Italy’s Mediobanca launches €6.3bn offer for Banca Generali
Lender proposes funding deal by selling its shares in country’s biggest insurer
China says it can live without US farm and energy goods
Top policymakers seek to reassure public that economy can withstand worst of trade war
The US economy: suspended animation
Plus consumer credit
Could EU methane emission rules hamper a gas deal with Trump?
Also in this newsletter: auditors damp hopes on success of Brussels’ industrial aims
Hooked on hedge fund leverage
Plus, Elliott’s ‘lone wolf’, US stocks underperform, and Grayson Perry at the Wallace Collection
FTAV’s further reading
Liverpool; more Liverpool; then a bit more Liverpool; and yes, even more Liverpool
FirstFT: Drop in Chinese goods at US ports as importers respond to Trump’s tariffs
Also in today’s newsletter, Trump criticises Putin and a visual story on why Apple’s iPhones still need China
Japan shares surge after Toyota spurs hopes for wider corporate shake-up
Investors bet carmaker’s proposed $42bn take-private bid for parts unit could trigger more deals for subsidiaries
Transcript: Should we be optimistic about the US economy? With Michael Strain
Sam Fleming talks to Michael Strain
Letter: Europe’s Digital Markets Act is not an attack on Americans
From Mario Mariniello, Non-Resident Fellow, Bruegel, Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Brussels, Belgium
Letter: Columbia alumni proffer some historical perspective
From Jerry Avorn and others
Letter: The most telling lesson we can take from the conclave
From Julian Adams (62), Weybridge, Surrey, UK
Why Trump can’t dislodge Apple from China
The administration wants the iPhone to be manufactured in America. The components that power it show why that is highly impractical
The best of TV and streaming this week
Louis Theroux meets the hardliners colonising the West Bank in chilling documentary ‘The Settlers’; season 2 of ‘Andor’ is an outstanding addition to the Star Wars franchise; ‘Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey’ spotlights a species that’s existed for 80mn years but could be gone in 20; ‘Government Cheese’ st
Exxon poised to overtake Shell and BP on low carbon spending
US oil major’s $30bn plan depends on Trump administration retaining Biden-era tax incentives
Trump remakes Washington with budget cuts and culture clashes
US capital in upheaval as government lay-offs pummel local economy and Maga allies embed in social scene
Free edibles: foraging in London with a top chef
As spring rolls on, the capital is abloom with edible plants — if you know where to look, what to pluck and how to cook them. Chef Chantelle Nicholson shows us the way
In tough times, good policy becomes still more important
A country as mired in stagnation as the UK has to take risks if it is to succeed
Ask a Stylist: the return of the knee-length skirt — and how to wear it
A classic is back — but does it need heels? The FT’s new style guru is ready to guide you through this and other wardrobe dilemmas
Transcript: The elusive Ukraine peace deal
Sonja Hutson talks to Christopher Miller and Gregory Meyer
The spectre of dollar doomsday still looms
Whatever happens with Trump’s tariffs, investors need to prepare for a new market paradigm
Berlin faces EU test over German electricity market break-up
Sweden, Belgium and Czech Republic argue country’s market restructuring could drive prices down
Tech firms pivot to defence in neutral Ireland as EU re-arms
Radar, AI and subsea surveillance are big growth areas for security technology with dual uses
Londoners reflect on the view from their homes in new podcast Windows
In this warm, revealing series, people describe what they see and how it makes them feel