Fed rate fever, Iron Maiden airlines and the fountain of youth

The daily briefing “FirstFT” from the Financial Times.

The dollar rose after comments from a US Federal Reserve policy maker sparked speculation that the much-anticipated rise in interest rates was imminent. “The economy is in a state of readiness for beginning normalisation,” said Dennis Lockhart, president of the Atlanta Fed.

Barring a deterioration in economic activity, Mr Lockhart said he was ready to support a September increase. (FT)

In the news:

Mine approval revoked

A court in Australia has overturned approval for what could have been one of the world’s biggest coal mines. The government, which granted the licence for the mine in Queensland last year, had failed to heed advice about threats to vulnerable animal species, the court said. (FT)

Alibaba hires Goldman banker

Chinese ecommerce group Alibaba has appointed a former Goldman Sachs banker as president. The choice of Michael Evans appears designed to shore up the company’s US strategy two months after it sold 11 Main, a US ecommerce business it started only a year ago. (FT)

Russia renews Arctic push

Moscow has restarted efforts to get the UN to recognise its claim to 1.2m sq km of the Arctic shelf. It comes 14 years after a UN commission rejected the claim because of insufficient data. The move is likely to rankle Arctic neighbours Norway, Denmark and Canada. (BBC)

Fairytale quarter

Disney reported record third-quarter profits on the back of blockbuster box office performances from The Avengers and Cinderella. And the future looks bright, with an upcoming Star Wars film in December expected to be among the biggest grossing releases in history. (FT)

Iron Maiden airlines

East African nation Djibouti has relaunched its national carrier – a company managed by Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson. The heavy metal vocalist – who rose to prominence in the 1980s following hits such as “The number of the beast” – is also a licenced pilot and has spoken enthusiastically about Djibouti’s potential as a regional hub. (AFP)

Bessent to launch hedge fund

Scott Bessent, chief investment officer at George Soros’s $30bn family fund, is setting up on his own. The launch of his new hedge fund, Key Square Group, is set to be one of the biggest to date, with an initial $2bn allocation from Mr Soros. (FT)

It’s a big day for:

Employee relations Regulators in the US will today vote on the final version of a rule that could require companies to disclose the pay gap between rank-and-file employees and the chief executive. (WSJ)

Food for thought:

The fountain of youth

New research may prove that we can reverse the ageing process by putting young blood into older people. Experiments on mice have produced extraordinary results and now the scientists behind the study are testing their findings on humans. (Guardian)

What’s a ‘career’?

The FT’s John Gapper looks at how full-time employees are being recast into contractors, vendors and temporary workers, and how the “gig” economy spells an end to lifetime jobs. (FT)

Nine of his best

Writers, producers and guests of the long-running Daily Show look back on the key moments that took host Jon Stewart from showbiz obscurity to international stardom. (NYT)

Egypt: new foundations

More than half of Egyptians live in unregulated, poor housing. But a new initiative could change that. (FT)

Clouds in his coffee

Fevered presidential predictions continue in the US, with new reports suggesting that Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz may be mulling a bid. (Quartz)

An excuse for a holiday

Britons need to boost their vitamin D intake, or so say the government’s health advisers who believe the gloomy weather prevents much of the population receiving an adequate amount of the essential vitamin. (Guardian)

Video of the day:

The future of work?

WeWork, a shared workspace provider valued at $10bn, has soared in popularity by offering trendy offices and free beer to millennial freelancers and start-ups. Some say its valuation is the latest sign of a tech bubble. Anna Nicolaou reports from New York. (FT)

This article is published in collaboration with The Financial Times. Publication does not imply endorsement of views by the World Economic Forum.

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Author: FirstFT is the Financial Times’ editors curated free daily email of the top global stories from the FT and the best of the rest of the web.

Image: A woman with a book sits on a bench at the departure area at the Fraport airport in Frankfurt. REUTERS/Lisi Niesner.