China signals tolerance for stronger renminbi
Central bank fixes currency at highest level against dollar in 15 months
FirstFT: Trump-Zelenskyy talks fail to make breakthrough
Also in today’s newsletter: Europe’s defence groups and the Arnault family’s Parisian property purchases
How our forecasts of central bank rate decisions fared in 2025
MPR has mostly done better in predicting outcomes versus the market, but there is room for improvement in 2026
The best of TV and streaming this week
Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders bring Ab-Fab sparkle to BBC1’s ‘Amandaland Christmas Special’; Mark Gatiss’s ‘Ghost Story for Christmas: The Room in the Tower’ is an eerie spine-chiller; a liberal couple move to Maga country in the unintentionally comic ‘The Hunting Wives’; the rip-roaring ‘Amad
Transcript: Trump and Zelenskyy tout progress on peace but ‘thorny’ issues remain
Victoria Craig speaks to Katie Martin
Netanyahu to meet Trump as differences over Gaza grow
Florida visit will be the Israeli PM’s sixth summit with US president this year, the most of any world leader
Diamonds are powering a new quantum revolution
By inserting tiny imperfections into the stones, scientists open up possibilities in computing, encryption and sensors
The AI boom is not a bubble
Valuations may be spectacular and a bust could come — but while there’s exuberance there is no mania or irrationality
The rise of the side hustle
Economists and tax collectors might be underestimating its impact
Arnaults’ buying spree boosts sluggish market for luxury homes in Paris
Billionaire family lays out almost €200mn on three properties, among top prices paid in French capital over past year
UK needs £800bn of new funding by 2040 to meet defence pledge, says report
Unfunded projects include construction of new barracks, munitions factories and spending on naval hubs
Why don’t UK banks lend more? Ask their customers
Some small businesses would like to boost borrowing but are struggling to do so
Year in a word: Taco
In spite of the erratic nature of Donald Trump’s decision making, a distinct pattern has emerged
Trump-linked crypto venture retains auditor with chequered history
Alt5 Sigma’s accounting firm lacks licence and has failed an inspection under industry’s peer review process
Why don’t companies target over 55s as consumers more?
Age group accounts for a rising share of spending but only a fraction of advertising budgets is aimed at it
Saudi Arabia goes after critics of rising cost of living
Wave of arrests and fines are in apparent response to online anger over reforms to social security benefits
Cities on screen: Istanbul in nine films
The FT’s film critic takes us on a cine-tour of the megalopolis, featuring James Bond chases, a psychedelic heist, domestic dramas and the music of its streets
The Score by C Thi Nguyen — more than a numbers game
A subtle and stimulating philosophical examination of scoring systems and what really matters
Ken Burns: ‘I’m embarrassed that, as a country, we don’t grasp our history’
The filmmaker is on a mission to strip the story of American independence of mythology and nostalgia
Copper prices rise by most in over a decade
Analysts expect demand for industrial metal to outstrip mined supply by 2030s
Eight maximalist homes we love
Go inside these Pantone playgrounds, as seen in HTSI
‘Hospital at Home’ scheme aims to revolutionise NHS care
Caring for patients in the community cuts costs and leads to quicker recoveries, says team behind Manchester service
‘Capital of capital’: how Abu Dhabi rose as a sovereign wealth power
The people, funds and institutions behind the emirate’s staggering rise to riches
The vanishing world of Cairo’s master tailors
Changing fashion, modernisation and a lack of willing apprentices mean the craft is threatened with extinction