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The influence of China’s once-powerful central bank has diminished as Beijing steps up a drive to centralise Communist party control over financial regulation. Some of the powers formerly held by the People’s Bank of China have been taken over by a party oversight body and a revamped financial regulator as Beijing resets its growth model.

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to fight on in the war against Hamas, despite a mounting death toll and growing international calls to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in the Palestinian enclave and halt

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the US inflation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. The measure of inflation preferred by US rate setters fell by more than expected in November, bolstering investor expectations of rate cuts next year. The core personal consumption expenditures price index showed prices rose by

Shareholders in Gildan Activewear, one of the world’s largest clothing makers, have demanded the reinstatement of its chief executive and called for the resignation of the American Apparel owner’s chair. Toronto-based Turtle Creek Asset Management, which has a 3.2 per cent stake in Gildan, said the December 11 dismissal of Glenn Chamandy created “significant risks,

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the UK inflation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. UK inflation slowed much more sharply than expected in November to 3.9 per cent, down from 4.6 per cent in October, according to official data that will add to pressure on the Bank of England

BlackRock on Monday was sued by the US state of Tennessee, which accused the $9.1tn New York-based asset manager of violating consumer protection laws by misusing environmental, social and governance factors in its investment strategy. The lawsuit filed by state attorney-general Jonathan Skrmetti alleged that BlackRock had been inconsistent in stating whether it focused exclusively

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Apple will stop selling its smartwatches through the company’s own US stores before Christmas after losing a patent infringement case, dealing it a blow during the holiday sales season. The iPhone maker said it would

Joe Biden’s upbeat forecasts for the US economy have been validated by the Federal Reserve’s signal that it will consider interest rate cuts next year, delivering respite to American households through lower borrowing costs after two years of high inflation. For months, Biden administration officials have been betting on a “soft landing” — one in

Chinese spies had run a far-right Belgian politician as an intelligence asset for more than three years in a case that shows how Beijing has conducted influence operations in an effort to shape politics in its favour. Daniel Woo, an officer in China’s Ministry of State Security spy agency, pushed Frank Creyelman, a former Belgian

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Sovereign bonds myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Global stocks climbed towards multiyear highs while bond yields tumbled on Thursday as traders raised their bets that central banks would begin an aggressive round of rate cuts next year. The sharp moves came after

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Investors and currency speculators have boosted bets on the pound as expectations grow that the Bank of England will be slower than other central banks to cut interest rates.  As markets brace for central banks’

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the US inflation myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. US inflation edged lower to 3.1 per cent for November, bolstering arguments by Federal Reserve officials that interest rates should remain at current levels during the spring. The headline consumer price index figure fell marginally

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies. But they also agree on some things. Neither the government of Israel nor Hamas has any real interest in a “two-state solution” to the Israel-Palestine conflict. And neither side

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. China’s state health insurance system has lost tens of millions of subscribers, as higher costs have put one of the world’s largest healthcare schemes out of reach for many people already struggling in a post-pandemic

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was blunt when he addressed G7 leaders this week. “Russia hopes only for one thing: that next year the free world’s consolidation will collapse. Russia believes that America and Europe will show weakness, and will not maintain support for Ukraine,” he said in a video call on Wednesday evening with his

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Sometimes this job takes you down unexpected avenues. And so it was that I spent much of Thursday night squinting at a blurry picture of a man in an expensive coat who might be Timothée

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Chinese trade myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. China’s exports rose slightly in November, breaking a six-month run of consecutive declines and giving a boost to policymakers looking to revive a flagging recovery in the world’s second-largest economy. Exports rose 0.5 per cent

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Media myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. In the days when Armani-suited TV executives displayed their charismatic socks while lounging in directional chairs and making rulings about the tastes of the Great British Public, the old saw was that you could never axe

After one of the toughest years for China’s economy and its investors, the country’s central bank governor had a sobering message: there may be more pain to come. Speaking to bankers in Hong Kong last week, Pan Gongsheng warned that the country’s economy was embarking on a “long and difficult journey” away from its traditional

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Geopolitics myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. How many international conflicts can one superpower handle at the same time? The Biden administration is currently trying to deal with wars in the Middle East and Europe, while preparing for a surge in tensions between