Ft Big Read

The number of electric cars topped 1 million last year, boosted by government subsidies, and they could make up a quarter of the world’s automobiles by 2040. How will this shift in the auto industry affect oil demand — and price, ask Pilita Clark and Peter Campbell  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A dramatic decline in bond yields has added to the pressures of longer lifespans and falling birth rates to create a looming social and political pensions crisis, say John Authers and Robin Wigglesworth. In this report they examine the outlook for retirees. You can also listen to John and Robin discuss the pensions squeeze at podcast.ft.com.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After years of flat revenues, executives are hunting for new income streams, says Ben McLannahan. Can the Wall Street bank be a friend to the consumer and small businesses?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Midea's €4.5bn purchase of robot maker Kuka was the largest ever Chinese takeover of a German company, and the latest in a string of deals that have made Germany the top target in Europe as Chinese investors seek innovative engineering and technology, says Guy Chazan. But it has raised concerns in Berlin for the country's strategic industries  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There is a dearth of new business start-ups across much of America, famously the home of capitalist mojo, says Sam Fleming. Domineering incumbents, too much red tape and an unwillingness to risk failing are all blamed for a worrying trend that is hurting productivity and depressing dynamism, Sam reports.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Xi Jinping, China’s leader since 2012, came from humble beginnings. How has he grown to have such power in such a short time and what does he want to do with it? James Kynge, the FT’s Emerging Markets Editor, talks to Kerry Brown, Professor of Chinese politics at King's College, and Tom Mitchell, FT Beijing Bureau Chief.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Online fraud from software masquerading as genuine consumers is forecast to cost marketers up to $7bn this year — but the industry is finding such crime very hard to combat and even to detect, says Robert Cookson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Brexit shock not only sent Italian bank shares sliding and raised doubts over reform of the industry. It also sharpened the conflict between Rome and the EU over state aid rules and put the political survival of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi at risk, say Rachel Sanderson, Alex Barker and Claire Jones  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The likes of the US, UK and Switzerland are extending their reach as global policemen to track, recover and return stolen assets. Some groups estimate that as much as $1tn a year is stolen from developing nations. But in the crackdown on kleptocracy, Kara Scannell reports how authorities have faced difficulties in returning illicit assets to citizens  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What will Brexit mean for the City of London? Whatever terms Britain manages to negotiate with the other 27 member states, countries across the EU are eager for a bigger bite of the financial services sector that the City enjoys the lion's share of today, say Financial Editor Patrick Jenkins and FT reporters. The big question is which rivals are likely to benefit most  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Six years after the deal that is still seen as a test case for Beijing's industrial ambitions, the Swedish carmaker is back in profit, say Richard Milne and Christian Shepherd. But there are still challenges for the marque and its Chinese owner as Volvo tries to catch up with its rivals  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Suntory's $16bn takeover of US spirits maker Beam in 2014 catapulted the Japanese group to number 3 in the global spirits markets. The tie-up was not without its problems, and Kana Inagaki explains how Beam is trying to overcome the differences in the Japanese and American corporate cultures.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Three decades ago the management consultancy set up a private hedge fund for its partners and alumni in a bid to keep staff tempted by the financial rewards of banking and private equity. But some experts warn of possible conflicts of interest, say Harriet Agnew and Miles Johnson  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As bank profits feel the pressure, savers suffer pain and populism is on the rise, criticism of the ECB's loose monetary policy is increasing, say James Shotter and Stefan Wagstyl. With parliamentary elections due next year, the argument over ultra-low interest rates will not go away  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As inequality grows, welfare costs soar and technological disruption escalates, many people are growing warmer to the idea of a guaranteed basic income for everyone, say John Thornhill and Ralph Atkins. Switzerland, which votes on the UBI in June, is not the only country considering a new social model  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Donald Trump went on the attack when faced with the prospect of competition to his gaming centres from Native American casinos. Regulators found he went too far, says Gary Silverman, but his campaign rhetoric now owes much to his tactics then  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The professional services sector is at a tipping point as tougher regulation forces firms to bid for business and invest big sums in technology, says Harriet Agnew​  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The once-heroic globally recognised embodiment of Japan's economic growth has become a hindrance to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reforms of the country's labour force, says Leo Lewis. The culture is so entrenched that some critics say it is a 'national disaster', that instead of loyalty, labour and love, corporate welfare needs innovation, a liquid job market and productivity-based pay  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Alan Rusbridger was a crusading editor of the newspaper, says John Gapper. But since he retired, questions over the cost of his tenure have grown and they are intensified by his return as the head of the trust that owns the liberal beacon  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With a €404bn turnover and 792,500 employees last year, the car industry is crucial to Germany and there is a revolving door between government and the industry. But did this lead Angela Merkel's administration to lobby for favourable legislation and turn a blind eye to some of its practices? Guy Chazan reports.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.