As Russia’s relations with the west deteriorate Moscow is seeking fresh alliances across Africa say Henry Foy, Nastassia Astrasheuskaya and David Pilling. With Moscow often sidestepping demands for reform or protection of human rights, this is starting to raise concern in western capitals.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

FT Big Read

Putin's pivot to Africa

Wells Fargo has lurched from one scandal to another but customers have stayed loyal, say Robert Armstrong and Laura Noonan. Can the bank once seen as the best managed in America recover its premium valuation? Produced by Caroline Grady  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wells Fargo: repairing a damaged brand

Data brokers face heightened scrutiny in Europe as public opinion shifts on questions of privacy and businesses face tougher data protection legislation, say Aliya Ram and Madhumita Murgia. Will recent operational changes at data brokers be enough to convince regulators? Produced by Caroline Grady  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Data brokers: regulators tackle the 'privacy deathstars'

The Financial Times has chosen George Soros as its Person of the Year and here editor Lionel Barber and deputy editor Roula Khalaf explain why the billionaire philanthropist and liberal standard bearer merits the title, particularly in 2018. Presented by Robert Shrimsley and produced by Anna Dedhar  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Person of the Year 2018: George Soros

The November sentencing of British academic Matthew Hedges to life in prison for spying caused a rare public spat between the UK and UAE and although he was subsequently pardoned it has led UK and US institutions to reassess their links to oil-rich Gulf states, say Andrew England and Simeon Kerr. Does foreign funding influence research on the region and damage the reputation of institutions or enhance academic ties?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The university challenge

Nintendo, Sony’s Playstation, and Microsoft’s Xbox dominate the cut-throat computer game business. But, says Leo Lewis, these console makers look under threat in the era of streaming. Will the cloud win, or can consoles, with higher quality, more complex games, keep their place? Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The end of the games console?

In October, Angela Merkel announced she would be stepping down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union, the party she has headed for nearly two decades. The race to succeed her is now well underway, says Guy Chazan. Three candidates have emerged in a battle that will decide whether the party stays its course or turns to the right. Produced by Anna Dedhar and Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Who will replace Merkel as head of the CDU?

The Reserve Bank of India is embroiled in an intense political battle with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, say Simon Mundy and Henny Sender. The government has long pressured the RBI to do more to boost growth, but a possible economic slowdown has seen Mr Modi ramp up his attacks. Can the RBI’s legally fragile independence hold? Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The battle between Modi and India's central bank

After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the west imposed sanctions to isolate the country economically. But, says Henry Foy, the reality has not matched the rhetoric. Moscow has pivoted towards China and Saudi Arabia and its energy ties with the EU remain strong. Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why sanctions are failing to isolate Russia

Western governments have a new nightmare coming from China, which has decreed that new private sector technologies, such as robotics and AI, must be shared with the military, say Kathrin Hille and Richard Waters. Washington fears Beijing is gaining an advantage in a new arms race. Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The threat of Chinese ‘military-civil fusion’

Since Britain voted to leave the EU, the Irish “backstop” has become the primary obstacle in the way of a Brexit deal, say Alex Barker and Arthur Beesley. The plan is the result of intense diplomacy by Dublin, but Theresa May faces implacable opposition to it from Brexiters and Arlene Foster’s DUP. Just how did the issue become so important? Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Irish backstop: Brexit's biggest hurdle

Under the stewardship of its young crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia has sought to turn around its oil-dependent economy, say Andrew England and Simeon Kerr. Yet the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has made the task of reshaping the kingdom’s economy by attracting overseas money much harder. Produced by Harry Robertson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How Khashoggi's death threatens Saudi Arabia's economy

Next month’s US midterm elections will be some of the most important in a generation, says Demetri Sevastopulo. Should the Democratic party regain a majority in the House of Representatives, they could make life very difficult for President Donald Trump. But conservatives are also fired up for the fight  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trump's divided America goes to the polls

The nightmare of robots controlling the human race will not come true, says Richard Waters. The future of AI will see semi-autonomous systems rely on close cooperation with people, uniting machine learning and human judgement. But there are dangers in robots leading humans astray  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Artificial intelligence: can humans and robots work together?

Since Howard Wilkinson, Danske Bank’s then head of markets in Estonia, blew the whistle on money laundering in 2013, the enormous scale of wrongdoing has emerged, report Richard Milne and Caroline Binham. It has cost chief executive Thomas Borgen his job, and raised grave questions about the bank’s relationships with Russian entities and its regulators  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Unraveling Danske's €200bn 'dirty money' scandal

An audio version of the best of the Financial Times's Big Reads — in-depth reporting from FT correspondents around the world. Listen to longform stories that explore and explain key themes in world news, science and business. Produced by Molly Mintz.

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