From Russia's air attack on Kyiv as Zelenskyy prepares for a Trump meeting to US missile strikes baffling Nigerians in Sokoto, global conflicts and diplomatic maneuvers remain prominent, alongside Europe's struggles with Russian energy via Turkey, ceasefires in Thailand and Cambodia, and deepening Gulf rifts with Saudi strikes in Yemen.
China's industrial profits plunge due to weak demand, while Italy and Spain gain investor confidence as their borrowing premiums hit a 16-year low, contrasting with Argentina's budget approval marking a win for Milei and the UK union chief backing a customs union with the EU to improve living standards, all amidst Meituan counting the cost of China's delivery wars and stablecoins still struggling for mainstream adoption, as the Toyota Prius's role in the political polarization of electric vehicles is explored.
Student loan borrowers increasingly shed debts through bankruptcy, while states clash with the federal government over AI data center power grid control, and older workers face a bruising reality when job searching at 65, with added insights on workplace stress making people sick and the controversial business practices of an organ donation empire.
Hundreds of flights were canceled at New York airports even with a few inches of snow, leading to lingering airline delays and cancellations that disrupted post-holiday travel.
Concerns over corruption and substandard materials fueling Hong Kong's deadly inferno are highlighted, while India's trainee chefs and mechanics learn financial literacy, and a 'Hamilton' star's daily life in Brooklyn offers a glimpse into culture, alongside historical archives from the FT and a year-end news quiz.