to normalise relations with Cuba unleashed a sense of hope on the island, but the pace of change remains slow, as John Paul Rathbone tells Matthew Garrahan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Henry Mance asks what next for Britain's defeated Labour party, has anything really changed in Cuba, and what does the future hold for Fitbit, maker of those annoying bracelets that track people's jogging.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Equine Affinity offers executives the chance to learn something about themselves by interacting with horses. Emma Jacobs spent a morning with company founder Catherine Bray.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The prefrontal cortex of coaches, marketers, executives and a few charlatans is lighting up at the possibilities offered by neuroscience, says Andrew Hill.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

South Africa’s main opposition party has elected its first black leader. Mmusi Maimane's good looks and skills as an orator have led some to liken him to Barack Obama. Fiona Symon asks Andrew Engand, FT correspondent in Johannesburg, whether he can challenge the power of the ruling ANC.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fitbit is in rude financial health, but can it fend off competition from the likes of Google and Apple? Ravi Mattu discusses the company's prospects ahead of its IPO with Tim Bradshaw, FT San Francisco correspondent.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.