POPULARITY
Ukraine's Preliminary Debt Restructuring Deal Ukraine reportedly has reached terms with a subset of its bondholders, agreeing to restructure the country's roughly $24 billion in bond debt. What to make of the deal? It seems (to our view) to be premised on the IMF's entirely unrealistic assumptions about Ukraine's future debt repayment capacity. The reports we have seen about deal terms also don't explain what will happen to some important parts of the debt stock – including that of state-owned energy company Ukrenergo. Joseph Cotterill of the Financial Times joins us to explain the basic parameters of the deal, the underlying assumptions, and whether another restructuring of private debt is in the cards. And while we have Joseph, we also ask some questions about recent developments in litigation arising out of Mozambique's "tuna bonds" debacle. Producer: Leanna Doty
Pension cash for British Gas workers was used to buy Israeli cyberweapon developer NSO Group, European sales of electric cars overtook diesel models for first time in December, and the FT's Southern Africa correspondent Joseph Cotterill discusses Bain's role in state corruption in South Africa under former president Jacob Zuma. Subscribe to the FT News Briefing on Apple Podcasts or SpotifyStories mentioned in this podcast:British Gas pension cash used to buy Israeli spyware group NSOhttps://www.ft.com/content/8b427be6-1025-4295-a25c-16374da53b79European sales of electric cars overtake diesel models for first timehttps://www.ft.com/content/f1bdf1cf-8fc3-4b85-a4eb-7df716ebf0a9Bain & Co, tax and Jacob Zuma: a tale of ‘state capture' in South Africahttps://www.ft.com/content/b1bb5dd0-e7ce-4e15-ac48-05d2d990f6c7The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon and Marc Filippino. The show's editor is Jess Smith. Additional help by Peter Barber and Gavin Kallmann. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music. Topher Forhecz is the FT's executive producer. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.comhttps://www.ft.com/content/eceaec7d-34cd-43ad-96e1-a77f6809e40a See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
State Guarantees That Bite One in the Backside Our guest is legendary financial reporter, Joseph Cotterill, who famously chronicled the Pari Passu Saga for FT Alphaville in a previous incarnation. Joseph is now the Africa correspondent for the FT and we ask him about the corruption infused Tuna Bonds of Mozambique and South Africa's tottering utility giant Eskom. In both situations, the largely unexamined problem of off balance sheet state borrowing via guarantees seems to have played a key role in the creation of the debt problems these countries face. Producer: Leanna Doty
Naspers, a publisher once condemned as a mouthpiece of the apartheid regime in South Africa, has quietly become one of the world’s biggest internet investors thanks to a stake in China’s Tencent. On 11 September it will list its global internet assets on the Amsterdam bourse, becoming Europe's biggest consumer internet company overnight. Arash Massoudi discusses how it got there with Joseph Cotterill in Johannesburg.Contributors: Arash Massoudi, corporate finance and deals editor, and Joseph Cotterill, Southern Africa correspondent. Producer: Fiona Symon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The judicial inquiry into alleged graft under the presidency of Jacob Zuma is laying bare the divisions of the ruling ANC. Gideon Rachman discusses Mr Zuma's testimony with Joseph Cotterill in Johannesburg and David Pilling, Africa editor. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The ruling African National Congress is expected to fend off all challenges in South Africa's forthcoming elections - the country's sixth since the end of apartheid. But the party has a severely tarnished legacy amid corruption scandals and failing infrastructure. Fergus Ryan discusses the options facing the country's divided electorate with Joseph Cotterill and David Pilling. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
South Africa's president Jacob Zuma is clinging to power despite intensifying efforts to remove him. Gideon Rachman discusses the ruling ANC's predicament and whether its new leader Cyril Ramaphosa can restore the country's fortunes with the FT's Andrew England and Joseph Cotterill See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Several multinationals have become embroiled in a scandal over allegations that South Africa's president Jacob Zuma has allowed a prominent business family to use its friendship with him to control state appointments and the award of big government contracts. Andrew England discusses the repercussions of the scandal with the FT's David Pilling and Joseph Cotterill See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
This year, the African National Congress - which has governed South Africa since the end of apartheid - picks a new leader. But their embattled president, Jacob Zuma, will leave a legacy of scandal, corruption allegations and a sluggish economy. Gideon Rachman discusses the future of Africa's largest economy with the FT's Africa editor David Pilling, and South Africa correspondent Joseph Cotterill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Opposition to Jacob Zuma is growing after an official report found evidence of possible corruption at the top level of his government. David Pilling, the FT's Africa editor, asks Joseph Cotterill, southern Africa correspondent, how bad it now looks for the South African president. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
South Africa has been shaken by news that the country's respected finance minister Pravin Gordhan is facing fraud charges in what appears to be the latest episode in a power struggle with President Jacob Zuma and his allies. Many suspect the charges are trumped up and designed to give Mr Zuma total control of the levers of power. Ben Hall discusses what happens next with Joseph Cotterill and Andrew England See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
FT capital markets correspondent Robin Wigglesworth and FT Alphaville reporter Joseph Cotterill talk to Lee Buchheit, Cleary Gottlieb lawyer and sovereign debt restructuring expert. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
FT Alphaville hosts a free-wheeling podcast to discuss currency wars, debt monetisation, the G20, mobile payments, and US immigration. They also answer readers' questions. Featuring turns by Lisa Pollack, Izzy Kaminska, David Keohane, Joseph Cotterill and Cardiff Garcia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.