‘They want their pound of flesh’: why bank bosses are pushing strict return-to-office mandates
Culture, pay and expensive offices among reasons for ending remote work
Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
Billionaire media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner faced up to life imprisonment on national security charges
Japanese stocks soar to record after Takaichi landslide election win
Prime minister will command government with biggest majority in decades
Letter: China plays long game in the currency wars
From Leslie Lipschitz, Boston, MA, US
Letter: Colombia’s guerrilla violence: from bad to worse
From Germán Botero, Zug, Switzerland
Letter: Diagnosis of how British biotech could do better
From Sir John Lazar, President, Royal Academy of Engineering, London SW1, UK
Letter: Warsh’s inflation stance — bending it like Bernanke?
From Karim Henide, London SW13, UK
Letter: Indonesia’s president is right to invest in children
From Willem Thorbecke, Senior Fellow, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, Tokyo, Japan
Letter: Recalling the deadpan quote of Captain Renault
From JE Woods, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK
Letter: Student loan system is neither fair nor reasonable
From Nicki Sprinz, CEO, Ustwo, London E1, UK
Letter: Public sector pensions are only gilt-edged for some
From Derek Mortimer, London KT3, UK
Letter: Cornwall’s early bloomers
From Jane Swan, Delabole, Cornwall, UK
Correction: student loan
The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates that a student loan borrower with an outstanding loan of £50,000 needs to earn more than £63,000 to see their loan balance start to come down, not £66,000 as stated in an article on February 5
How to create the perfect party barn
Interior designer Cath Beckett’s top tips for transforming an unused space into a multifunctional fun palace
UK universities told to step up defences against intimidation by China
Security services to launch advisory scheme for threatened academics in wake of Sheffield Hallam row
FT Crossword: Number 18,289
Venezuela learns to live without its strongman
Former president’s strident voice has vanished from the airwaves. Locals say the changes go further
Iran arrests leading reformist politicians
Tehran faces growing pressure over its brutal crackdown on recent unrest as talks with US are set to continue
Keir Starmer faces crunch week in battle to hold on to power
Labour MPs and officials warn that the Peter Mandelson scandal could yet claim prime minister’s job
FirstFT: Japan’s Sanae Takaichi wins landslide in snap vote
Also in today’s newsletter: Thai conservatives on course for surprise election win, and Starmer’s chief of staff resigns
School IB economics: Social media companies purge 4.7mn accounts after landmark Australia ban
Market failure
School economics class: The student loan system — and its danger for Keir Starmer and Labour
Labour markets
School economics class: Companies urged to bypass ‘fit note’ system with health plans for sick staff
Macroeconomic policies
Resources and teaching ideas for US high school economic classes
What students should know about macro and micro economics