FT News

Professor Eswar Prasad of the Brookings Institution talks users through the latest edition of the Brookings Institution-Financial Times economic tracking index, which shows the global economic recovery is at risk of stalling. Visit www.ft.com/tiger to view the index

Chris Cook is joined by Jonathan Eley, Martin Sandbu and Sarah Neville to discuss the political, economic and personal finance consequences of the UK Budget announcement.

FT Alphaville's Joseph Cotterill and David Keohane had a quick chat about Cyprus, its bailout and the depositors being bailed in, the Russian connection and whether there is really a risk of contagion.

Listen to hotel owner Abderhamane Alpha Maiga describe the arrival of Islamists in the fabled desert city of Timbuktu

The coalition government that emerges from Israel's general election will be less right wing than many had predicted, although Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to remain prime minister. Fiona Symon talked to John Reed, FT correspondent in Jerusalem about the results

David Keohane and Izabella Kaminska are joined for FT Alphaville’s Christmas podcast by Dylan Grice, until recently part of Société Générale’s global strategy team, to discuss the economy in 2013, robots, patents, inflation and, perhaps most importantly, the difference between a Star Trek and a Star Wars economy.

Despite low volumes, 2012 has been a fascinating year for dealmaking. Controversial deals, such as the long-running battle by Glencore, the commodity trader, to take over Xstrata, have dominated headlines. New frontiers, including Chinese international mergers and acquisitions, have emerged. Anousha Sakoui, the FT's M&A correspondent, is joined by Jan Skarbek, head of investment banking at Citi, Charles Jacobs, a partner at Linklaters and Piers Pritchard Jones, a corporate partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, the law firms, to review the year in dealmaking and to look ahead at trends for 2013.

Companies in this sector have been far from reticent this year with dealmaking despite difficult market conditions. Anousha Sakoui, the FT's M&A correspondent, travels to San Francisco to find out how the fallout from this year's Facebook initial public offering is affecting US dealmaking. She talks to Anthony Armstrong, co-head of Americas M&A at Credit Suisse and is joined in the studio back in London by Jonathan Stankler, head of European technology M&A at KPMG.

Despite a chaotic year for M&A, fascinating trends have emerged, including growth in international bids by Chinese companies. By the end of September, outbound M&A by Chinese groups was at a record high. But Beijing's record has been controversial, so what is different this time? To discuss the drivers behind these bids, Anousha Sakoui, the FT's mergers and acquisitions correspondent, is joined by Andy Cox, global head of energy at KPMG, and William Downs, global leader of corporate and corporate finance practice at law firm Squire Sanders.

Professor Eswar Prasad of the Brookings Institution talks users through the latest edition of the Brookings Institution-Financial Times economic tracking index, which shows the economic recovery in deep trouble. Visit www.ft.com/tiger to view the index

During turbulent times in the world economy, western dealmakers may be hunting growth in the emerging markets, but nowhere is immune from the global turmoil – and M&A traffic increasingly goes in both directions. To discuss the state of dealmaking in the emerging markets, Anousha Sakoui, the FT's mergers and acquisitions correspondent, is joined by two top advisers: Hernan Cristerna, JP Morgan's head of M&A for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Edward Braham, global head of corporate at Freshfields.

Egypt’s new Islamist president Mohamed Morsi has sacked the country’s top two military leaders in a bid to regain some of the power seized by the military in June’s presidential elections. Fiona Symon spoke to Heba Saleh, FT correspondent in Cairo, about what led to the move, and the extent to which the military has now been dislodged from its leading role in shaping the country's political transition.

With 2012 on track to be one of the worst years for dealmaking in a decade, are companies now focusing on 2013, or are there still deals to be done? Anousha Sakoui, the FT’s mergers and acquisitions correspondent, takes the pulse of the industry with Jacques Brand, head of investment banking coverage & advisory at Deutsche Bank and Gilberto Pozzi, global head of retail and consumer advisory business at Goldman Sachs.

In the second of a two-part Deals & Dealmakers series in which big names in M&A explore the fundamental changes in their industry, Anousha Sakoui, the FT’s mergers and acquisitions correspondent, talks to John Studzinski, global head of Blackstone Advisory Partners.

In the first podcast of a two-part series, veteran investment banker and founder of Moelis & Company Ken Moelis talks to Anousha Sakoui, the FT’s mergers and acquisitions correspondent, about the M&A cycle, the challenges of global expansion and why it is a mistake to chase yesterday’s economy. Hear part two, with Blackstone's John Studzinski, on June 13.