FirstFT: China tightens grip on Europe’s auto supply chain
Also in today’s newsletter: US judge cites ‘concerning’ irregularities in Adani fraud case and the AI threat to India’s IT sector
Panama Canal fees hit record high as El Niño and Iran war choke shipping
Falling water levels caused by weather phenomenon could limit transit slots through crucial maritime passageway
US fires on ship it says violated Iran blockade
Central Command says Panama-flagged vessel ‘ignored repeated warnings’ from American forces
Transcript: Why the yen matters
Katie Martin speaks to Toby Nangle
Why the yen matters
What’s driving the US intervention in a foreign bond market?
Climate change an ‘existential threat’ to England’s green spaces, study finds
Hotter, drier summers are creating stress on plants and soils
Andy Burnham faces first real test over his handling of prisons crisis
New UK prime minister has leaned into the idea that he can respond to Britons’ concerns
Moscow releases former US Marine after four-year stint in Russian prison
State department says American was freed without prisoner exchange or Washington concessions
US judge cites ‘concerning’ irregularities in Adani fraud case
Nicholas Garaufis of Brooklyn federal court points to ‘repeat attempts to resolve this bribery case with monetary offers’
Arday case poses awkward questions for Cambridge
For Britain’s elite universities, governance issues add to funding woes
Deputy PM Salvini proposes windfall tax on Italian bank profits
Plan for three-year levy comes amid strained public finances
UK letting agents under pressure from AI-assisted tenant complaints
One agent said 90 per cent of complaints arrive as email documents, often on multiple pages, showing signs of AI generation
Heatwaves push European gas prices close to Iran war highs
Wednesday’s solar eclipse is also expected to fuel demand for gas-fired power generation
Can Democrats seize Congress from Trump?
The races, the money and the issues that will determine the final half of Trump’s second term
Will failure in Iran reshape how the US fights?
Veterans and voters have punished past administrations for costly wars, but these days many Americans don’t seem to care
Mayflies follows a bromance from 1980s hedonism to end-of-life reflection
Andrew O’Hagan’s 2020 novel becomes a poignant site-specific production in a vast Leigh warehouse
Rooftop panels in cities are no replacement for solar farms
Cleve Hill, the UK’s largest solar park, is unpopular with locals but the country needs more like it
When trouble strikes, who shadow-banks the shadow bankers?
Absorbing the occasional blow is what sets giant lenders apart from their shadowy cousins
Long-term sickness may be smaller problem for UK than thought, says ONS
Statistics agency’s new labour market survey shows lower levels of economic inactivity due to ill health
Former Syrian dictator Assad sentenced to death in absentia
Damascus court issues first ruling against ousted president since he fled to Russia in 2024
Ari Emanuel buys theatre group ATG for £4.5bn
Deal by Hollywood mogul’s new venture Mari represents a big bet on continued demand for live events
Why Washington views Abu Dhabi as one of its most capable Middle East allies
Also in today’s newsletter, progressives gain ground as a Democratic socialist leads Wisconsin governor’s race
Democratic socialist leads Wisconsin race in new threat to party leadership
Primary victory would pit leftwing gubernatorial candidate against Trump-backed Republican in November midterms
Humans cannot remain passengers in the back of the AGI car
A sense of fatalistic inevitability about the technology’s evolution is triggering something close to despair