FTAV’s further reading
Crypto; hedging; thieving; moats; Japan; robots; economic warfare
A vibe check from commodities pros
Plus UK inflation
EU leaders to grapple with energy crisis as Brussels pleads for calm response
Also in this newsletter: Paring back permitting
The UK became less unequal because doctors became less well-paid
See also, teachers
Transcript: Trump finds it’s easier to start a war than to end one
Gideon Rachman speaks to Michael Singh and Dana Stroul of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
FirstFT: UK crime agency reviewed Mandelson allegations in 2024
Also in today’s newsletter: US Navy secretary fired and EU Arctic drilling rethink
Japan moves to block foreign takeover deal on national security grounds
Government asks South Korean private equity group MBK Partners to drop attempt to buy Makino Milling
Transcript: The AI digital divide
Marc Filippino talks to John Burn-Murdoch and Joe Leahy
Escape from Hormuz: the oil tankers running the Iranian gauntlet
How trading houses Vitol, Trafigura and Mercuria have managed to get some of their oil tankers out of the Gulf
PE firm L Catterton launches new fund staked by top athletes
LVMH-backed group will seek to harness influence of sports personalities to enhance portfolio companies
Sadiq Khan: Labour risks being ‘stonked’ in London elections
Mayor says campaigning ahead of May 7 local elections is some of ‘most difficult’ he has experienced in more than 40 years
Private equity courts OpenAI and Anthropic
The start-ups are in talks with private equity firms over joint ventures intended to help deploy AI in businesses
Nelson Peltz’s son builds first public activist stake in Intertek
Matt Peltz’s new firm Lost Coast Collective has invested in the UK testing company
Quant pioneer Martin Lueck warns against handing over trading to AI
Caution by co-founder of Aspect hedge fund follows billionaire Cliff Asness’s decision to ‘surrender’ to the machines
House of Fidelity — the dynasty at the heart of the investment powerhouse
A journalist lifts the lid on how the Johnson family battled to keep control of the asset manager in a history packed with luminaries of finance
How many people would Reform UK deport?
At least two million are at risk but the plans are ambiguous and their effect hinges on Labour’s own decisions
UK could save £2.5bn by helping banks to buy gilts, says Barclays
Idea long pursued by banking sector lobbyists faces opposition from regulators
Top Republican pushes party to shun $300mn AI lobby
Senator Josh Hawley warns of ‘political cost’ if Washington fails to rein in Big Tech and artificial intelligence
High earners race ahead on AI as workplace divide widens
FT-Focaldata poll offers early evidence on how the technology is reshaping work and reinforcing gender and pay gaps
The secret diary of a middle power
So much economic conflict, so many feelings
It’s a ‘sontaku’ world — we are just living in it
Pre-emptive interpretation of a leader’s wishes can be dangerous and reveals a vacuum where direction should be
How Beirut was turned into a bystander in its own ceasefire talks
Deal brokered by Donald Trump to pause Israel’s offensive highlights Lebanon’s weakness
‘The last thing we needed’: US farmers hit by spiralling prices due to Iran war
Conflict has hit fertiliser costs in an agricultural sector already reeling from Trump’s trade war
Talking Classics — Mary Beard makes a passionate case for fun as well as relevance
The acclaimed historian’s eye-opening guide to the ancient world reminds Martin Wolf why classics are as relevant as ever