Burglary of JD.com warehouse in France prompts investigation, speculation

Following the burglary of a warehouse belonging to Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com on Monday, a judicial source has confirmed an investigation has begun on charges of theft by an organised gang. The incident came in the middle of the Christmas shopping season and took place in the town of Dugny, a northern suburb of Paris that serves as a midpoint between the French capital and its main freight hub, Charles de Gaulle Airport. Suspects neutralised the warehouse’s video surveillance system, with investigators analysing available footage taken by cameras outside the…

China, Russia partnership ‘stronger than ever’ despite Western sanctions: envoy

Western sanctions have not weakened ties between Beijing and Moscow but instead fostered closer dialogue and higher levels of mutual trust, Russia’s ambassador to China Igor Morgulov said on Tuesday. Addressing a forum at Renmin University of China in Beijing, Morgulov portrayed the deepening partnership as a response to efforts aimed at constraining both countries’ technological development and distorting fair competition. China and Russia had expanded cooperation in an “extremely complex” international environment, he said. They had opened efficient communication channels, worked to stabilise global production and logistics chains and…

Lard can actually keep you fit and feeling more comfortable, Chinese study finds

Consuming a diet with a moderate amount of lard can decrease both fat accumulation and inflammation in body fat, according to a new study by Chinese scientists. “These findings challenge the conventional view of animal fats and demonstrate that consuming lard at the recommended level (with dietary fat providing 25 per cent of energy) can confer metabolic benefits by regulating adipose tissue homeostasis,” the team wrote. Scientists from Hunan Agricultural University, the University of South China and the Changsha Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau published their findings in the peer-reviewed…

Japanese pen maker raises price of its bestseller for first time in 40 years

Stay informed with free updates Simply sign up to the Japanese business & finance myFT Digest — delivered directly to your inbox. Japan’s biggest maker of pens is hoping to avoid a customer backlash after rising inflation prompted the company to raise the price of its best-selling model for the first time. Pilot implemented a 10 per cent price increase for its Frixion pen two months ago, the first since it went on sale in 2006. Fumio Fujisaki, chief executive, said it was the first time during his 40 years…

Year in a word: Rare earths

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One of the world’s hottest IPO markets shows signs of weakness

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. One of the world’s hottest initial public offering markets this year is showing signs of weakness after a number of disappointing debuts. Roughly half of Hong Kong’s listings since the start of November have failed to rise on the first day, with signs that sponsors of IPOs have stepped in to buy shares, according to a Financial Times analysis of first-day performance. The poor listings come at the end of…