Building data centres in space sounds like an (admittedly not exciting) science-fiction plot. But Elon Musk insists that is his motive for a $1.25trn mega-merger of SpaceX, his rocket company, and xAI, which makes chatbots. In reality, the commercial rationale for the union is shaky, and brings even greater complexity to the web of deals that fund AI labs.

And Peter Mandelson was once the “prince of darkness” of Britain’s Labour Party, pulling political strings. Now he’s persona non-grata, brought down (as in the case of another British former prince) by his closeness to Jeffrey Epstein, a dead sex offender. For Labour, the unedifying process of trying to distance itself from Mr Mandelson begins, writes our correspondent.