FT News Briefing

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco trafficking charges, and smaller private investors are eager to invest in Venezuelan oil. Plus, Chinese carmarkers are expected to increase exports this year, and we’ll look at how south-east Asia has been riding out Trump’s tariff storm. Mentioned in this podcast:Maduro pleads not guilty to drug-trafficking charges in New York courtWhat is Trump’s plan for Venezuelan oil?Ex-Chevron executive seeks $2bn for Venezuelan oil projectsChinese car exports set to jump as domestic sales coolHow south-east Asia is riding out Trump’s tariff stormNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted and edited by Marc Filippino, and produced by Victoria Craig and Sonja Hutson. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Kaye Wiggins, Gavin Kallmann, and Michael Lello. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

US President Donald Trump has warned Venezuela’s defacto leader she must meet America’s demands following Nicolas Maduro’s capture. We explore what Trump hopes to achieve in the Latin American country, and the challenges ahead for its people and resource-rich oil industry. Mentioned in this podcast:Trump topples Maduro and vows to ‘run’ Venezuela in stark display of US powerDonald Trump warns Venezuelan rulers as Washington prepares to dictate policyWashington plans to put oil at the heart of Venezuela’s futureNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig and produced by Julia Webster and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Alex Higgins. Additional help from Emily Goldberg. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comSource: White House, NBC, CNN Espanol

Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett predicted that the Magnificent 7 tech stocks were not going to fall, but they wouldn’t ride a lot higher either in 2025. What actually happened was a bit of a mixed bag, and Gillian says that sets these companies up for diverging paths in 2026. The era of an artificial intelligence tide lifting all boats seems to be drawing to an end. Mentioned in this podcast:Forecasting the World in 2025 Forecasting the world in 2026Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Sonja Hutson, and produced by Victoria Craig and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Kent Militzer. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello and David da Silva. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Europe’s banking industry could shed 10 per cent of its workforce by 2030. Plus, the FT’s US national editor and columnist Edward Luce predicted America’s president would not fall out with one-time “first buddy”, billionaire Elon Musk in 2025. He explains why they could form a new kind of alliance in 2026.  Mentioned in this podcast:AI forecast to put 200,000 European banking jobs at risk by 2030Forecasting the World in 2025 Forecasting the world in 2026Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippinio. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello and David da Silva. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music. Credits: The White House, Fox News, CBS, APRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The FT’s Europe editor Ben Hall thought there would be a Ukraine peace deal in 2025. Despite lots of back and forth over ceasefire proposals, an agreement has yet to materialise. The negotiations reveal a lot about the relationship between the west and Russia. Can the countries come to an agreement in 2026?Mentioned in this podcast:Forecasting the World in 2025 Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for 50-year US security guarantee for UkraineNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Sonja Hutson, and produced by Victoria Craig and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann and David da Silva. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

US President Donald Trump hosted Ukraine’s leader at Mar-a-Lago for high-stakes peace talks but failed to reach a breakthrough. Plus, FT markets columnist Katie Martin predicted that in 2025, the bond market would creak but not break. She explains why it held up and whether that will continue in 2026. Mentioned in this podcast:Trump and Zelenskyy talks fail to deliver breakthrough on Ukraine peace dealForecasting the World in 2025 Unhedged podcastNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig, and produced by Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippinio. Our show was mixed by Kent Militzer. Additional help from Adam Samson and Gavin Kallmann. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music. Credit: White HouseRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

What went right in 2025? What could go wrong in 2026? Recorded for the FT’s digital conference The Global Boardroom, Katie Martin and Rob Armstrong talk with Ian Smith, the FT’s senior markets correspondent, about the incredible resilience of the US stock market, and the challenges ahead. Also, they go long boring companies and short KPop Demon Hunters. Subscribe to Unhedged to hear more.For a free 30-day trial to the Unhedged newsletter go to: https://www.ft.com/unhedgedoffer.You can email Robert Armstrong and Katie Martin at unhedged@ft.com.This is a repeat of an episode published on Unhedged, a sister podcast of The FT News Briefing, on Dec. 11, 2025

The French pioneer of European integration Jean Monnet believed that Europe would be ‘built in crisis’. The war in Ukraine is putting this theory to the test, once again. Gideon discusses with historian Timothy Garton Ash how European leaders are responding to this latest crisis after the brief ‘holiday from history’ that followed the fall of the Berlin Wall. Subscribe to The Rachman Review.Clip: ITVNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts This is a repeat of an episode published on The Rachman Review, a sister podcast of the FT News Briefing, on Nov. 20, 2025

When international private equity groups first entered Japan at the turn of the 21st century, newspapers criticised them as vulture funds and politicians steered clear of public contact. Today, it’s a different story. Dozens of buyout groups have set up in the country and the establishment is courting them. The FT’s Tokyo correspondent David Keohane and Tokyo bureau chief Leo Lewis explain why there’s been a shift, and how private equity’s presence may rejuvenate Japanese corporates. Clips from TohoThe FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts.This is a repeat of an episode published on Behind The Money, a sister podcast of FT News Briefing, on November 26, 2025. Follow Behind the Money on Acast, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or Spotify.