China has launched a quantum satellite to test whether communications can be rendered hack-proof, in its latest challenge to US supremacy in space. Clive Cookson, the FT’s science editor, discusses the development with Lucy Hornby, FT Beijing correspondent. Music from Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage

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The share of electricity that the world’s 20 major economies are generating from the sun and the wind has jumped in the space of five years, new figures show. John Murray Brown asks FT environment correspondent Pilita Clark whether this breakthrough is sustainable and what it means for the battle against climate change.

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Europe plans to regulate 'over-the-top' web services like WhatsApp and Skype as part of a radical overhaul of rules on telecoms due out in September. Duncan Robinson, FT correspondent in Brussels, tells Chris Nuttall why the EU is trying to fix this regulatory grey area and what it will mean for companies and consumers.

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Why does Jamaica, an island nation of just 2.7m, produce sprinters that so easily trounce those from richer, more populous nations? The FT's Murad Ahmed put the question to Usain Bolt shortly after he won his third 100m Olympic gold medal, and he tells John Burn-Murdoch how the athlete replied.

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Britain's ancient system of patronage for the ruling elite has come under renewed scrutiny after David Cameron showered honours and titles on his allies shortly before leaving office.Janan Ganesh, the FT's political columnist, tells Hugh Carnegy he thinks Theresa May, the new prime minister, has the puritan instincts to clean up the system.

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The Bank of England's bond buying programme intended to cushion an expected slowdown in the economy caused by the British vote to quit the European Union had a dramatic effect on financial markets this week, with yields on UK government bonds turning negative for only the second time in history. Hugh Carnegy asked FT markets editor Michael Mackenzie and economics writer Martin Sandbu to explain what happened and why it matters.

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South Africa’s ruling ANC has been forced into coalition talks after suffering its worst electoral performance at local polls last week. The party once led by Nelson Mandela lost its primacy as South Africans’ party of choice after voters registered their grievances over high unemployment, shoddy governance and a scandal-prone president. Andrew England discusses the vote and its repercussions with Krista Mahr, who covered the polls for the FT.

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A radical overhaul of India’s tax system will replace national, state and local taxes with a new unified value added tax, improving the country’s competitiveness and boosting growth. James Kynge discusses the breakthrough with the FT’s South Asia bureau chief Amy Kazmin.

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Google’s parent company Alphabet is teaming up with British drug company GlaxoSmithKline to invest in bioelectronics. The aim is to treat diseases by targeting the electronic signals that pass along the body’s nerves. Chris Nuttall discusses the prospects for this new branch of medicine with the FT’s Science editor Clive Cookson

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The digital advertising industry was rattled this week starting with Verizon's Yahoo takeover and followed by record second quarter earnings for Facebook and Google, underlining the two groups' dominance in the online media market. The FT's global media editor Matt Garrahan discusses this and more with West Coast editor Richard Waters. Visit FT.com for the full story.

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