In today's FT

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Tuesday Apr 07 2009 Financial Times - UK Homepage Gates unveils sweeping defence cuts Apr 06 2009 21:44 Robert Gates, US defence secretary, unveiled an overhaul of the Pentagon's weapons priorities, taking the axe to some of the most high-profile equipment programmes as part of his spending proposals for 2010 Read more » Unions hit out at Osborne over pay threat Apr 06 2009 20:26 Unions have reacted angrily after George Osborne, shadow chancellor, said an incoming Tory government would review three-year public sector pay deals because "they may be very inflexible" Read more » HSBC completes record rights issue Apr 06 2009 13:03 Investors snapped up new HSBC shares as the global bank completed a record £12.5bn rights issue to strengthen its capital ratios Read more » Financial Times - US homepage Obama pledge on Mideast solution Apr 06 2009 22:33 Barack Obama offered his clearest pledge since taking office to pursue a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as he took his message of remaking US relations with the Muslim world to Turkey Read more » Gates unveils sweeping defence cuts Apr 06 2009 21:44 Robert Gates, US defence secretary, unveiled an overhaul of the Pentagon's weapons priorities, taking the axe to some of the most high-profile equipment programmes as part of his spending proposals for 2010 Read more » Merkin accused of civil fraud in Madoff scheme Apr 06 2009 18:07 Andrew Cuomo, the New York attorney-general, charged Ezra Merkin, former chairman of GMAC, General Motors' financing arm, with civil fraud for illegally concealing investments he made for clients in Bernard Madoff's $50bn "Ponzi" scheme Read more » Financial Times - Europe homepage Gates unveils sweeping defence cuts Apr 06 2009 21:44 Robert Gates, US defence secretary, unveiled an overhaul of the Pentagon's weapons priorities, taking the axe to some of the most high-profile equipment programmes as part of his spending proposals for 2010 Read more » HSBC concludes record £12.5bn rights issue Apr 06 2009 20:01 HSBC completed its record £12.5bn rights issue when it sold the remaining 3 per cent of shares not taken up by existing shareholders. The bank placed the shares in the market after receiving orders worth three times the size of the available book Read more » At least 150 feared dead in Italy quake Apr 06 2009 19:07 Rescue workers were struggling to find survivors after Italy's worst earthquake in nearly 30 years turned the historic medieval centre of L'Aquila into a ghost city Read more » Financial Times - Asia homepage Japan to unveil second stimulus package Apr 06 2009 09:00 The Japanese government plans to unveil on Friday a new economic stimulus package including spending of at least $100bn, the finance minister said, as the country grapples with its worst recession since World War Two Read more » Bank worries set to drag US stocks Apr 06 2009 13:53 Sun Microsystems tumbled in pre-market trade as reports said IBM had withdrawn its offer for the company Read more » HK regulator to appeal PCCW decision Apr 06 2009 09:21 Richard Li's attempt to buy out PCCW, his Hong Kong telecommunications company, won a long-awaited green light fter the territory's High Court ruled that a shareholders' vote in February was valid Read more » FT.com - World Gates unveils sweeping defence cuts Apr 06 2009 23:19 US defence secretary Robert Gates unveiled an overhaul of Pentagon weapons priorities, taking an axe to some of the most high-profile equipment programmes Read more » Obama pledge on Mideast solution Apr 06 2009 22:33 Barack Obama offered his clearest pledge since taking office to pursue a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, as he took his message of remaking US relations with the Muslim world to Turkey Read more » Tokyo to launch record fiscal stimulus Apr 06 2009 19:17 Japan's prime minister told his government to prepare a record Y10,000bn fiscal stimulus to lift the world's second-biggest economy from its deepening gloom Read more » G8 warns of hunger threat to stability Apr 06 2009 23:37 The world faces a permanent food crisis and global instability unless countries act now to feed a surging population by doubling agricultural output, a report drafted for ministers of the Group of Eight nations has warned Read more » Art prices fall 35% as collectors cash in Apr 07 2009 01:53 Art prices plunged during the first quarter of the year as cash-strapped collectors looked to unload works by postwar masters that had earlier boomed in price along with the stock market Read more » FT.com - Companies HSBC concludes record £12.5bn rights issue Apr 