Right this moment’s agenda: England’s danger from lead mines; EU births drop to new low; Nvidia and the AI increase; why we’re all affected by ‘qualitynesia’; and the way darts grew to become a world phenomenon
Good morning. We begin with an unique interview with Nato’s new secretary-general Mark Rutte, who advised the Monetary Instances that the US would face a “dire threat” from China, Iran and North Korea if Ukraine had been pushed to signal a peace deal on phrases beneficial to Moscow.
What Rutte advised Trump: “We cannot have a situation where we have [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un and the Russian leader and Xi Jinping and Iran high-fiving because we came to a deal which is not good for Ukraine, because long-term that will be a dire security threat not only to Europe but also to the US,” Rutte mentioned, including that he made this level to Donald Trump after they met in Florida on November 22. The assembly was a part of an effort to influence the US president-elect to stay engaged with western allies and proceed American assist for Ukraine.
On Ukraine’s potential Nato membership: The secretary-general mentioned rising navy assist to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forward of any potential peace talks was extra essential than debating when Nato membership may very well be supplied to Kyiv. “The most important thing now is to make sure that whenever Zelenskyy decides to get into peace talks, that he can do this from a position of strength,” Rutte mentioned. “That for me is now priority number one.”
Brussels bureau chief Henry Foy has extra from Rutte’s first interview as head of the western navy alliance forward of a gathering right this moment with Nato international ministers.
Right here’s what else we’re conserving tabs on right this moment:
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Outcomes: British financial institution Paragon and US-based software program group Salesforce report.
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Turner Prize: The winner is introduced at London’s Tate Britain, because the award for British or UK-based artists marks its fortieth anniversary.
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FT International Banking Summit: The 2-day occasion that includes audio system similar to Barclays chief CS Venkatakrishnan and Deutsche Financial institution chief Christian Stitching opens in London.
Be part of us from December 4 to six at The International Boardroom, the place greater than 100 consultants together with Steven Alan Barnett, senior resident consultant in China for the IMF, will deal with matters from the impression of a second Trump time period to AI, commerce, and local weather change. Register without cost right here.
5 extra high tales
1. Unique: Native authorities in England are to be probed on whether or not they’re assembly authorized obligations to establish lead-contaminated land within the wake of an FT investigation into the dangers of deserted metals mines. Greater than 3,600 mines in England proceed to disperse the metallic into the atmosphere every year. Learn the complete report.
2. A wave of commercial job cuts is setting a grim tone within the early levels of Germany’s election marketing campaign, with politicians describing the financial situations as essentially the most difficult they’ve ever confronted for a federal vote. Deliberate lay-offs, together with 11,000 at Thyssenkrupp and three,800 at Bosch, will loom giant over a snap ballot in February.
3. The UK’s high monetary watchdog has opened the door to China’s fast-fashion group Shein becoming a member of the London Inventory Trade, saying its selections on whether or not corporations can record within the UK are based mostly solely on their disclosures. “What parliament has not asked us to do is to be a broad regulator around every aspect of corporate behaviour,” Nikhil Rathi, head of the Monetary Conduct Authority, advised the FT.
4. US president-elect Donald Trump yesterday warned there could be “all hell to pay in the Middle East” if Hamas didn’t launch remaining hostages in Gaza earlier than his inauguration in January. Trump’s sign that he needs to see an settlement reached earlier than he takes workplace might present new momentum within the talks.
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Center East strikes: Israel bombed dozens of targets throughout Lebanon yesterday night time after Hizbollah fired rockets at Israeli-controlled territory, in an change of fireside that put a truce between the 2 sides below extreme pressure.
5. A choose in Delaware rejected Tesla’s try to revive Elon Musk’s $56bn pay package deal after beforehand placing it down as a breach of the carmaker board’s fiduciary responsibility. Attorneys for the shareholder who introduced the unique go well with had been additionally awarded $345mn, as an alternative of the $5.6bn in Tesla shares that that they had requested. Learn extra in regards to the resolution.
The Massive Learn
Whereas final month’s US election was fought in opposition to the backdrop of a value of dwelling disaster, the nation’s financial efficiency lately has been the envy of the developed world, a document rooted in quicker productiveness development. However with Donald Trump set to enter the White Home in January, economists ask: might his insurance policies endanger the US’s lead?
We’re additionally studying and listening to . . .
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‘Qualitynesia’: Borne alongside on the tide of know-how, it’s far too straightforward to neglect that some issues actually had been higher high quality previously, writes Sarah O’Connor.
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UK legal justice: Outdated convictions are holding too many again, writes Paula Harriott, head of a charity that campaigns for reformed offenders, who argues that disclosure of minor offences needs to be reformed.
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Tech Tonic 🎧: Amid the synthetic intelligence increase, demand for AI chips has exploded. In right this moment’s episode, James Kynge visits an information centre to learn the way superior AI chips are reshaping the trade.
Chart of the day
Births throughout the EU’s 27 member states fell to three,665,000 in 2023, in line with figures up to date final month, the bottom since comparable knowledge was first collected in 1961 and the largest annual decline on document. The dearth of kids is predicted to heap strain on state funds, as working-age populations shrink and the price of spending in areas similar to healthcare and pensions rises.
Take a break from the information
The Skilled Darts Company has spent a long time reworking darts from a boozy pastime into a world enterprise and a rightfully revered sport. Right here’s how a radical reinvention — and a sure 17-year-old — have helped the sport of darts hit the bullseye.
