Germany’s debt brake problem

The US and Europe battled in the UN and G7 over whether to blame Russia for its war against Ukraine, German election winner Friedrich Merz faces serious hurdles to boosting defence spending, and Apple said it planned to hire an additional 20,000 staff in the US over the next four years. Plus, US commodities trader … Read more

Time for ESG investors and defence stocks to call a truce

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Friday’s blistering spat in the White House produced one winner. On Monday morning, European defence stocks including Germany’s Rheinmetall, France’s Thales and BAE Systems shot through the roof. Expectations of government spending have pumped up … Read more

US group lobbies Doge to cut military spending by using refurbished parts

A Chicago aerospace company is hoping to capitalise on Doge-inspired cost-cutting fervour and persuade the US military to embrace a seemingly surprising practice: buying used spare parts for its commercial-style planes. For years, AAR, which services aircraft for government and commercial clients, has maintained the military could save billions by buying overhauled parts, also known … Read more

Ukraine to run out of US weapons by summer

The long unthinkable prospect of Ukraine fighting without US weapons, equipment or intelligence looks set to become a reality after the White House on Monday announced it would cut military aid to Kyiv. A senior Ukrainian intelligence official said that Ukraine would probably run out of the last American military supplies in “two or three … Read more

Start-up says its ‘woolly mice’ bring mammoth revival closer

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. A company aiming to revive extinct animal species has unveiled genetically engineered “woolly mice” that it says are an important milestone in its quest to bring back mammoths.  US-based start-up Colossal Biosciences said the shaggy … Read more