From backer to enemy — how Pakistan turned on the Taliban
As violence spreads from border regions to cities, Islamabad is running out of patience
Letter: The dilemma of reopening Taiwan to mainland tourists
From Zhao Xiaoou, Shanghai, China
Letter: Some perspective on America’s medals tally
From John O’Hagan, Department of Economics, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Letter: Warm plaudits for Starmer from an unlikely quarter
From Mark Peaker, London W1, UK
Letter: Lower rates seem likely in a more ‘productive’ economy
From Richard Barwell, Head of Macro Research, BNP Paribas Asset Management, London EC2, UK
Letter: Labour must focus on high value-added businesses
From David Sainsbury, Former Labour Minister of Science and Innovation 1998-2006, London SW1, UK
Letter: Imran Khan, the politician — at the top of his game
From Rajendra Aneja, Mumbai, India
Letter: How artificial intelligence is reshaping consultancy
From Teresa Allan, Managing Partner, Magnus Consulting, Southampton, Hampshire, UK
Letter: An industrial wardrobe change on climate policy
From Conn Nugent, Washington, DC, US
Enchanting rooms for magical play
Families are transforming their homes to include fun and functional playrooms
FT Crossword: Number 18,307
Starmer will let US use UK bases for attacks on Iranian missile sites
British premier gives green light to Washington to utilise facilities including Diego Garcia
Oil surges in wake of US-Israeli attacks on Iran
US stock index futures slip while gold rises as conflict escalates
IB Geography class
Read a selection of FT articles and classroom questions
School IB Geography class: Deluge revives concerns about European food price rises
Food and health
School IB global politics class: How war stopped working
Peace and conflict
School IB psychology class: The refreshing power of disagreement
Human relationships
UK, US and global politics: what students should know
Read FT articles picked by our teacher advisers
School politics class: Supreme Court torpedoes Donald Trump’s tariff regime in check on executive power
US Supreme Court
FirstFT: Oil prices set to jump as Iran conflict intensifies
Also in today’s newsletter: Japanese retailers wrestle with Chinese tourist boycott and inside Amazon’s mass lay-offs
Business school professors’ picks
Topical FT articles and suggested classroom questions
China’s National People’s Congress set for high-tech and low growth
Plus, British chancellor Rachel Reeves likely to play it safe in her Spring Statement
Inside Tehran: an eerie quiet is punctuated by explosions and people fleeing
A dispatch from the Iranian capital, where the prevailing mood is one of fear and shock
China solar boom helps energy emissions fall slightly in 2025
Official statistics show 0.3% decline even as total power demand rises