Dead Man Walking — a devastating, five-star production of Jake Heggie’s opera
English National Opera’s staging of the 2020 work about a nun’s visits to a man on death row delivers a knockout punch
Tariff-hit Mexico and Canada face contrasting fortunes
Plus, if Trump loses high-stakes legal case on his trade regime, expect his team to take alternative measures
US allows Microsoft to ship Nvidia AI chips to use in UAE for first time
Commerce department approval paves way for huge new investment in AI and cloud infrastructure in Middle East
Israeli military’s former top lawyer arrested over leaked prisoner video
Surveillance footage showed alleged abuse of Palestinian inmate at notorious Israeli prison
Merger deal creates $13bn oil and gas player focused on Permian Basin
SM Energy and Civitas Resources announce all-stock ‘strategic combination’
And the FTAV chart quiz winner is . . .
Getting shirty
The far right can win in Europe but it struggles to govern
The continent’s political future could be defined by a never-ending struggle between the centre and the radical right
Kimberly-Clark swoops on Kenvue in $49bn deal
Takeover will combine ownership of brands including Kleenex and Band-Aid
Chinese intimidation stopped UK university from publishing human rights report
Sheffield Hallam staff raised concerns about impact on international student recruitment
Inflation and interest rates tracker: see how your country compares
Inflationary pressures are beginning to wane. Explore the latest data through interactive charts
Serbia’s president offers to bring forward election after huge protests
Aleksandar Vučić makes concession after year-long demonstrations against his regime
‘Fresco. Palazzo. For Sale. Go’
How a Google search led one man to his dream home in Como
Carney to present first budget after drawing cabinet from private sector
Canadian prime minister has enlisted executives including from former employer Goldman Sachs
FirstFT: Supreme Court to decide on legality of Trump’s tariffs
Also in today’s newsletter: oil prices rise after Opec+ meeting and Musk’s ‘facile’ rival to Wikipedia
London needs new listings, but Princes’ float just kicks the can
A kabuki IPO is nothing to celebrate
Apple Watch data teamed with AI reveals heart damage
Researchers say advance could make early screening for structural heart disease possible on a large scale
Man charged over mass stabbing on Cambridgeshire train
Anthony Williams faces 10 charges of attempted murder and is also accused of conducting a separate attack in London
Would Farage in power threaten BoE’s independence?
Reform UK in government could transform central bank constitutionally
Nigel Farage to drop tax-cut plans to focus on slashing public spending
Reform leader will set out party’s ‘economic vision’ for Britain in bid to boost credibility on economy
OECD reports sharp fall in work-related migration to rich countries
Movement for family and humanitarian reasons continued to rise in 2024
Spanish regional leader quits over long lunch during fatal floods
Valencia head Carlos Mazón resigns more than a year after disaster that killed 237 people
Ryanair profit boosted 40% by European ‘reluctance’ to fly to US
Budget airline increases capacity after earlier than expected delivery of Boeing aircraft
Opec+ to pause oil output rises next year after warnings of glut
Crude prices climb after eight countries agree to pause further production increases at start of 2026
Don’t mess with the Fed
Careful with that chainsaw