EasyJet rejects £4.7bn takeover bid from Castlelake
US private credit group goes public with latest 625p-a-share offer after airline’s board refuses to engage
Burnham cemented himself as Labour’s winner
A coronation for the PM hopeful looks likely — unless Keir Starmer decides to fight back
Robots will replace 700,000 delivery workers ‘sooner or later’, warns JD.com boss
China’s rapid adoption of technology threatens millions of gig-economy jobs, policymakers fear
China restricts trading with some US rare earth companies
Beijing introduces more export controls in retaliation for Washington’s ‘wrongful’ actions
Starmer on brink of quitting as UK prime minister
Labour leader is under intense pressure to set out timetable for transition of power
Rightwing populist ‘El Tigre’ wins Colombia election
Trump-loving political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella narrowly beats leftist continuity candidate
Leverage in the financial system, revisited
Plus, the dollar comeback
Keep calm and carry on with EU enlargement, says Ireland’s PM
Also in this newsletter: Meloni considers her options after Trump spat
Wars trigger $12bn venture capital rush into defence tech
Plus, Thoma Bravo’s PE wipeout, dollar bullishness post Fed decision and Alexander Calder in Paris
Do US insurers arbitrage capital regulations with private ratings?
Probably!
FTAV’s further reading
An affluence of effluence; passive investing; fast and fjordious
Starmer on brink of quitting as UK prime minister
Trump says Starmer will resign after failing ‘badly’
FirstFT: Starmer’s exit plans expected
Also in today’s newsletter: Middle East conflict and Bain’s vibecoding
The Business of Tennis
ATP chair warns tennis divide leads to huge revenue losses. Plus: call for stronger response to extreme heat; Iga Świątek on how she conquered pre-Wimbledon nerves; and how agents identify the next stars
Transcript: Starmer on brink of quitting as UK prime minister
Victoria Craig speaks to Lucy Fisher and Claire Jones
The best of TV and streaming this week
Gentle comedy-drama ‘Four Seasons’, the dark side of the creator economy in ‘OnlyFans: Inside the Machine’ and more. Reviews by Rebecca Nicholson
God makes a footballing comeback
World Cup players offer up prayers, Muslim prostrations and even Jesus shin pads
Burnham will have to be brave if he wants to get Britain growing again
Unfortunately UK politics is hostile to making tough, but necessary, choices
The Great Frog, the punk-rock ringmaker beloved of bartenders
Mixology meets metalheads at this Soho-based brand
Italy open to Germany joining fighter jet project, says Leonardo chief
Lorenzo Mariani says Berlin role in GCAP would slow progress but bring benefits after collapse of rival FCAS programme
Ireland says it can secure an EU capital markets deal this year
Taoiseach Micheál Martin tells FT there are ‘ways of landing this’
UK’s out-of-town retail parks ‘effectively full’
Industry says shortage of space reflects rising demand from some retailers and a dearth of new sites
Iran war supercharges electric vehicle uptake in Africa
Boom in demand for electric motorbikes and buses on continent is a boost for China
How Benjamin Netanyahu’s big moment backfired
The war in Iran fulfilled a longtime goal of the Israeli premier. But it has left him in his worst position in years