Podcasts

The Exchange: Tiananmen 3.0

15 July 2019

Han Dongfang was expelled from China for organising worker protests that were bloodily suppressed in 1989. He founded China Labour Bulletin, which tracks factory protests, strikes and policy. He speaks with Pete Sweeney about the economic stress on workers and college graduates.

Viewsroom: Can India solve its water crisis?

11 July 2019

Chennai, the country’s Motor City, has run dry. Another 20 metropolises could follow by next year. The personal and economic toll is mounting. Plugging leaks, better crop choices and proper pricing can help. Often, as water problems elsewhere show, that requires good governance.

The Exchange: Surviving the digital-media meltdown

8 July 2019

Venture capitalist Ben Lerer, whose firm backed BuzzFeed and Axios, drops by Breakingviews to discuss why startups in the news industry have been suffering. Unlike some of his peers, Lerer reckons these minnows can have mutually beneficial relationships with giants like Facebook.

Viewsroom: The great EU jobs carve-up

4 July 2019

After much unedifying horse-trading, European leaders have finally agreed on who will head the commission, central bank and other top roles. That has implications for the bloc’s future. Plus: Why Africa’s growth figures make worrying reading for the continent’s democrats.

The Exchange: Hong Kong’s political crisis

2 July 2019

Michael Tien was among the first politicians from the city’s pro-Beijing faction to oppose the controversial extradition proposal. Just before protesters ransacked the legislature, he spoke with Breakingviews about Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s future and giving residents a vote.

Viewsroom: What makes companies proud of Pride?

27 June 2019

Neither profit nor investor pressure explain U.S. firms lining up to mark 50 years of the LGBT-rights movement. They may simply be doing the right thing. But the nation still has a long way to go. Plus: how the UK prime minister race affects the Bank of England’s next boss.

The Exchange: Escaping carbon’s grip

25 June 2019

Saipem made its name building drills and pipelines for fossil-fuel giants like Saudi Aramco. CEO Stefano Cao visits Breakingviews to discuss how climate change is pushing the company into greener projects – and how tech challenges and a need to protect margins will drive M&A.

Viewsroom: UBS gets lost in translation

20 June 2019

A star economist at the Swiss bank sparked outrage on Chinese social media after his remarks about the country’s pigs were misconstrued. UBS’s decision to put him on leave seems overdone. And: Those weighing the benefit of a Facebook cryptocurrency must ask if “In Zuck we trust.”

The Exchange: John Delaney

17 June 2019

The first Democrat to bid for 2020’s presidential election has a pitch rarely heard in today’s political slugfest: that Democrats and Republicans can get along. Despite being a peacemaker, the former Maryland congressman has some punchy views on China, Big Tech and drug prices.

Viewsroom: When dealmaking gets difficult

13 June 2019

Raytheon and United Technologies’ planned $114 bln tie-up raises questions about strategy, cost cuts and executive overreach. It’s prompted their shares to tank and activist Bill Ackman to oppose it. And Fiat Chrysler and Renault’s mooted merger has crashed. Can they salvage it?