The UK plans to introduce a lighter regulatory regime for private equity and hedge funds, and Italy may block an EU plan to respond to US President Donald Trump’s tariffs. Plus, popular ‘private browsing’ apps hosted by Apple and Google may violate American sanctions, and the trade war has triggered the biggest sell-off in the US junk bond market since 2020.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Apple and Google app stores host VPNs linked to sanctions-hit Chinese group

Britain to dilute rules for private equity and hedge funds

Meloni under pressure to back EU ‘bazooka’ against Trump tariffs

Tariffs spark US junk bond sell-off as recession risk mounts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the US imposed new tariffs on most of the world. The FT’s US national editor Ed Luce joins us to analyze why they are baffling economists and worrying markets. Ed’s take? The US is taking itself out of the globalised economic system it built, and the consequences could be grave.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Donald Trump’s beautiful trade war

Trump tracker: US tariffs

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Katya Kumkova. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump’s tariffs caused a global market sell-off on Thursday. Now, there are concerns that these levies will push the US into a recession. We speak to the FT’s senior markets correspondent Ian Smith and our economics editor Sam Fleming about the repercussions.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Dollar drops as Donald Trump’s tariffs stoke economic fears

Bling, bags and booze fall victim to Trump’s trade war

Will Donald Trump’s ‘liberation day’ tariffs drag US into recession?

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump launched a barrage of new tariffs on trading partners, and Tesla’s share price jumped on a report that chief executive Elon Musk could be leaving his US government role. Plus, the FT’s Ben Hall explains what’s next for Marie Le Pen now that France’s far-right leader has received a five-year ban from standing in elections.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Donald Trump escalates global trade war with sweeping tariff blitz

Elon Musk denies role in Trump administration is under pressure

Tesla suffers worst quarter since 2022 as deliveries tumble

French court leaves Marine Le Pen’s political career on the brink

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz is in talks to invest in social media platform TikTok, US President Donald Trump is expected to lay out his sweeping tariffs policy today, and European inflation is down for the second straight month. Plus, Syria’s White Helmets have returned to Damascus as the country tries to rebuild from its brutal civil war.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Andreessen Horowitz in talks to help buy out TikTok’s Chinese owners

What to expect on ‘liberation day’

Eurozone inflation falls for second consecutive month to 2.2%

Syria’s White Helmets return to Damascus

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Google’s artificial intelligence arm DeepMind has been holding back the release of its world-renowned research, and Elon Musk has poured an unprecedented amount of money into a Wisconsin state supreme court race. Plus, Lebanon’s new central bank governor Karim Souaid has been mired in controversy.

Mentioned in this podcast:

DeepMind slows down research releases in battle to keep competitive edge

The people vs Elon Musk: billionaire transforms Wisconsin court contest

Lebanon closes in on next central bank head

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Investors warn that higher bond yields in Germany could make it harder for EU members to increase defence spending, and the tech world’s largest public offering in 18 months fell flat on Friday. China was targeted by a record number of trade disputes at the World Trade Organization last year, and traders in Gaza are charging commissions of 30% on hard currency due to severe shortages.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Germany’s spending push drives up borrowing costs across Eurozone

CoreWeave treads water in market debut after downsized IPO

China’s export boom sparks record number of WTO disputes

The money menders of Gaza

Isar declares rocket launch a success despite crash on first attempt to reach orbit

Credit: Isar Aerospace

The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Ethan Plotkin, Lulu Smyth, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. 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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Congress works through President Donald Trump’s recent budget, one of the likeliest cuts on the chopping block is Medicaid. The government health insurance programme is used by one in five Americans, including many voters who make up Trump’s Maga base. So could cuts to Medicaid actually threaten Trump’s hold on Republicans? Washington bureau chief James Politi and US politics and society correspondent Guy Chazan are on to discuss if a showdown is coming between the party’s fiscal hawks and those who’d like to preserve social welfare programmes.

Mentioned in this podcast:

The big government spending Maga voters can’t live without

US House passes budget resolution to cut taxes and spending by trillions

Sign up for the FT’s Swamp Notes newsletter here

Swamp Notes is produced by Katya Kumkova. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Special thanks to Pierre Nicholson.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.