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 Occasions that the US would face a “dire threat” from China, Iran and North Korea if Ukraine have 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 once they met in Florida on November 22. The assembly was a part of an effort to steer the US president-elect to stay engaged with western allies and proceed American help for Ukraine.
On Ukraine’s potential Nato membership: The secretary-general mentioned rising army help to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy forward of any potential peace talks was extra necessary than debating when Nato membership may very well be provided 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 army alliance forward of a gathering in the present day with Nato overseas ministers.
Right here’s what else we’re preserving tabs on in the present day:
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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 equivalent 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 specialists together with Steven Alan Barnett, senior resident consultant in China for the IMF, will deal with subjects from the affect of a second Trump time period to AI, commerce, and local weather change. Register at no 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 annually. Learn the total report.
2. A wave of business job cuts is setting a grim tone within the early phases of Germany’s election marketing campaign, with politicians describing the financial circumstances as probably 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 Alternate, saying its selections on whether or not corporations can listing 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 evening after Hizbollah fired rockets at Israeli-controlled territory, in an alternate of fireside that put a truce between the 2 sides underneath extreme pressure.
5. A decide in Delaware rejected Tesla’s try to revive Elon Musk’s $56bn pay bundle after beforehand putting it down as a breach of the carmaker board’s fiduciary responsibility. Attorneys for the shareholder who introduced the unique swimsuit have been additionally awarded $345mn, as a substitute of the $5.6bn in Tesla shares that that they had requested. Learn extra concerning the choice.
The Large Learn
Whereas final month’s US election was fought towards the backdrop of a value of residing disaster, the nation’s financial efficiency lately has been the envy of the developed world, a document rooted in quicker productiveness progress. 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 expertise, it’s far too simple to overlook that some issues actually have been higher high quality prior to now, writes Sarah O’Connor.
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UK legal justice: Previous 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 must be reformed.
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Tech Tonic 🎧: Amid the unreal intelligence increase, demand for AI chips has exploded. In in the present day’s episode, James Kynge visits an information centre to learn the way superior AI chips are reshaping the business.
Chart of the day
Births throughout the EU’s 27 member states fell to three,665,000 in 2023, based on 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 anticipated to heap stress on state funds, as working-age populations shrink and the price of spending in areas equivalent 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.
