Category: News

  • Christians huddled in Gaza speak to the Pope every night

    Every night without fail, a mobile phone rings in the Holy Family church in Gaza, and a parish priest answers. The voice at the end of the line is that of Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church and spiritual leader to a global flock of 1.4bn people. For more than a year, the pontiff…

  • De Beers amasses biggest diamond stockpile since 2008 financial crisis

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. De Beers Group has amassed its biggest stockpile of diamonds since the 2008 financial crisis, laying bare the group’s challenge in reviving demand for jewels long seen as the pinnacle of luxury. A slump in…

  • ‘Waste of time’: how Starmer fumbled his first months of power

    Sir Keir Starmer’s friends say the prime minister needs a holiday. After a year of electoral triumph followed by a precipitous drop in support — with no time off in between — the UK Labour party’s high command appears exhausted. “He needs a break, they all need a break,” said one confidant. “These are people…

  • Defaults on leveraged loans soar to highest in 4 years

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. US companies are defaulting on junk loans at the fastest rate in four years, as they struggle to refinance a wave of cheap borrowing that followed the Covid pandemic. Defaults in the global leveraged loan…

  • Matt Gaetz accused of paying for sex and using drugs by US congressional panel

    Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world Matt Gaetz, Donald Trump’s former pick for US attorney-general, was accused by the House ethics committee of having sex with an underaged girl, paying women for sex and using illegal drugs in an…

  • UK economy unexpectedly failed to grow in third quarter

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The UK economy failed to grow in the third quarter, in the latest blow to a government already under fire from businesses for its tax-raising Budget. GDP did not register any growth in the three…

  • Nick Candy vows to help Reform disrupt British politics ‘like we have never seen’

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Nick Candy, the new treasurer of Nigel Farage’s rightwing Reform party, has promised Britain “political disruption like we have never seen before” as he claimed to have several other billionaire backers in addition to Elon…

  • Record $600bn pours into global bond funds in 2024

    Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Sovereign bonds myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Investors poured record amounts into global bond funds this year as they bet on a shift towards easier monetary policy by major central banks. Bond funds attracted more than $600bn in inflows so far this…

  • Goodbye to Berlin, Europe’s self-effacing capital

    Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Life & Arts myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. As I pack my bags after nine years in Berlin, I’m leaving a city that seems to be trapped in a narrative of its own decline. Veterans say it has jumped the shark. Flats…

  • US Senate votes through last-gasp bill to keep government open

    €69 per month Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders. Pay a year upfront and save 20%. What’s included Global news & analysis Expert opinion FT App on Android & iOS FT Edit app FirstFT: the day’s biggest stories 20+ curated newsletters Follow topics & set alerts with myFT…

  • At least 2 dead and 60 injured after car ploughs into German Christmas market

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A car ploughed into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in the German city of Magdeburg on Friday evening, killing at least two and injuring dozens more in what local officials said they…

  • Novo Nordisk shares tumble as weight-loss drug trial data disappoints

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Novo Nordisk, one of Europe’s largest companies, lost more than a quarter of its value on Friday after its latest obesity drug missed the drugmaker’s goal for an average of 25 per cent weight loss.…

  • Renewed inflation fears stalk central bankers as markets shudder

    Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free Your guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world Leading central banks have warned that inflation is proving stickier than expected and that they will only cut borrowing costs gradually in 2025, in a shift that hit bond markets on both sides…

  • Bank of England holds interest rates at 4.75%

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. The Bank of England has kept interest rates on hold at 4.75 per cent as it seeks to contend with both stubborn inflation and lacklustre growth. In a split decision, most members of the Monetary…

  • Fed cuts rates but ‘hawkish’ forecast hits stocks and sends dollar jumping

    Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the US interest rates myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point but signalled a slower pace of easing next year, sending the dollar higher and US stocks lower.  The Federal…

  • UK inflation rises to 2.6% in November

    Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the UK inflation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. UK inflation accelerated to 2.6 per cent in November, in line with analysts’ predictions, cementing expectations that the Bank of England will hold rates steady at its meeting on Thursday. The year-on-year rise in the…

  • Nissan and Honda hold talks about a merger of the two carmakers

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Nissan and Honda are in exploratory talks about a merger of the two carmakers that would create a $52bn Japanese behemoth, according to people briefed on the matter.  The two companies are studying a way…

  • Top Russian general killed in bomb blast in Moscow

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A top Russian general has died after a bomb went off at the entrance to his home in Moscow early on Tuesday, investigators said, killing him and his assistant. Russia’s Investigative Committee, a major crimes…

  • Higher business taxes take toll on UK economy as companies cut back hiring

    Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Rachel Reeves’ increase in business taxes is taking a toll on the UK economy as companies cut back hiring, adding to warnings that the chancellor’s October Budget has sapped corporate confidence heading into the new…

  • UK private sector employment shrinks at fastest pace since 2021

    Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the UK employment myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. UK companies are cutting employee numbers at the fastest rate since the pandemic, according to a closely watched survey that highlights the impact of Rachel Reeves’ tax-hiking Budget. Private sector employment in December fell more…