Game on for the biggest leveraged buyout

SpaceX has raised $75bn in a record-breaking initial public offering, and the European Central Bank became the first central bank in the G7 to increase borrowing costs in response to the Middle East energy shock. Plus, the World Cup could have a lot of empty seats. Mentioned in t ...  Show more

France and Germany are discussing proposals for a radical overhaul of the EU’s 15-year-old diplomatic service, and the most recent US inflation report is putting pressure on President Donald Trump to extend the ceasefire with Iran. Plus, can Australia fix its housing crisis? Ment ...  Show more

More than a million federal workers are missing their first full paycheck as the shutdown stretches into week four, with pressure building on Washington to end the standoff. A wild NBA gambling scandal involving secret gadgets lands an active player and a Hall of Fame coach in le ...  Show more

The economic cost of the government shutdown is mounting, as workers miss paychecks and contracts stall. President Trump’s feud with Colombia is deepening, with threats to cut aid testing a decades-long alliance. And in France, outrage is growing after the Louvre jewel heist, wit ...  Show more

The next 12 months will be an epic year for democracy. Half the world’s population will have the chance to vote. Lucy Fisher is joined by the FT’s editor Roula Khalaf and chief foreign affairs commentator Gideon Rachman to give a global perspective, while Political Fix regular ...

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s troubled re-election bid has been dealt a fresh double blow, as Nigel Farage seized the reins of Reform UK and announced he would stand as a candidate, while a new poll showed Labour could win the biggest majority of any party in a century. Lucy Fi ...