UK economy beat expectations to grow 0.3% in November

Figure marks rebound from previous month’s contraction

Transcript: Sudan — inside the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

Gideon Rachman talks to Kholood Khair and Alex de Waal

Richemont reports double-digit sales growth

Cartier owner sees 11% sales growth in third quarter on strong jewellery demand

Bessent warns South Korean won’s weakness ‘not in line’ with economy

Currency has traded near lows of global financial crisis in recent weeks

Transcript: How the Fed fights back, with Don Kohn

Claire Jones talks to Donald Kohn, former Fed vice chair

The UK’s online retail habit is bigger than we thought

Second to none, or maybe two

Whose fault is fiscal dominance?

Monetisation and its discontents

TSMC posts record quarterly profit on AI boom

Taiwanese chipmaker beats own guidance on revenue and gross profit margin

Europe sends troops to Greenland in attempt to ward off US threat

Also in this newsletter: Austria loosens export rules for dual-use goods

FTAV’s further reading

Animal Crossing; Venezuela; Wikipedia; monkeys; Kamala Harris; Grok; Wells Fargo; Green Lantern; and vapes

FirstFT: Trump says he has received assurances on Iran protesters

Also in today’s newsletter: Pimco pivots from US assets and Greenland working group

Transcript: Why Japan’s prime minister might call a snap election

Marc Filippino speaks to Leo Lewis and Akila Quinio

London learned the hard way. Is California next?

A proposed tax referendum has Silicon Valley leaders making plans to leave the state

New York luxury office market booms as companies seek high-end amenities

Number of leases signed for space priced at $100 or more per sq ft reached all-time high in 2025

Bank of England accused of making ‘mistake’ in loosening capital rules

Criticism is the most strident challenge to the central bank’s decision announced last month

Wikipedia may be the largest compendium of human knowledge ever created, but can it survive?

As the website turns 25, it faces myriad challenges from regulators, AI, the far right and Elon Musk

Can Europe still afford its generous state pensions?

Rising numbers of older people across the continent are straining budgets and making for some difficult political decisions

Trump’s ‘unpredictable’ policies to fuel shift from US, Pimco says

Cautious stance comes amid Wall St concerns over president’s attack on the Federal Reserve

Apple sits out AI arms race to play kingmaker between Google and OpenAI

Multibillion-dollar deal to secure Gemini models reflects cautious approach to infrastructure spending

Asda hit by debt sell-off after Christmas sales slump

Traders offload Asda’s bonds and loans in a sign that confidence in retailer’s turnaround is weakening

An unreliable America is making Japan turn to drumstick diplomacy

If Tokyo can’t count on Washington, forging pragmatic new alliances with former foes increasingly makes sense

Would a ‘mild zombie apocalypse’ be a good thing for the UK economy?

Business dynamism comes in many different forms

Marston’s US activist calls time on pub group’s board

Bradley Radoff criticises lack of share buyback or dividend as he pushes for removal of five non-executive directors

Wall Street trading champs give sports betting the ‘old college try’

Susquehanna may find that having an edge in one market does not automatically translate into another