hat Are you a journalist at this publication? Get listed
<
>

Most Followed

Most Active Today

Duncan Robinson

Reporter

Tom Gara

Reporter

Tim Harford

Senior Columnist

David Firn

Weekend News Editor

Sally Gainsbury

Reporter

Robert Shrimsley

Managing Editor, FT.com

Stanley Pignal

Brussels Correspondent

Courtney Weaver

Moscow Reporter

Chris Cook

Education Correspondent

Borzou Daragahi

Middle East Correspondent

Most Talked About Financial Times Stories

On borrowed time

ft.com — Britain will regret the current wave of library closures but that does not mean its network must stay the same Britain is today celebrating National Libraries Day, though the celebrations are unlikely to be mistaken for the Queen's diamond jubilee, say, or the London Olympics.
Paul Kelso Chief Sports Reporter, Telegraph @pkelso
"@jeevanvasagar: A marvellously cant-free piece on #libraries by Matthew Engel in today's FT: http://t.co/IYlxHQvO #NLD12" brilliant piece
Jeevan Vasagar Education Editor, Guardian @jeevanvasagar
A marvellously cant-free piece on #libraries by Matthew Engel in today's FT: http://t.co/SrnE5rKN #NLD12

Berlusconi to abandon front-line politics

ft.com — Silvio Berlusconi has declared he is “stepping aside” from front-line Italian politics, revealing he has no intention of running again as prime minister. In his first interview since resigning amid turmoil on financial markets last November, Mr
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
"I stepped aside and with elegance," Berlusconi tells #FT, showing bruises from playing ice hockey with Putin http://t.co/BQCQ2Tpn
Tom Gara Reporter, Financial Times @tomgara
Berlusconi talks to the FT: http://t.co/aUmpbxvP
Andrew Hill Columnist, Financial Times @andrewtghill
"Berlusconi insisted he was 'still young', showing a bruise he said came from playing ice hockey with Putin" http://t.co/cdgTG03t
Linda Yueh Economics Editor, Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg News @lindayueh
RT @alicemoss Berlusconi tells the FT he is a public danger: "If I walk out in the street I stop the traffic." http://t.co/4ctlwexy
Alice Ross Deputy Money Editor, Financial Times @aliceemross
Berlusconi tells the FT he is a public danger: "If I walk out in the street I stop the traffic." http://t.co/ETKBBA9E
Show 8 more tweets from Deborah Cole, Duncan Robinson, Stanley Pignal, Jeremy Grant, Joseph Cotterill, Duncan Robinson, Shawn Donnan, Christopher Adams

Facebook chief faces tax bill of $1.5bn

ft.com — Mark Zuckerberg faces a tax liability of more than $1.5bn this year, vaulting the Facebook co-founder into the leagues of all-time highest taxpayers and leaving a big question mark over his company's initial public offering.
Kerry Dolan Senior Editor, Forbes @KerryDolan
wow RT @dgelles Zuckerberg to face $1.5bn tax bill - Amazing FT scoop by @RichardWaters http://t.co/GOchO3QA
David Gelles Media Technology Reporter, Financial Times @dgelles
Zuckerberg to face $1.5bn tax bill - Amazing FT scoop by @RichardWaters http://t.co/EuJg2RPH
Chris Nuttall West Coast Tech Correspondent, Financial Times @chrisnuttall
Great scoop by my colleague Richard Waters - Facebook chief faces tax bill of $1.5bn - http://t.co/M18typzu - http://t.co/eFuSSPGq
John Gapper Columnist, Financial Times @johngapper
RT @RichardWaters: Who says the rich don't pay taxes anymore? Mark Zuckerberg to pay $1.5bn+ this year. http://t.co/xop1gz9w
Richard Waters San Francisco Bureau Chief, Financial Times @RichardWaters
Who says the rich don't pay taxes anymore? Mark Zuckerberg to pay $1.5bn+ this year. http://t.co/FA9m1kTJ
Show 1 more tweet from Steven Dennis

Social, networked executive finds perfect company

ft.com — Sheryl Sandberg likes Counting Crows and the Dixie Chicks, When Harry Met Sally and Toy Story 3, running, and “playing with my kids,” according to her Facebook page. The online profile also lists her resumé of professional posts, from the US
Matt Cowan Technology Journalist, Reuters TV, Reuters @londonjourno
A social, networked executive: http://t.co/xJGgySaZ #FT