06 2009 20:01 HSBC completed its record £12.5bn rights issue when it sold the remaining 3 per cent of shares not taken up by existing shareholders. The bank placed the shares in the market after receiving orders worth three times the size of the available book Read more » HK regulator to appeal PCCW decision Apr 06 2009 17:08 Richard Li's attempt to buy out PCCW, his Hong Kong telecommunications company, was cleared by a Hong Kong court but the territory's regulator said it would appeal against the decision Read more » UK court freezes Stanford bank assets of $100m Apr 07 2009 00:42 Banks assets are seized as US regulators ramp up their efforts to track how funds flowed between the complex web of international companies ­formerly controlled by Sir Allen Stanford. Read more » Ford strikes deal to cut debt by 40% Apr 06 2009 23:24 Ford Motor will cut its debt by almost 40 per cent through a debt-for-equity swap, while its financing arm Ford Credit has bought back $3.4bn of its parent's unsecured non-convertible notes Read more » PS3 outstrips Wii in Japanese sales Apr 06 2009 13:17 Japanese sales of the Nintendo games console fell in the five weeks to end March below those of rival Sony's PlayStation 3 Read more » FT.com - Financial Markets News Overview: Bears regain the upper hand Apr 06 2009 22:31 US and European equities ran into profit-taking following last week's gains as investors continued to weigh prospects for the global economy Read more » Crude's early advance runs out of steam Apr 06 2009 22:36 Oil and copper made a flying start to the new trading week but the rally proved shortlived as weakness in equities translated into selling pressure in commodities Read more » Dollar recoups losses on stock sell-off Apr 06 2009 22:43 The US currency pulled back from early losses on Monday as global equity markets went into reverse and the greenback was back in demand Read more » Dire quarter for European IPOs Apr 06 2009 20:34 The volume of listings fell sharply with the amount raised just 1 per cent of the total raised in the first quarter last year Read more » G8 warns of hunger threat to stability Apr 06 2009 23:37 The world faces a permanent food crisis and global instability unless countries act now to feed a surging population by doubling agricultural output, a report drafted for ministers of the Group of Eight nations has warned Read more » FT.com - Comment and analysis Obama: the right man at the wrong time Apr 06 2009 19:41 On his European tour, Mr Obama cemented the impression that he is an unusually gifted and intelligent politician. But that does not mean he will succeed, writes Gideon Rachman Read more » A chance for bankers to refocus their talents Apr 06 2009 19:52 Most policymakers remain keener to bash former and potential bankers than to consider how to use their talents in the most economically rational way, says Gillian Tett Read more » The market may be bust but so is the state Apr 06 2009 19:55 When the director-general of Britain's biggest business organisation predicts a radical rebalancing between the state and the market – in favour of the former – few politicians would demur, writes Philip Stephens Read more » A freer China would stimulate spending Apr 06 2009 19:46 The root cause of the country's problem is political, not economic. The lack of democracy disenfranchises the groups that would otherwise pressure ruling elites to provide social services, write Minxin Pei and Ali Wyne Read more » Financial groups must still be free to compete Apr 06 2009 20:09 The challenge will be to ensure that new forms of regulation do not also stifle competitive market dynamics, writes John Fingleton Read more » FT.com - Business Life Facebook puts fizz in Coke Apr 06 2009 22:34 A profile on Coca-Cola created by two fans has become one of the social networking site's most popular pages Read more » Who's been sleeping in your bed? Apr 06 2009 22:34 A number of businesses have embraced the practice of job swapping across locations and with other companies – even swapping employees' houses in the process Read more » ABOUT THIS EMAIL You have received this email because you have signed up for this briefing on FT.com Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe | Change your email address Change whether you receive this email as HTML or plain text | Forward this email to a friend Privacy policy | Advertise | Contact © Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2009. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. The Financial Times Limited, registered in England and Wales number 227590. Registered office: Number One Southwark Bridge, London SE1 9HL. VAT number GB 278 5371 21.