Why Beijing still loves its five-year plans

The EU wants to make mergers a bit easier, Wall Street banks are offloading $18bn of debt tied to video game maker Electronic Arts, and investors are piling into cash at the fastest rate since the Covid-19 pandemic. Plus, the FT’s Ahmed Al Omran explains why Saudi Arabia’s recent ...  Show more

The FT’s Gideon Rachman explains what the Strait of Hormuz’s closure means strategically for Iran, Italy’s UniCredit has launched a €35bn takeover offer for Commerzbank and China’s oil stockpile is put to the test as the strait remains closed. Plus, scientists have identified a p ...  Show more

Over the past week, President Trump avoided a trade war with Canada and Mexico. But he escalated a trade war with China.

His reasoning? China has become more powerful in domestic manufacturing than the United States, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Britain combined.

Two weeks after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement shook global markets, he has now offered most countries a 90-day reprieve—while simultaneously escalating trade tensions with China by imposing harsher penalties. So far, China has responded by matching each tariff hike ...  Show more

Beijing has exempted some U.S. imports from its 125% tariffs. U.S. President Donald Trump says a Ukraine peace deal is 'close' as he calls on Russia's President Vladimir Putin to 'STOP'. India's army chief is in Kashmir after a deadly attack on tourists has ratcheted up tensions ...  Show more

Having implemented - then temporarily rescinded - tariffs on Canada and Mexico after both countries struck last-minute deals, Donald Trump now has his sights firmly focused on China. Following his announcement of a 10% tax on their imports to the US, China retaliated with thei ...