Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) Traders are boosting bets on interest-rate hikes from the European Central Bank and the Bank of England as climbing energy prices threaten to keep inflation entrenched through the coming year.

(2) Iran is ready for a more intense war and will escalate counterstrikes if the US continues attacking its territory and infrastructure, according to a senior official from the Islamic Republic.

(3) Apple unveiled the company’s first foldable smartphone during a wide-ranging event Wednesday, betting that a new category can energize growth for its biggest-selling lineup.

(4) An unprecedented number of US companies sold bonds in Europe on Wednesday, drawn by liquidity and attractive terms as their home market strains under a deluge of AI-related debt.

(5) Jimmie Åkesson won’t become prime minister in coming elections in Sweden but in a way he’s already won. For more than a decade now, the 47-year-old far-right populist has been steering the national conversation in one of most stubbornly progressive corners of Europe.