Donald Trump warns Iran that US will ‘rescue’ protesters
President’s threat follows days of demonstrations over living standards
FirstFT: Lagarde’s ECB pay under spotlight
Also in today’s newsletter: UK regulator sharpens focus and Iranian protests turn violent
Five big finance questions for 2026
The issues facing private credit, the IPO market, the future of banks and beyond
Home Counties most affected by VAT on private school fees, data suggests
Few English local authorities report a rise in state school pupil numbers with a corresponding fall in private enrolment in 2024-25
Iran protests put president’s reform agenda to the test
Rallies over collapse in living standards rattle authorities in country with history of cracking down on demonstrators
UK financial watchdog closes 100 probes to sharpen enforcement focus
Cull of legacy cases highlights strategic change at FCA, with focus on fewer but higher impact cases
Poverty, mistrust and antisemitism — Berlin Shuffle by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz
This recently rediscovered, bleakly comic tale of three no-hopers in interwar Germany was written by a Jewish refugee in the 1930s. It reads like a cautionary tale for our times
The silver linings that could give Keir Starmer some economic cheer
Falling UK inflation rate and prospect of interest rate cuts mean there could be upside surprises for PM in 2026
What are politicians talking about?
The UK government keeps putting out messages but no one is listening because they are incomprehensible
Why we should know what we don’t know
Cognitive blind spots are undermining our ability to see the world as it is, rather than as we would like it to be
Climate action faces key tests in 2026
New EU carbon tax and large clean energy projects are on the horizon
China doubles down on export-led growth model
The country plans to reinforce its dominance of global manufacturing, despite persistent deflation at home and rising tensions abroad
Prices for lab monkeys surge on China biotech boom
More drugs entering middle or late-stage development drive up demand
Europe has ‘lost the internet’, warns Belgium’s cyber security chief
EU law enforcement too dependent on digital infrastructure from US tech companies, Miguel De Bruycker says
Why supermarkets are taking a bigger slice of UK pizza night
Rising costs and changing tastes are pushing people away from long-established chains
Christine Lagarde’s pay is 50% higher than disclosed by ECB
Europe’s top central banker earns almost four times more than Fed chair Jay Powell, FT analysis shows
Are you sure you want to leave the UK to avoid inheritance tax?
Advisers say increasing numbers of clients are taking advantage of residency rules
Luxury discounting on the rise as years of price increases bite
As much as 40% of designer goods were sold at steep markdowns this year, analysts say
The Bayeux Tapestry is a thrilling depiction of war and political transformation
On display later this year at the British Museum, it shows Anglo-Saxon needlework at its peak, while the margins are a free-for-all of strange and vivid scenes
Aesthetic surgeon Dr Costas Papageorgiou talks taste
The skin specialist loves Marcus Aurelius, feels sorry for architects and thinks facials are better than therapy
The companies driving hopes of a London IPO revival in 2026
City looks to software group Visma to kick-start listings market after a ‘disappointing’ 2025
A pragmatist’s guide to growing box, yew, cotoneaster and myrtle
Evergreens are the backbone of a beautiful year-round garden — if you know how to nourish and protect them
Swamp Notes: Is the US economy really K-shaped?
High earners are doing great. Low earners are struggling. What does that say about the economy?
Predicting 2026: Will the Magnificent 7 tech stocks continue to diverge?
Financial Times columnist Gillian Tett predicted that the Magnificent 7 tech stocks …