The UK's energy partner.

Learn more at equinore.

At equinore dot-co.

Before we start I want to let you know about a new podcast from the F.T. It's called The Retreat and it looks at the dark side of intense meditation.

Stick around to hear a trailer at the end of this episode, The Retreat launches January 24th.

You can learn more about the podcast in the show notes.

Good morning from the Financial Times. Today is Thursday, January 11th, and this is your

F.T. news briefing. The US is watching Taiwan's election very closely and Bitcoin EDFs are ready to hit the market

But the approval will not necessarily mean that US regulators think these are a very good investment idea

for majority of investors. Plus the Iran-backed militant group known as the

Huthies are escalating its attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

I'm Mark Filipino and here's the news you need to start your day. sources tell the F.T. that U.S. President Joe Biden will send a high-level delegation to Taiwan

after its presidential election on Saturday.

The move is pretty unusual and will probably make China very angry.

Taiwan's election has an ominous backdrop to it.

The island is under an immense amount of pressure from

Beijing to reunify with mainland China.

Beijing has suggested it would increase military exercises and economic pressure if Taiwan's current vice president

Leishin Thte wins.

He's associated with a wing of his party that wants to formalize Taiwan's independence. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission okay the first spot Bitcoin Exchange-traded funds yesterday, but this time it was

for real.

On Tuesday, somebody hacked the SEC's X account and posted a fake update that the Commission had approved a

...