FT News Briefing

In this third episode of Martin Wolf’s series, the renowned FT columnist and economist speaks to the journalist and historian Anne Applebaum, who has written extensively about the history of communism and the development of civil society in central and eastern Europe. Drawing on arguments in Martin’s latest book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, they discuss what lies behind a global rise in autocracy and what can be done to counter it.Want more?Martin Wolf: in defence of democratic capitalismFor Martin’s FT columns click hereFor the FT review of Martin’s book click here This episode is presented by Martin Wolf. The producer is Laurence Knight. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and the sound engineer is Breen Turner. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Clips: C-Span, France 24, Soviet radio, BBC, Stanford University, CBSRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Tesla and General Motors have struck a deal to let the Detroit carmaker’s customers plug in at 12,000 of the Texas company’s roadside chargers, and Turkey eased its long-running battle to defend the lira and the currency plunged. Plus, US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday agreed on an “Atlantic declaration” to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.Mentioned in this podcast:Turkish lira slumps as new economic team starts ‘intentional devaluation’Biden and Sunak unveil ‘Atlantic declaration’ to strengthen economic tiesThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

We want to tell about a new podcast coming soon! On Unhedged, Ethan Wu, Katie Martin and other markets nerds at the Financial Times explain the big ideas behind what’s happening in finance right now. Unhedged launches June 13, you can follow the show here!

The US, Taiwan and Japan will share real-time data from naval reconnaissance drones, India’s deadliest train accident happened despite years of investment, and an architect-developer duo in Baltimore, Maryland, are converting an historic office building into residential housing. But how much can it ease the housing shortage? Mentioned in this podcast:US to link up with Taiwan and Japan drone fleets to share real-time dataIndia’s surging rail investment fails to avert disasterTurning offices into condos: New York after the pandemicThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

The UK Cabinet Office will tell central government departments to remove all surveillance equipment made by Chinese companies from sensitive sites; and the venture capital giant Sequoia Capital is splitting its China business into a separate entity amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. Plus, the destruction of a dam on the front lines of the war in Ukraine has flooded entire towns and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Mentioned in this podcast:UK to strip Chinese surveillance cameras from sensitive government sitesSequoia to spin off its China business Dam break gives Russia a new weapon in Ukraine WarSaudi Arabia to spend billions on shock merger of PGA Tour and LIV GolfThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

US securities regulators yesterday sued the world’s largest crypto exchange and accused Binance of a host of violations, sliding German butter prices are spreading hope of lower food inflation, and global carmakers have been caught off guard by the speed of China’s shift to electric vehicles. Mentioned in this podcast:Crypto exchange Binance sued by SEC in latest blow from US regulatorsSliding German butter prices spread hope of lower food inflation China’s car market has become a Darwinian battlegroundThe FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Saudi Arabia is cutting oil production, Turkey has a new finance minister and Apple is unveiling a mixed-reality headset today. Plus, the FT’s Kaye Wiggins explains how Asda has been able to take on enormous debt and whether its luck is about to change. Mentioned in this podcast:Virtual reality start-ups pin hopes on Apple to lure back fundingSaudi Arabia seeks to boost oil price with output cut of 1mn barrels a dayAsda chair defends £2.3bn deal for UK operations of sister group EGTurkey’s new finance minister pledges to return to “rational” economic policy The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

A special live recording of the FT News Briefing at the FT Weekend Festival in Washington, DC. Our terrific colleagues played a friendly game of news trivia, and the FT’s Ethan Wu gave us a preview of his new podcast Unhedged, which comes out June 13. The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson and Marc Filippino. The show’s editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Katie McMurran, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

In this second episode of Martin Wolf’s series, the renowned FT columnist and economist speaks to Larry Diamond, a leading contemporary scholar in the field of democracy studies and a senior fellow in global democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Drawing on arguments in Martin’s latest book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism, they discuss what’s behind a deepening global ‘democratic recession’.LinksMartin Wolf: in defence of democratic capitalismFor Martin’s FT columns click hereFor the FT review of Martin’s book click here This episode is presented by Martin Wolf. The producer is Laurence Knight. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa and the sound engineer is Breen Turner. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.Clips: BBC, CNN, WIONRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com