FirstFT: Fund managers take most bearish position on dollar for a decade
Also in today’s newsletter: UK proposes audit changes to attract Chinese listings, and Japan reports weak GDP data
Starmer cancels plans to delay 30 local council elections in England
Latest government U-turn comes after Reform UK launched legal action over proposal
EVs must be 70% made in the EU to qualify for state support, Brussels says
Draft legislation on local content by European Commission seeks to protect bloc’s manufacturing industries
Keir Starmer says Britain needs to ‘go faster’ on defence spending
Prime minister is said to be examining how to bring forward plans to spend 3 per cent of UK GDP on military
Europe’s path to security without the US
The heads of Nato and EU Commission offer competing visions. Both have a point
Fed set to loosen US bank rules in attempt to boost mortgage lending
Central bank plans to ease capital requirements in an effort to shift home lending back to banks, top official says
Lunar New Year brings nonstop nagging for childless Chinese
Young people are sharing tips on how to deflect parental inquisitions during the holidays
Hapag-Lloyd to buy Israel’s Zim in $4.2bn shipping deal
German group will carve out portion of business to serve trade routes into Israel
Rosebank Industries vows to keep London listing as it explores $3bn in US deals
Former Melrose boss Simon Peckham wants to continue with the ‘buy, improve, sell’ model as company heads for FTSE 250
Inside America’s Next Top Model — a grisly reckoning with 2000s reality television
A Netflix documentary on the controversial modelling competition suggests its creators have learnt little
Shadowlands — Hugh Bonneville is a lovestruck CS Lewis in poignant West End revival
Based on the author’s relationship with American poet Joy Davidman, the tender play at London’s Aldwych Theatre narrates the joy and grief of falling in love
Everything you thought about the US labour market is wrong
The conventional view has struggled to contend with robust economic growth
It’s time for the great and mostly pointless yearly analyst bake-off
For rankings to really matter, they should improve the end-product
Psychedelic found in ayahuasca shows anti-depression promise
Single dose of dimethyltryptamine curbed symptoms in small-scale trial
Africa needs its own credit rating agency
How and on what basis the continent’s governments can secure financing should not be based on external discretion
And the FTAV charts quiz winner is…
Tee to a you
Ed Miliband strikes clean energy deal with California’s Gavin Newsom
UK minister says agreement with US governor aims to boost technology sharing and mutual investment
Ukraine ex-minister charged with money laundering after trying to flee
Former energy minister accused of working with criminals to embezzle millions meant for infrastructure defences
Software group Pinewood plummets after AI sell-off scuppers £575mn deal
Apax Partners abandons offer for FTSE 250 company over ‘challenging market conditions’
Souping up data centres could give industrial firms an extra AI boost
Rethinking the boiler rooms of artificial intelligence lacks glamour but is big on impact
UBS ordered to give Credit Suisse shareholders access to valuation documents
Thousands of investors in failed lender participating in legal challenge to its 2023 takeover
Where should Democrats go on foreign policy?
The party is still split on the answer to this question
Iran launches naval drills as tensions with US rise
Revolutionary Guards’ exercises in Strait of Hormuz come a day before talks set between Tehran and Washington
UK proposes audit changes to attract Chinese listings
Regulator’s move comes amid pressure from government to revive stock market