Lunch with the FT: Kenneth Rogoff

ft.com — Ken Rogoff has been coming to the World Economic Forum in Davos for a decade but he has never yet had a decent lunch. Sitting down at a small table in Gentiana, a bistro about 10 minutes’ walk from the Congress Centre, Rogoff says this is the first
Ross Finley Editor, Reuters Polls and Economic Data, Reuters @rossfinley
Rogoff the chess master: "We’re not in the endgame, we’re in the middle-game.” http://t.co/2LG77IEU #gfc2 €€€

Doctors call for withdrawal of health bill

ft.com — More than 26,000 family doctors added to the dissent around the government’s health bill on Friday when the Royal College of General Practitioners called for its outright withdrawal. Together with the Royal College of Nurses, the Royal College of
Sally Gainsbury Reporter, Financial Times @sallygainsbury
If RCP also calls for withdrawal that'll be almost 50pc of NHS UK medical + clincial staff (excluding BMA) http://t.co/EHifIK1U

Old friends - FT.com

ft.com — It's not just human beings who are living longer - our pets are too How old is the world's oldest dog? When Pusuke, the Japanese record-holder, died in December, aged 26, it made global headlines from Vanity Fair to the Hindustan Times. It also created a vacancy.
Sue Matthias Weekend Editor, Financial Times @suematthias
... & - you have to see this - Britain's oldest #pets inc Pip the terrier who's 168!! (in dog years obvs) http://t.co/1Dujs0kH

Cindy Sherman talks to Simon Schama

ft.com — The American photographer on capturing the masquerade of daily life Sometimes you can overdo the prep. I realise this when Republican wives, mobilised to do their duty for the cameras in the primaries circus, all begin to look like Cindy Sherman in light disguise.
Sue Matthias Weekend Editor, Financial Times @suematthias
3 big treats in @FTWeekendMag: photo genius #Cindy Sherman talks to Simon Schama at her studio ahead of huge MoMa show http://t.co/QfPph2TJ

Berlusconi adjusts to life out of limelight

ft.com — Since being hounded out of office 12 weeks ago under the combined pressures of panicking debt markets, personal scandals and growing dissent within his own party, Silvio Berlusconi has been notably absent from the front pages that once tracked his
Stanley Pignal Brussels Correspondent, Financial Times @spignal
Sport makes a brief return in #FT: Berlusconi says he's not interested in Tevez, plans to install astroturf at San Siro http://t.co/bFNCK0ef
Shawn Donnan World News Editor, Financial Times @sdonnan
And he says he wants synthetic grass for stadium! RT @andrew_ward1 FT scoop: AC Milan don't want Tevez, says Berlusconi http://t.co/eiylfrpZ
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
The real story in the Berlusconi interview RT @andrew_ward1 FT scoop: AC Milan don't want Tevez, says Berlusconi http://t.co/SXnkB7GX

Life & Arts: Culture, property and lifestyle reading from the Financial Times

ft.com — Fashion's flights of fancy: the Paris couture shows David Hockney's first major UK landscape show A gastronomic tour devoted to Spain's celebrated ibérico ham
David Firn Weekend News Editor, Financial Times @davidfirn
So, dear reader. How highbrow are you? We bring you Cindy Sherman unmasked, photographing Israel and pet portraits http://t.co/VuNADsI2

Leonard Cohen froze my bank account

ft.com — My debit card was frozen by the bank again this week. Apparently I'd been using it to buy things, which always attracts suspicion. This is a pretty regular occurrence these days. It has nothing to do with the state of my account, you understand; it's the fact that I'm using it that worries them.
Robert Shrimsley Managing Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @robertshrimsley
Living up to my bank's expectations: "If u aren't who we think you are u need to hang up now" http://t.co/oPP9IJdt
Robert Shrimsley Managing Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @robertshrimsley
Leonard Cohen froze my bank account - http://t.co/3r4Zdzye - FT Magazine http://t.co/oPP9IJdt

Facebook chief faces tax bill of $1.5bn

ft.com — Mark Zuckerberg faces a tax liability of more than $1.5bn this year, vaulting the Facebook co-founder into the leagues of all-time highest taxpayers and leaving a big question mark over his company's initial public offering.
Lucy P. Marcus Columnist, Reuters @lucymarcus
Facebook chief faces tax bill of $1.5bn, FT http://t.co/kLPjsgnC

