Lionel Messi announces retirement from international football
Superstar says he planned move two days after Argentina’s loss to Spain in July World Cup final
Prediction platform Kalshi bans ex-US Congress member for manipulation
Regulator says George Santos made public statements to boost the value of his own bets on whether he would attend the State of the Union address
Israel’s de facto annexation of the West Bank
New housing tenders could end chance of a contiguous Palestinian state
Don’t write off Russia’s defence industry yet
Moscow’s arms manufacturers are adapting and innovating in ways that could threaten Nato in the future
Trump says US will hit Iran ‘hard’ as conflict reignites
Oil prices rise after exchange of fire between warring countries ends weeks of relative quiet
Trump’s tariff fix leaves US trade policy in permanent flux
America’s use of Section 301 means future administrations cannot just leave charges untouched or allow them to lapse
Whose fiscal problems would you prefer?
Lenders must choose between countries behaving like a bingeing entrepreneur, an elderly but reputable business owner and an indebted aristocrat
Kemi Badenoch sacks Mel Stride as shadow chancellor
Conservative leader promotes former Sky executive Andrew Griffith as she seeks to close polling gap with Reform and Labour
India’s GDP beats growth forecast at 7.8%
World’s fastest-growing large economy outperforms central bank expectations as Middle East energy shock starts to bite
The politics of data centres
Concerns about AI rollout are a proxy for the widespread belief that the economy is rigged against ordinary Americans
Sixty years of Notting Hill Carnival
The event — which began as a form of resistance against racism — draws millions to the streets of west London
How climate volatility shakes up companies’ earnings too
Supply chains are vulnerable to heatwaves and cyclones
Spain’s Sánchez accuses Russia and Israel of inflaming migrant crisis
PM blames foreign social media actors for spreading misinformation as he comes under pressure over Ceuta influx
Happy birthday to the First Index Investment Trust
Witness the FIITnes
Reading Festival shows rude health of British and Irish music
All headliners were from the two nations for the first time in 25 years, with highlights including Charli XCX, Fontaines DC, Dave and Raye
Activist pushes EPAM Systems for buybacks as AI hits its shares
Engine Capital’s campaign comes as investors bet artificial intelligence will hurt consultancies and software groups
ChatGPT faces tougher rules under EU online safety regime
Reddit and Roblox also face additional obligations under bloc’s Digital Services Act
The City Without Jews — Douglas Smith on life inside Vienna’s catastrophe
An extraordinary archive gives a victim’s eye view of how the Nazis eradicated Europe’s most thriving Jewish community
Software companies pay steep price to buy time against AI threat
Private equity groups face a $40bn maturity wall in 2028 to refinance Covid-era software buyouts
Hanneli Rupert’s crafts crusade, late-summer getaways and how to get a good night’s sleep – don’t miss HTSI’s most popular reads
Catch up on our most clicked stories
KKR to net giant windfall from $17bn sale of USI to Aon
Gain is one of the largest earned by a public private equity firm on a single deal
UK offers homegrown AI start-ups £100mn to improve public services
Scheme comes in wake of growing opposition to government contracts with US software group Palantir
And the FTAV chart quiz winner is . . .
The Hat U Give
Consultants head for a showdown — with their own clients
Pressure is on Accenture, Capgemini and the Big Four as companies demand savings