Israel may not have big enough bombs to take down Iran’s most secure nuclear facility, and Nippon Steel’s bid to take over US Steel is finally moving forward. Plus, gold has surpassed the euro as the second most-popular reserve asset, and the UK’s overseas intelligence agency has appointed its first female chief.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Gold overtakes euro as global reserve asset, ECB says

Silver and platinum prices soar as investors seek ‘gold alternatives’

The nuclear mountain that haunts Israel

Donald Trump approves Nippon Steel’s $15bn takeover of US Steel

Britain’s overseas spy agency MI6 promotes ‘Q’ to be first female head

Today’s FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, Ethan Plotkin, Kasia Broussalian, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Alexander Higgins and Peter Barber. Our acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. Our intern is Michaela Seah. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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Today, we're bringing you the first episode from the new season of Hot Money. On Hot Money: Agent of Chaos, reporter Sam Jones investigates Wirecard’s chief operating officer — who vanished just as the high flying German fintech collapsed. It turned out he was a Russian spy. From an Ibizan sting operation to an attempted takeover of the Austrian intelligence service, Jones’ reporting spirals into a world of warlords, espionage and disinformation. All in an attempt to answer two questions: who is the real Jan Marsalek? And what does his secret life reveal about the powerful forces he serves?

Get ad-free access to the entire season of Hot Money: Agent of Chaos by subscribing to Pushkin+ on Apple Podcasts or Pushkin.fm. Access ad-free episodes, exclusive binges, full audiobooks, and bonus content for all Pushkin shows with Pushkin+.

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Israel has launched a strike against Iran, Argentina’s month-on-month inflation rate has fallen below 2 per cent, and Italian, Spanish and Greek sovereign bonds have rallied. Plus, investigators in India are looking into a fatal Boeing 787 crash and the US dollar sank to a three-year low.

Mentioned in this podcast:

Israel strikes Iran and braces for retaliation

Dollar sinks to three-year low on Trump tariff threat

Italy, Greece and Spain emerge as winners in bond market anxiety

More than 240 dead after Air India flight to London crashes

Milei brings Argentina’s monthly inflation below 2% for first time since 2020

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Today’s FT News Briefing was produced by Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, Fiona Symon, Henry Larson, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Eli Meixler, Kelly Garry, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our intern is Michaela Seah. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s acting co-head of audio. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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