Lunch with the FT: Kenneth Rogoff

ft.com — Ken Rogoff has been coming to the World Economic Forum in Davos for a decade but he has never yet had a decent lunch. Sitting down at a small table in Gentiana, a bistro about 10 minutes’ walk from the Congress Centre, Rogoff says this is the first
Tim Harford Senior Columnist, Financial Times @TimHarford
Ken Rogoff has lunch with the FT - great piece on chess, austerity & what to eat before meeting Obama http://t.co/qMCJ1UFE

Dinner that put Glencore-Xstrata on the menu

ft.com — A low-key dinner at a hotel in the West End of London in early December served as the backdrop. Ivan Glasenberg, the billionaire entrepreneur behind commodities group Glencore had flown to London to meet his long-term industry counterpart and
Anousha Sakoui Correspondent, Financial Times @anoushasakoui
This will be the best tick-tock u read on this deal. Dinner that put Glencore-Xstrata on the menu - http://t.co/oRqJLVYr
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
RT @TonyTassell Dinner that put Glencore-Xstrata on the menu - by Javier Blas and Sylvia Pfeifer http://t.co/l6FMg027
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
Dinner that put Glencore-Xstrata on the menu - by Javier Blas and Sylvia Pfeifer http://t.co/ModyTAuH

Bakries move to oust Rothschild

ft.com — Indonesia’s Bakrie family is seeking to remove Nat Rothschild and other directors from the board of London-listed coal miner Bumi The dramatic move is a setback for the UK financier, who had pledged to clean up corporate governance at Bumi, and his
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
RT @ftcompanies: Latest news: Bakries move to oust Rothschild http://t.co/jfrzxlca @ftcompanies
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Bid to force Rothschild out of Bumi http://t.co/42chYlQ3
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Bakries movee to oust Rothschild http://t.co/42chYlQ3

Mitt can win by battling America’s debt addiction

ft.com — Florida’s Republicans have spoken and Mitt Romney has regained his frontrunner status. But like George H.W. Bush – another decent, diligent, dynastic Republican – Mr Romney has an enemy more terrible than any mortal rival: he has a problem with the
Michael Casey Managing Editor, Money, Wall Street Journal @mikejcasey
(But is Romney a reformed addict?) #leveragedbuyouts Sebastian Mallaby: Mitt can win by battling US debt addiction http://t.co/acsH7yaS
Tim Harford Senior Columnist, Financial Times @TimHarford
Romney should declare war in debt. Mallaby in FT http://t.co/OASDIB7w

Greece’s leaders oppose new austerity measures

ft.com — All three party leaders in Greece’s teetering national unity government have opposed new austerity measures demanded by international lenders, forcing eurozone finance ministers to postpone approval of a new €130bn bail-out and moving the country
Linda Yueh Economics Editor, Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg News @lindayueh
RT @ChrisAdamsMKTS Greek leaders oppose new austerity measures, forcing EZ leaders to postpone bail-out towards default http://t.co/V2WkSpBJ
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Greek leaders oppose new austerity measures, forcing EZ leaders to postpone bail-out and moving Athens towards default http://t.co/oewSZNbg

US unemployment drops to 8.3%

ft.com — The US unemployment rate dropped to 8.3 per cent in January as the economy added 243,000 new jobs, far above expectations. The increase in non-farm payrolls was the largest since April 2011 and surged past economists’ forecasts of about 140,000 new
Borzou Daragahi Middle East Correspondent, Financial Times @borzou
US unemployment drops to 8.3% "jolt of good news for re-election prospects of Obama" @FT http://t.co/bwJx3wJ0
Matt Frei Washington Correspondent and Presenter, Channel 4 @mattfrei
US unemployment drops to 8.3% - http://t.co/wt8hpOuc - US Economy http://t.co/oxHBvVwj the pulse returns
Shannon Bond U.S. Reporter, Financial Times @shannonpareil
RT @FTworldnews: First take on US strong job numbers http://t.co/gUNhVhGj

Cancer charity restores Planned Parenthood funding

ft.com — A leading US breast cancer charity reversed its decision to end funding to Planned Parenthood, the non-profit women’s healthcare provider, after a barrage of criticism. “We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood,
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
Pressure came from many places, but the Komen/Planned Parenthood story will be held up as a social media case study http://t.co/4zEnNLKo
Shannon Bond U.S. Reporter, Financial Times @shannonpareil
Planned Parenthood spox says new breast cancer fund raised "more than $3m" in last 3 days. http://t.co/nHdZ0zsj
Shannon Bond U.S. Reporter, Financial Times @shannonpareil
my @FT story on Komen backing down on Planned Parenthood funding: http://t.co/nHdZ0zsj

