FT News Briefing

UK Chancellor John Healey has dropped his strongest hint yet of higher taxes on banks, and Anthropic secured a credit rating one notch below investment grade earlier this year. Plus, investors are losing confidence that revenues from the AI boom will be sufficient to support the vast debt piles financing data centres.Mentioned in this podcast:Healey signals Budget bank tax raidAnthropic secured highest junk credit rating in JuneAnthropic tells investors quarterly revenue up nearly 50% to $16.8bn ahead of IPOInvestors dump data centre bonds as AI borrowers face ‘Darwin moment’Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected]: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe FT News Briefing is produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our video producer is Zachary 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized US President Donald Trump in an interview with the FT, US inflation jumped to 3.7% and leaked emails reveal that Freshfields law firm considered a carve-out of itsAI unit that would be worth billions. Plus, leading AI labs are responding to the alleged bugging incident at OpenAI and salmon producers are changing up the diet for their fish.Mentioned in this podcast:Ukraine to resume strikes on Russian refineries, Zelenskyy saysUS inflation jumps to 3.7% as Iran war drives up pricesFreshfields partners explore carve-out of AI unit worth ‘billions’, leaked emails revealUS arrests Saudi employee of OpenAI for allegedly bugging its officesHe linked Saudi Arabia to Silicon Valley. Then OpenAI found a bug wrapped in toilet paperSalmon producers start feeding chicken to fishWant to get in touch? Email us at [email protected]: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our video producer is Zachary 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 EUWill Accenture survive or thrive in the age of AI?CoreWeave targets ‘unlimited’ insurance money to fund AI build-outBank of America fined $1.2bn over money laundering failuresMilitary briefing: can Saudi Arabia stop the Houthis?Want to get in touch? Email us at [email protected]: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The IMF is warning that the world’s leading economies need to take “urgent” action to rebuild their public finances, Pakistan is stuck in a tricky place as its ally Saudi Arabia fights off the Houthis, and Mark Zuckerberg says Meta has caught up with rivals at the “frontier” of AI. Plus, a number of elections in Europe could fundamentally shift the EU, and the UK has imposed new sanctions on Iran over a security incident at a RAF base.Mentioned in this podcast:Top economies heading for biggest budget deficits since Covid, IMF warns Pakistan’s hard choice on Saudi Arabia’s warRiyadh defiant as Houthis launch new missile strikes on Saudi ArabiaMark Zuckerberg says Meta has reached AI ‘frontier’The election supercycle set to drag Europe rightUK imposes new sanctions on Iran over RAF Fairford incidentIndia’s Narendra Modi faces ‘bitter pill’ as Cockroach protests mountWant to get in touch? Email us at [email protected]: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe FT News Briefing is produced by Sonja Hutson, Saffeya Ahmed, and Josh Gabert-Doyon. Our editor is Marc Filippino. Our video producer is Zachary 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 refineriesUkraine’s allies vow to pressure Moscow as Trump claims ‘energy ceasefire’ in placeMissile strike on Riyadh airport kills 12 and injures hundredsHouthis show military reach with deadly missile strikes on RiyadhAI borrowing slows as investors grow wary of debt bingeWall Street’s record-breaking trading streak set to coolWant to get in touch? Email us at [email protected] to the FT: ft.com/briefingsaleNote: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcastsThe 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.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.