logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
11m 56s

Volkswagen’s dire warning

Financial Times
About this episode

Volkswagen calls for drastic measures to bolster profits, and President Joe Biden wants to block a Japanese company’s acquisition of US Steel. Plus, damning findings about the Grenfell Tower fire surface, and Egypt’s journey from gas bonanza to power blackouts 


Mentioned in this podcast:

Joe Biden set to block Nippon Steel’s takeover of US Steel 

Volkswagen warns staff it has ‘a year, maybe two’ to adapt to lower demand 

‘Incompetence, dishonesty and greed’: Key findings of Grenfell report 

Egypt’s journey from gas bonanza to power blackouts 

CREDIT: AP


The FT News Briefing is produced by Niamh Rowe, Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Michela Tindera, Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. 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.

Up next
Today
Canada’s push to become an energy superpower
The UK and France have pledged for the first time to co-ordinate the use of their nuclear weapons, the copper markets are reeling from US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose 50 per cent tariffs on the metal, and Canada has a plan to offset American energy levies by exportin ... Show More
11m 17s
Yesterday
BCG tries to limit Gaza work fallout
EU negotiators are closing in on a trade deal with Donald Trump that would cement higher tariffs than those granted to the UK, and Boston Consulting Group’s chief executive said the group’s involvement with a postwar plan for Gaza had been “reputationally very damaging”. Plus, Eu ... Show More
10m 31s
Jul 8
Liechtenstein's zombie-trust apocalypse
US President Donald Trump extended tariff deadlines, and Liechtenstein’s trust industry is in a crisis spurred by American sanctions against Russia. Plus, Shein filed for an initial public offering in Hong Kong, and Elon Musk is trying to save Tesla from Trump. Mentioned in this ... Show More
11m 18s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 23
US-Iran nuclear talks resume: What’s at stake now?
Iran and the United States are holding indirect nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, with the next round set for Saturday. Both sides report progress, but major gaps remain. Iran seeks sanctions relief and civilian uranium enrichment, while the US insists on stricter limits. Could th ... Show More
23m 1s
Mar 2025
Signal scandal: The US and its shifting alliances
This week, Mark Leonard joins forces with Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s director of research and US programme director, to unpick two momentous geopolitical disruptions. First, a stunning scandal emerged from a Signal group chat, where senior US officials—including the vice president, s ... Show More
14m 21s
Nov 2024
Labour’s beef with farmers
After winning swaths of rural seats in the general election, Labour’s relationship with the countryside has nosedived, amid a row over the government’s plan to impose inheritance tax on some farms. Host Lucy Fisher is joined by Political Fix regular Jim Pickard and political corr ... Show More
36m 20s
Aug 2024
RIP Project 2025?
Project 2025 and J.D. Vance have brought fringe policies to the presidential campaign. Democrats are using both to label the Republican ticket "weird." Shelby Talcott of Semafor and Eli Stokols from Politico explain how this messaging strikes voters.This episode was produced by V ... Show More
27m 39s
Apr 7
Are US tariffs just the beginning? With Abraham Newman
As Donald Trump declares a trade war on the rest of the world, it’s time to learn about a field of economic research known as “weaponised interdependence”. The bad news is that the US president’s weapon of choice – imposing tariffs on goods imports – is a fairly outdated tool of ... Show More
31m 33s
Jun 30
How can Iranians rebuild while crackdowns intensify?
Israel’s bombs have stopped, but grief and fear linger in Iran. As families search the rubble for loved ones, authorities are intensifying crackdowns, branding activists and minorities as Israeli agents. How can Iranians rebuild under tighter repression? In this episode: Alex Sha ... Show More
22m 27s
Jun 20
Starmer on standby
Will he? Won’t he? President Donald Trump has given little indication as to whether America will join in the conflict between Israel and Iran. So where does this leave the UK and its assets in the region? How does the prime minister play his hand with the president, and what does ... Show More
27m 10s
May 12
A Breakthrough on U.S.-China Tariffs, and a New Summer Air Travel Warning
Plus, For Sale: The pope’s childhood home.On Today’s Episode:U.S. and China Agree to Temporarily Slash Tariffs in Bid to Defuse Trade War, by Daisuke Wakabayashi, Alan Rappeport and Ana SwansonFlights Could Be Disrupted Across U.S., Transportation Secretary Warns, by Troy Closson ... Show More
10m 42s
Sep 2024
Nvidia Sheds More Than $200 Billion in Market Value as U.S. Stocks Dip
P.M. Edition for Sept. 3. U.S. stocks decline after new data show signs of weakness in the manufacturing sector. Reporter David Uberti explains the downturn. And dockworkers threaten to strike at East and Gulf Coast ports. Reporter Paul Berger discusses how a strike would affect ... Show More
13m 3s
Mar 2025
Will US-Canada relations ever be the same again?
Donald Trump announced this week 25% tariffs on US car imports, a move that will impact neighbours Mexico and Canada. Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has called the tariffs "unjustified" and said it marked the end of "deep ties" between the two countries.Canadian journalist a ... Show More
30m 45s