2026 predictions, part two
Just a few rate cuts, and cyclicals lead
FTAV’s further reading
Pink power; blue-collar jobs; post-American internet; baldness
State-controlled investors own a quarter of private credit
Big and getting bigger
Brussels offers EU farmers €45bn to sweeten Mercosur trade deal
Also in this newsletter: Babiš drops threat to end Czech ammo procurement for Ukraine
FirstFT: US says using military is among ‘options’ to acquire Greenland
Also in today’s newsletter: stranded Venezuelan crude, and Franco-British pledge for Ukraine
The Federal Reserve’s 2026 personnel shake-up
A new chair and the annual rotation of regional voting members add uncertainty to the path of rates this year
Tech Exchange
This series features conversations between FT journalists and the technology industry’s leaders, innovators, and thinkers. In the latest instalment, Google’s Koray Kavukcuoglu discusses the company’s most recent LLM, Gemini 3, and progress towards the goal of artificial general intelligence
Cuba: what is left for Trump to topple?
Washington hopes Nicolás Maduro’s capture will hasten the downfall of the ossified communist regime in Havana
Goldman’s role in FTI’s talent exodus
Plus, big insurers are pulled into the First Brands bankruptcy and the cable stock Netflix is watching
Who pays the most tax?
The UK tax system is an irrational mess, but that suits the politicians
Why Britain gets stuck in line
You can die waiting for an ambulance because there aren’t enough nursing homes in your area
What will it take to get nervous UK investors to ride the bull?
UK rule changes and other initiatives this year will aim to help savers spread their investing wings
Short sellers increase bets against Trump media group over nuclear fusion merger
Company behind Truth Social platform faces scepticism over last month’s deal with TAE Technologies
Keir Starmer puts minister in charge of digital ID rollout
Josh Simons will look at expanding contentious scheme to be a catalyst for reforming public services
Chevron and Quantum Energy Partners line up bid for $22bn of Lukoil assets
Trump administration signals support for proposal to divvy up sanctioned Russian company’s international businesses
Hedge funds hunt for Venezuela’s unpaid financial claims
US capture of strongman Nicolás Maduro lifts hopes that country will make good on some debt
Postcard from Denmark: Skagen, in the footsteps of Anna Ancher
Winter is the time to visit this tiny coastal town — to stroll the sweeping dunes, relish the light that inspired its artists’ colony and stay at the hotel where they met
Don’t be fooled — everything has changed for the global economy
Damage caused by US tariffs has so far been muted but that won’t last
Businesses say Britain’s ‘jam tomorrow’ energy plans threaten their survival
New charges to fund the building of electricity pylons and Sizewell C nuclear power station will be added to bills from April
The anti-Assad rebels still stuck in Lebanese jails
The fate of about 200 Syrian prisoners has been the subject of fraught negotiations between Beirut and Damascus
Watch out for America’s activist attorneys-general
Top state lawyers are joining together to challenge Trump and rein in big business
The Elements of Power — the brutal cost of the battery industry
Nicolas Niarchos delivers a sobering exposé of the human abuses and environmental damage wrought by the demands of EVs and the energy transition
What is the ‘best’ way to divorce for our children?
My wife and I have decided to separate but we have two youngsters with special educational needs
Henri Rousseau, long patronised, is subject of a show that proves his worth
‘A Painter’s Secrets’ at Philadelphia’s Barnes Collection showcases the painter’s immense control and modernity