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FINANCIAL TIMES
Friday, 4 September 2026
 
 
 

Top Headlines from the UK Edition

 
 
 
Nigel Farage and Reform UK hit by illicit-funding sting
 
Undercover investigation shows party leader meeting a fake US supporter
 
 
Volkswagen to slash up to 50,000 jobs in historic restructuring
 
German carmaker’s overhaul could also lead to plant closures as it contends with lacklustre sales and growing Chinese competition
 
 
OpenAI says it has overtaken Anthropic with its latest AI model
 
ChatGPT maker claims its ‘Astra’ could be considered ‘artificial general intelligence’
 
 
Burnham tests the unproven ‘politics of trying’
 
Prime Minister is attempting a different type of conversation with voters to keep them with him as times get tough
 
 
Fantasy M&A: the recipe for a European champion
 
Seven theoretical tie-ups that could help the continent’s corporate sector compete with the US and China — if regulators, politicians and the public allowed them
 
 
 

Top Headlines from the International Editions

 
 
 
Australian property developer collapse ripples into private credit markets
 
Bathla owed $2.5bn to more than 40 lenders as fallout prompts some international investors to cancel funding deals
 
 
Milei dials up Argentina’s claim to Falklands
 
Domestic politics, oil drilling and UK-US tensions drive libertarian leader to amp up sovereignty dispute
 
 
Pig kidneys successfully transplanted into humans
 
Trial in US offers hope for solving organ shortage
 
 
Star Citadel trader to step down amid tumult in energy markets
 
Chris Foster to leave role at Ken Griffin’s hedge fund after making billions of dollars trading natural gas in Europe
 
 
‘People are going to get screwed’: Pennsylvania voters unite against data centres
 
Politicians compete to reflect growing opposition to new facilities in the swing state
 
 
 

Markets

 
 
 
Dear Brits, please save more
 
The UK, like many countries, faces a major pensions shortfall
 
 
EU enters winter with lowest gas stocks on record
 
Situation could become ‘problematic’, warns gas storage group head
 
 
Revolut wins provisional US banking licence
 
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency approval is a milestone for UK-based fintech seeking American expansion
 
 
Blackstone stands firm with cap on private credit outflows
 
Flagship $43bn fund said it was hit with notices from investors to pull 10% of the vehicle’s value in the third quarter
 
 
Yen surges as traders bet on Japan interest rate rises
 
Currency moves past ¥156 to the dollar after sudden jump overnight
 
 
 

Companies

 
 
 
Watches and Jewellery: September
 
High-end boom masks divide among Swiss watchmakers; watch fairs mushroom in face of industry gloom; Bvlgari CEO talks women’s watches and creativity in the age of AI; designers latch on to the low-fi 1990s; the jeweller mixing TikTok with tradition; Manchester jewellery makers shine a light on regional craft
 
 
High-end boom masks Swiss watch industry polarisation
 
Ultra-luxury timepieces now account for three-quarters of the sector’s growth
 
 
The Riviera set: the local makers carving a niche on the Côte d’Azur
 
The wealthy region brings commercial challenges, so jewellers that offer bespoke services, unusual designs and the personal touch are thriving
 
 
Ring watches become sign of vintage-focused times
 
The accessory is winning over younger buyers looking for a playful, analogue way to express their style
 
 
Jewelled handbags move beyond the red carpet
 
This fast-growing category provides a way to work established designs into a fresh product line with a relatively affordable price
 
 
 

Opinion

 
 
 
Nvidia’s $13bn deal cements its $5.5tn advantage
 
It’s an investor, backer, supplier and guarantor for companies its Hugging Face acquisition potentially disrupts
 
 
Hugging Face attack is a wake-up call about the risks of AI
 
Agents involved in hack exhibited some alarming behaviours including suppressing ethical qualms
 
 
We need to keep an eye on surveillance pricing
 
Old business practices are being reinvented in our algorithmic age but consumers should not have to haggle with a machine
 
 
Giorgia Meloni’s enviable stability — and missed opportunity
 
Prime minister marks Italy’s longest continuous government since the war
 
 
How state control of companies can drive innovation
 
India and China show that if done correctly, the UK’s plans to intervene in some industries could deliver benefits
 
 
 

Work & Careers

 
 
 
Teaching award: rising to the challenge
 
To help future executive leaders learn effectively about real-world sustainability issues, academics are putting a fresh — often high-tech — spin on traditional courses
 
 
Business School Debates
 
Topical issues for classroom discussion. This series hosts short case studies on contemporary business dilemmas for professors and students, written by academics who provide insights and questions on themes from supply chains and artificial intelligence, to marketing and accounting
 
 
Accelerating Business
 
A monthly series that examines how the legal ecosystem uses new technologies to serve fast-changing business needs. This time: Why law firms want their own in-house AI platforms
 
 
How AI can put out its PR dumpster fire
 
Doomers will say it’s hopeless but here are five ideas to put out the fire
 
 
Cities on screen: 10 takes on Chicago
 
A cinematic tour of the many sides of the Windy City, with the FT’s film critic
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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