FT News Briefing

The episode leads with Houthi strikes on Riyadh airport, then moves to Donald Trump’s claim of an “energy ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine. It also looks at AI companies stepping back from new borrowing and bank earnings that hint Wall Street’s strong run may be fading.

Europe’s looming election supercycle anchors this episode, with a look at how multiple votes could pull the EU to the right. It also ranges across IMF warnings on public finances, Pakistan’s bind over Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, Meta’s AI ambitions, and new UK sanctions on Iran.

SoftBank’s effort to raise up to $100bn from Gulf investors for AI anchors this episode, alongside updates on Iran, aviation security and a Trump-linked crypto dispute. It’s a fast-moving mix of markets, politics and corporate risk.

Oil investment in the Middle East leads this episode, which also looks at a near-£12bn hit to Britain’s public finances, bargain hunting in battered bond markets, China’s data-centre buildout, and rising credit risk at SpaceX. It’s a compact listen on how conflict and volatility are reshaping capital flows.

Paramount Skydance’s debt burden after its Warner Bros takeover leads an episode that moves through shipping risk in the Strait of Hormuz, a UK tax probe into Manchester City, Tata’s control battle and Brussels’ latest tech-tax idea. It’s a compact listen for anyone tracking where finance, politics and corporate power collide.