France’s far-right leader Marine Le Pen is gearing up for a fight with the EU if elected president next year, investors in Accenture cannot decide if AI will be an existential threat or an incredible boost, CoreWeave is chasing insurers’ vast pools of capital, and the US Treasury has fined Bank of America more than $1bn for “egregious and continued” money laundering and sanctions violations. Plus, can Saudi Arabia stop the Houthis?

Mentioned in this podcast:

France’s Marine Le Pen gears up for fight with EU

Will Accenture survive or thrive in the age of AI?

CoreWeave targets ‘unlimited’ insurance money to fund AI build-out

Bank of America fined $1.2bn over money laundering failures

Military briefing: can Saudi Arabia stop the Houthis?

Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our video producer is Zach Alfred. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Alex Higgins. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

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The Iran-backed Houthis have struck Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia multiple times this week, US president Donald Trump claims an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine, and AI companies are pulling back new debt issuance. Plus, US bank earnings this week suggest the good times may be over.

Mentioned in this podcast:

US threatens to block arms for Ukraine over attacks on Russian refineries

Ukraine’s allies vow to pressure Moscow as Trump claims ‘energy ceasefire’ in place

Missile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12 and injures hundreds

Houthis show military reach with deadly missile strikes on Riyadh

AI borrowing slows as investors grow wary of debt binge

Wall Street’s record-breaking trading streak set to cool

Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

Subscribe to the FT: ft.com/briefingsale

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Alex Higgins. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oil executives expressed their appetite for investing in the Middle East despite the war, the conflict has blown a near-£12bn hole in Britain’s public finances, and big investors are “bottom fishing” among beaten-down assets, including Italian bonds and corporate debt. Plus, China is building data centres at rapid speed across Inner Mongolia and a measure of credit risk at Elon Musk’s SpaceX rose to a record high.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Oil majors look beyond Middle East war to access region’s vast reserves

Iran war blows near-£12bn hole in Britain’s public finances

Big investors ‘bottom fish’ in Eurozone bond markets after France sell-off

China races to build AI data centres across energy-rich hinterland

SpaceX credit risk jumps on worries over its borrowing spree

Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paramount Skydance is tackling a huge pile of debt following its takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, oil tanker captains are being paid rates equivalent to $100,000 a month for travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, and the UK’s tax authorities probed Manchester City in 2018. Plus, the battle for control of the $265bn Tata Group hinges on India’s motorbike billionaire, and Brussels is considering taxing big US tech companies through a broad levy on large corporations.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Debt in the spotlight as Paramount closes $111bn deal for Warner Bros

Ships’ captains paid $100,000 a month to transit Strait of Hormuz

HMRC opened probe into Man City’s tax affairs in 2018

India’s motorbike billionaire steering tussle at Tata

Brussels looks to capture Big Tech through tax on large corporations

Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A sharp rise in US government borrowing costs this year is bleeding into the corporate debt market and Hong Kong’s de facto central bank questioned HSBC on why its new AI hub would be established in Singapore. Plus, Brazil’s currency, stocks and bonds jumped after rightwing presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro won a first-round victory, and insurers are preparing for multimillion-dollar claims stemming from AI agents going “rogue”.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Surge in borrowing costs hits corporate America

Brazil’s markets surge as investors bet on Flávio Bolsonaro election win

France: between the bond market and the barricades

Insurance claims to test Altman and Amodei liability for ‘rogue’ AI

Hong Kong quizzes HSBC over Singapore AI hub decision

Want to get in touch? Email us at podcasts@ft.com

Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts

The FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our show is mixed by Sam Giovinco and Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello, Peter Barber and David da Silva. Our executive producer is Topher Forhecz. Flo Phillips is the FT’s global head of audio. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.