In today's FT

View an online version of this email here.  All times are London time: Thursday Apr 23 2009 Financial Times - UK Homepage Darling gambles on growth Apr 23 2009 00:07 The chancellor gambled on a rapid economic recovery and took an axe to his public spending plans as projected government borrowing surged to a peacetime record Read more » Labour breaks promise on taxing rich Apr 22 2009 20:25 The Labour government lifted the top rate of income tax to 50%, ripping up a central promise of its 2005 election manifesto and drawing a clear ideological dividing line with the opposition Conservative party Read more » Chocolate coins are now deemed safer than gilts Apr 22 2009 18:00 In recent months the cost of insuring against a default on UK gilts has surged as investors have fretted about the ever-spiralling levels of British debt, says Gillian Tett Read more » Financial Times - US homepage IMF sees 1.3% drop in global output Apr 22 2009 19:10 The global economy will contract sharply this year and recover only sluggishly in 2010, the International Monetary Fund said as it called on governments to sustain or even increase fiscal stimulus next year Read more » Struggling M Stanley slashes dividend Apr 22 2009 13:57 Morgan Stanley reported a loss of $177m in the first three months of the year, worse than analysts expected, and said it would cut its quarterly dividend as real estate investments sapped its profits Read more » Freddie Mac's finance chief found dead Apr 22 2009 18:32 David Kellermann, acting chief financial officer of mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead in his suburban Virginia home, Fairfax County police say Read more » Financial Times - Europe homepage UK raises tax for top earners Apr 22 2009 19:25 The chancellor said the UK economy would start growing again by the end of 2009 and promised action to prevent an entire generation being lost to unemployment Read more » Bundesbank chief hits out at Brussels Apr 22 2009 12:38 European Commission issues hard-hitting response to interview in which Weber said competition authorities risk throwing Europe's economic integration into reverse with their response to the financial crisis Read more » Struggling M Stanley slashes dividend Apr 22 2009 13:57 Morgan Stanley reported a loss of $177m in the first three months of the year, worse than analysts expected, and said it would cut its quarterly dividend as real estate investments sapped its profits Read more » Financial Times - Asia homepage IMF sees 1.3% drop in global output Apr 22 2009 19:10 The global economy will contract sharply this year and recover only sluggishly in 2010, the International Monetary Fund said as it called on governments to sustain or even increase fiscal stimulus next year Read more » Japan's first annual trade deficit in 29 years Apr 22 2009 16:43 A relentless slide in exports eased moderately last month, providing a glimmer of hope that the severe impact of the global recession may be beginning to abate Read more » Freddie Mac's finance chief found dead Apr 22 2009 18:32 David Kellermann, acting chief financial officer of mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead in his suburban Virginia home, Fairfax County police say Read more » FT.com - Companies Kirin makes bid to buy-out Lion Nathan Apr 23 2009 02:58 Japanese brewer Kirin Holdings made an approach to buy out Australia's second-biggest brewer, Lion Nathan, in a deal that could be worth more than $1.7bn Read more » Struggling M Stanley slashes dividend Apr 22 2009 21:25 Morgan Stanley reported a loss of $177m in the first three months of the year, worse than analysts expected, and said it would cut its quarterly dividend as real estate investments sapped its profits Read more » Freddie Mac's finance chief found dead Apr 23 2009 01:02 David Kellermann, acting chief financial officer of mortgage giant Freddie Mac, was found dead in his suburban Virginia home, Fairfax County police say Read more » Volkswagen eyes move on Porsche Apr 22 2009 23:33 Volkswagen considers audacious bid for Porsche's carmaking business in a move that would bring relief to indebted holding company Read more » DeWolfe to step down as MySpace chief Apr 23 2009 01:25 Chris DeWolfe, one of the co-founders of MySpace, is to step down as chief executive of the popular social networking site just weeks after telling the Financial Times that he was "very happy" with the company. Read more » FT.com - Financial Markets News Overview: Fears over financials spark late sell-off Apr 22 2009 23:06 Wall Street succumbed to a bout of late selling with worries over the health of the financial sector outweighing better earnings news from the broader market Read more » US stocks fall in volatile trading Apr 22 2009 21:52 US equities fell as a late sell-off in the financial sector erased gains made during a choppy trading day on Wall Street as investors digested another busy day of earnings Read more » Market gasps at record £220bn of gilts Apr 23 2009 02:45 Medium-dated government bond prices have fallen sharply following Alistair Darling's announcement that he plans to raise a record amount of debt to help the country out of recession Read more » News on UK public finances hits sterling Apr 22 2009 19:24 The pound is punished after the UK Treasury reveals the state of public finances and its borrowing requirements in the coming fiscal year Read more » Europe's banks stay strong Apr 22 2009 16:53 European shares rose on Wednesday helped by a sustained rebound in confidence in the banking sector. Read more » FT.com - Comment and analysis Why global brands now rise in the east Apr 22 2009 19:30 For a long time, global products have been made in the image of what US consumers wanted, or dreamed. But what will western consumers make of it when Asia's influence becomes apparent in products other than games consoles? John Gapper looks at a power shift in global brands Read more » Clever wheezes do not mend banks Apr 22 2009 18:32 The recent improvement on Wall Street has been aided and abetted by some very clever schemes but honesty, integrity and transparency are the keys to a return to profitability, writes William Cohan Read more » England might yet review the state of the Union Apr 22 2009 20:18 Today the English have reason to feel hard done by, for devolution is a gross injustice towards the group who are, after all, four-fifths of the British population, writes Geoffrey Wheatcroft Read more » China flexes new economic muscle at sea Apr 22 2009 18:43 If Beijing continues to expand its seapower until it has a navy to match that of the US it will raise questions of the postwar balance of power in the Pacific, writes David Pilling Read more » FT.com - Business Life New routes for survival Apr 22 2009 20:36 North American car parts makers are touting their expertise to new sectors 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. 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