Lula fast-tracks Brazil welfare payments days before run-off vote
Veteran leftwinger aiming to close the gap with rightwing challenger Flávio Bolsonaro before Sunday’s ballot
Pensions invest £11bn in UK private markets despite challenges
Most of the money has been invested in UK real estate
FT Crossword: Number 18,511
UK to approve development of Jackdaw gasfield in North Sea
Ministers to give go-ahead on Wednesday to the project about 150 miles east of Aberdeen
SpaceX and Tesla boards are exploring potential merger
Elon Musk says combining his two public companies would be a ‘good idea’ as the world approaches an AI singularity
Finnish president hails progress in talks about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelenskyy participates in discussions in Oslo that also involve Donald Trump’s envoy
Joel Kaplan to step down as Meta global affairs chief
Republican political operative is a key adviser to CEO Mark Zuckerberg
FirstFT: SpaceX and Tesla to study potential merger, Musk says
Also in today’s newsletter: Senior UAE official emerges as late contender to lead UN and new report says Nidec founder ‘neglected his duties’
Can the Democrats win the Senate?
The races, the money and the issues that will determine the final half of Trump’s second term
Submit a question: Could Anthropic’s IPO be a turning point for AI?
Join us for a live Ask an Expert Q&A with Richard Waters, the FT’s tech writer at large, and George Hammond, the FT’s venture capital correspondent, at 8am (PDT)/4pm (BST) on Thursday October 22
Transcript: UK bets on a boring budget
Katie Martin speaks to Chris Giles
Boeing wins approval for Max 10 jet in boost for turnaround efforts
Long-awaited certification will help US group compete with Airbus as airlines seek larger and more efficient aircraft
Netflix gives downbeat outlook as streaming hits dry up
Entertainment giant shakes up creative leadership as viewership growth stalls and current quarter profits set to disappoint
UK bets on a boring budget
Priority number one: Don’t spook the bond market
Trump pledges to spend $400mn on Republican Party midterm campaigns
US president’s announcement comes after former New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg donates $80mn to Democratic candidates
UAE official emerges as late contender to lead UN
Supporters of Lana Nusseibeh sound out UN missions for backing as official candidates struggle to break deadlock
Two rearrested over RAF Fairford incident on suspicion of helping Iranian intelligence
Men held as officers continue to probe September incident at air base, which was hosting US bombers conducting strikes on Iran
Who are the Black Bloc?
French government says agitators from the far left helped transform peaceful protests into riots
France extends curfews in some cities as restrictions quell unrest
Italy also expected to approve new security measures to combat violent rioters
Carrefour blames French riots as it cuts profit forecast
Retailer said stores were ransacked during recent disorder, which came days after supermarket fridges were hit by a cyber attack
Audit regulator takes control of inquiry into Man City accounts
Financial Reporting Council is making ‘preliminary enquiries’ to assess whether there are grounds to open a formal investigation
Merz warns over Berlin plans to seize landlords’ property
Chancellor calls for regional government not to ‘experiment’ with market economy as investors attend summit
Britain’s budget should build on its economic resilience
Burnham and Healey must look beyond industrial nostalgia to the UK’s modern strengths
Gilt market catches up with peers as investor worries over Budget ease
UK bonds were initially hard hit after onset of Iran war but have since outperformed as traders’ concerns shift to France