FT News Briefing

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam condemns protesters who stormed and occupied the Legislative Council, the US economic expansion becomes the longest in recent history and Iran’s oil minister warns that the future of Opec is in jeopardy from the growing influence of Russia and Saudi Arabia. Plus, some questions about office provider WeWork as it prepares to hit the public markets this year. The FT’s US business editor, Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, spoke with founder Adam Neumann about the group’s $47bn valuation and his plans for the company’s future.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

US president Donald Trump signals that nuclear talks with North Korea will resume, after meeting with Kim Jong Un on Sunday, the US and China ease trade tensions at the G20 summit, but commentators wonder how long the effects will last, Angela Merkel’s compromise plan to fill the EU’s top positions runs into a wall of opposition and HSBC launches a lobbying effort to convince the Chinese government that it is not responsible for the arrest of Huawei’s finance director.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Federal Reserve singles out Credit Suisse in its annual stress tests, Nike reports higher sales and profit margins in its latest quarter, designer Jony Ive will leave Apple at the end of this year and Russian president Vladimir Putin says liberalism has ‘become obsolete’. Plus, the FT’s US managing editor, Peter Spiegel, previews the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boeing faces another setback in its attempt to get the 737 Max back in the air, activist investor Carl Icahn is preparing a campaign to oust four of Occidental Petroleum’s board members and private equity deal-making hits its highest level since the lead-up to the global financial crisis. Plus, the FT’s corporate finance and deals editor, Arash Massoudi, explains what led to AbbVie’s $63bn acquisition of Botox-maker Allergan.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fed chairman Jay Powell warns that risks to global growth have increased in recent weeks, AbbVie investors give the US drugmaker a resounding thumbs down on its bid to buy Botox-maker Allergan and FedEx warns that a slower global economy and trade uncertainty will continue to drag on its business in 2020. Plus, the FT’s banking editor, David Crow, explains how a host of digital upstarts could challenge HSBC’s dominance in Hong Kong.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boris Jonson’s tax cut proposals could cost as much as £20bn a year, according to a new report; Instagram’s Adam Mosseri tells the FT that “window-shopping” will become a core part of the photo-sharing app’s future; and US President Donald Trump signs an executive order to hit Iran with new sanctions.  Plus, the FT’s Turkey correspondent, Laura Pitel, explains what’s next for Turkey and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan following the opposition’s triumph in Istanbul’s repeat mayoral election.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Washington plans to impose fresh sanctions on Tehran and warns that Iran should not mistake US “prudence for weakness”, Ericsson’s head of US business says the UK’s plan to shut Huawei out of parts of its 5G network makes little technical sense and the US Federal Reserve quizzes Deutsche Bank over its “bad bank” plans. Plus, the FT’s clean energy and environment correspondent, Leslie Hook, explains why the world’s top 500 companies are set to miss the climate goals outlined in the 2015 Paris agreement.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

President Donald Trump played down the significance of Iran shooting down a US drone over the Gulf, saying he found it “hard to believe” the move was intentional; Slack lands on Wall Street with a $20bn valuation and Boris Johnson will face Jeremy Hunt in the UK Conservative party leadership race. Plus, Judith Evans, the FT’s property correspondent, explains why the global real estate boom could be drawing to a close.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pressure mounts on the US and China to ease trade tensions at next week’s G20 summit, Deutsche Bank is under criminal investigation in the US in connection with alleged failures to comply with anti-money laundering laws and Nissan agrees on a truce with Renault in their governance dispute ahead of the Japanese carmaker’s pivotal shareholder meeting next week. Plus, the Federal Reserve held US interest rates steady, but put investors on notice for a future cut. The FT’s US markets editor, Robin Wigglesworth, explains.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Facebook’s plan to launch a new global digital currency raises questions from banks and regulators, the FT reports that several of Renault and Nissan’s joint business functions are being quietly unwound and the latest round of voting by Conservative MPs trims the UK party’s leadership race down to five candidates. Plus, the FT’s West Coast Editor Richard Waters explains what Slack has in store for investors as the cloud-based communications platform prepares to go public on Thursday.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is looking to ramp up its investment plans in North America and Asia, the biggest European private equity groups are rushing to raise new mega funds and Pfizer agrees to pay $11.4bn for Array BioPharma in an effort to boost its cancer treatment portfolio. Plus, the FT’s Washington bureau chief Demetri Sevastopulo explains what Iran’s threat to breach nuclear deal terms means for its relationship with the US, as President Donald Trump orders 1,000 more troops to the Middle East.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sources tell the FT that Deutsche Bank is preparing a deep overhaul of its trading operations as it shifts away from investment banking, the US Chamber of Commerce calls for the Trump administration to end its trade war with China and Hong Kong protesters demand the resignation of chief executive Carrie Lam over a controversial extradition bill. Plus, the FT’s Robin Wigglesworth explains how some hedge funds are using artificial intelligence to copy the best parts of human traders with none of the frailties.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Crude oil prices surge as tensions rise in the Middle East, Brussels says Russian sources mounted a “sustained” disinformation effort to influence last month’s EU parliament elections and the focus in the UK leadership stakes moves to the second round after Boris Johnson emerged well ahead in the first party vote in the contest to become Britain’s next prime minister. Plus, the FT’s Siona Jenkins explains why 2019 will be a pivotal year for women’s football.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Hong Kong’s chief executive has vowed to push ahead with an extradition bill that has sparked violence in the territory, UK party leadership frontrunner Boris Johnson says Britain would only leave the EU without a deal as “a last resort” and US President Donald Trump says Poland will build a facility to host 1,000 American troops. Plus, FT capital markets reporter Joe Rennison explains why US homeowners are rushing to refinance their mortgages.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Elon Musk predicts a “record quarter” for Tesla, Royal Dutch Shell scales back its ride-hailing plans in London and the British government is eyeing new powers to enable it to block companies from listing on the London Stock Exchange on national security grounds. Plus, the FT’s retail correspondent Jonathan Eley explains the rift between Arcadia and its creditors, and how today’s meeting between them might play out.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.