This article is an on-site version of our FirstFT newsletter. Subscribers can sign up to our Asia<\/a>, Europe\/Africa<\/a> or Americas<\/a> edition to get the newsletter delivered every weekday morning. Explore all of our newsletters here<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Good morning and welcome back to FirstFT Asia. Today we\u2019re covering: <\/p>\n Trump hints at Iran talks<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Why Big Tech cannot agree on AGI<\/p>\n<\/li>\n China\u2019s drone push<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Zuckerberg\u2019s macho-man makeover<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Donald Trump has said there could be new talks with Iran in the \u201cnear future\u201d and that he would decide whether to join Israel\u2019s attack on the country \u201cwithin the next two weeks\u201d.<\/p>\n What to know:<\/strong> Trump appeared to signal that he was slowing down his decision about entering the war<\/a>, even as American military assets speed to the region. The US president\u2019s statement yesterday said there was a \u201csubstantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future\u201d. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also confirmed that the US had kept open its negotiations with Tehran during days of missile exchanges between Iran and Israel. <\/p>\n Gulf anxiety:<\/strong> Arab monarchies are seeking to stay close to their regional rival Tehran<\/a>, as they fear becoming targets for retaliation if the US strikes Iran. They fear US involvement would put Gulf states that host American military bases in the line of fire, and could even strangle their oil and gas exports if Iran retaliated by closing the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile companies in financial centres such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi are readying contingency plans<\/a> in preparation for any potential spillover of the war.<\/p>\n Follow our live blog for the latest news<\/a> \u2014 and see more coverage below: <\/p>\n The risks of Iranian retaliation:<\/strong> As Trump and his advisers weigh whether to join Israel in striking Iran, the US president will also be considering how Tehran might respond<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Iran\u2019s exiled royal:<\/strong> \u201cThis is the first time in all these years that we see the playing field being more even for an opportunity for change,\u201d Reza Pahlavi tells the FT<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Opinion:<\/strong> A weakened Tehran might accept a face-saving deal<\/a> and sanctions relief to avert a US attack, writes Richard Haass.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Here\u2019s what else we\u2019re keeping tabs on today and over the weekend:<\/p>\n Economic data:<\/strong> Japan and Hong Kong report May CPI inflation data. South Korea reports PPI figures for the month.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Monetary policy:<\/strong> The People\u2019s Bank of China makes its loan prime rate announcement.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Vladimir Putin:<\/strong> The Russian president is set to appear today at an economic conference in St Petersburg \u2014 a gathering that has failed to attract western companies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Japan: <\/strong>IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva begins a visit to Japan on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n How well did you keep up with the news this week? <\/em>Take our quiz<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n 1. The Boeing Dreamliner jet in last week\u2019s deadly Air India crash had\u00a0a \u201cclean history\u201d<\/strong> and two recently serviced engines, the airline\u2019s chair has said. N Chandrasekaran, who is also chair of the carrier\u2019s owner, Tata Group, pushed back on \u201cspeculations\u201d <\/a>about what caused the country\u2019s worst air disaster in almost three decades. <\/p>\n 2. X chief executive Linda Yaccarino has said that users will \u201csoon\u201d be able to make investments or trades on the social media platform,<\/strong> as she outlined a push into financial services in owner Elon Musk\u2019s quest to build an \u201ceverything app\u201d.\u00a0Yaccarino told the FT: \u201cYou\u2019ll be able to come to X and be able to transact your whole financial life on the platform.\u201d Read the interview<\/a>. <\/p>\n 3. Japan\u2019s Nippon Steel has said it could issue equity to fund billions of dollars of promised investment in US Steel,<\/strong> after its nearly $15bn takeover of its American rival closed following a year of political wrangling. \u201cGiven the massive amount of capital required, [a capital raise is] certainly something we are keeping in mind,\u201d said vice chair Takahiro Mori at a press conference in Tokyo yesterday. Read the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2018Stick-holder capitalism\u2019: <\/strong>Nippon Steel\u2019s takeover of US Steel is the first big cross-border agreement under Trump\u2019s new genre of capitalism<\/a>, writes Leo Lewis.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n 4.<\/strong> A former Janus Henderson analyst who used working from home as a cover for insider trading <\/strong>has been found guilty in one of the most high-profile UK insider dealing cases in recent years. Redinel Korfuzi, who made profits of nearly \u00a31mn<\/a>, was convicted of insider trading and money laundering alongside his sister. <\/p>\n 5. New Zealand has suspended funding to the Cook Islands over the Pacific archipelago\u2019s deepening relationship with China. <\/strong>The move marked the latest instance of what analysts have called Wellington\u2019s more assertive approach to smaller Pacific island nations<\/a> in response to Beijing\u2019s growing diplomatic and economic influence in the region.<\/p>\n Artificial general intelligence has been tipped as the next big breakthrough out of Silicon Valley, with proponents from OpenAI to Google DeepMind predicting it can turbocharge the economy, cure diseases and \u201celevate humanity\u201d. But is AGI a scientific goal \u2014 or just a marketing buzzword?<\/a> <\/p>\n Chinese drones: <\/strong>Beijing has pushed the country to produce millions of unmanned aircraft. Now, it wants the \u201clow-altitude economy\u201d<\/a> to become a driver of growth.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n FT Magazine:<\/strong> Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s macho-man makeover shocked liberals at Meta, but his closest allies say this is who he was all along<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Asia-Pacific climate leaders:<\/strong> The region\u2019s demand for energy has made it tougher to meet the challenges of decarbonisation. Here are the companies that top our list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Chinese, Indian and south-east Asian universities had a strong showing in the latest QS world rankings<\/a>, while the majority of UK institutions dropped down the list for a second straight year. The rankings reflect a higher education arms race.<\/p>\n \u201cTrains in Japan are so good that few people consider driving through the country,\u201d writes David Coggins. The Peninsula hotel group\u2019s Japan Driving Experience has set out to change that<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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