New York sues banks over home seizures

ft.com — New York has sued three of the largest US banks over their use of a national private electronic mortgage registry, accusing them of illegal home seizures and adding yet another legal worry for besieged lenders. Eric Schneiderman, the state’s
Pedro Nicolaci da Costa Reporter, Reuters @pdacosta
New York sues Bank of America, JP Morgan and Wells Fargo over home seizures http://t.co/HqSjyMtG

Chaos in Egypt - FT.com

ft.com — Egypt’s military regime has justified its hold on power since last year’s popular uprising by arguing that it needs to be in the driving seat to ensure a secure transition to democracy. The appalling violence of recent days that has left at least 77
Mona Eltahawy Freelance Journalist @monaeltahawy
RT @SultanAlQassemi: Financial Times Editorial: Chaos in Egypt http://t.co/5U80LhuS "The fate of the Arab spring is inextricably linked ...

Bonuses of contention

ft.com — Charles M. Schwab was a pioneer of pay for performance. The US steel magnate was also, in the words of Thomas Edison, a high-living “master hustler” who won notoriety by supposedly breaking the bank at Monte Carlo during a wild holiday in 1902.
Andrew Hill Columnist, Financial Times @andrewtghill
From the boss who broke the bank at Monte Carlo to Stephen Hester: why a bonus culture is here to stay. My FT analysis: http://t.co/tJ9OybGy
Andrew Hill Columnist, Financial Times @andrewtghill
Bonuses of contention - is this the end of the "bonus culture"? My FT analysis http://t.co/58OwntmW

Mormons boost Romney momentum in Nevada

ft.com — With the wind at his back following a convincing victory this week in the Florida primary, the Las Vegas office building housing Mitt Romney’s Nevada campaign headquarters makes an unlikely setting for the next phase of his push for the Republican
Matthew Garrahan Los Angeles Correspondent, Financial Times @MattGarrahan
Nevada's Mormons ready to boost Romney's momentum - although Ron Paul wants their votes too. My story from Las Vegas http://t.co/fHkhQVsC

Appeal earns record £3.34m for Sightsavers

ft.com — The FT’s 2011 seasonal appeal on behalf of Sightsavers, which fights blindness in the developing world, has raised a grand total of £3.34m ($5.18m) – a record for our annual charity drive. FT readers and supporters of Sightsavers directly donated £92
Shawn Donnan World News Editor, Financial Times @sdonnan
RT @darcyday: #FT Appeal earns £3.34m ($5.18m) for Sightsavers – a record for our annual charity drive http://t.co/UGvHcWDq

Church of England doubles hedge fund investments

ft.com — Over the past two years, the Church of England has more than doubled the amount of money its multibillion pound endowment has put into hedge funds, the Financial Times has learnt. Against a backdrop of widespread public anger about ‘corporate excess’
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
God shorts the world: Church of England doubles hedge fund investments http://t.co/49uBDMaA

Sale and rent back schemes halted

ft.com — Companies offering controversial sale and rent back schemes that target financially distressed homeowners have been ordered to close temporarily following a review that found widespread poor practice. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) report,
Lucy Warwick-Ching Editor and Producer, Money, Financial Times @WarwickChing
RT @TanyaPowley: Sale and rent back market temporarily shut down by FSA: http://t.co/quRMGM1b
Tanya Powley Personal Finance Reporter, Financial Times @TanyaPowley
Sale and rent back market temporarily shut down by FSA: http://t.co/quRMGM1b

Stocks surge on strong US jobs data

ft.com — Friday 08:00 GMT. Markets are mixed, with some equity gauges easing back from multi month highs, as investors prepare to trade the always eagerly anticipated US jobs report later in the session. The FTSE All-World stock index is down 0.1 per cent, but sits just shy of its best levels since the beginning of August, while Europe's FTSE Eurofirst 300 is off 0.1 per cent.
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Super, Smashing, Great. Crisis over as stocks soar in best start to year since at least '97 http://t.co/HKC0DrZJ
Blake Hounshell Managing Editor, Foreign Policy Magazine @blakehounshell
RT @ChrisAdamsMKTS: Stocks Soar on Super Smashing Jobs Beat http://t.co/9YMxhmA8
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Stocks Soar on Super Smashing Jobs Beat http://t.co/6qHS2tQA

Facebook should call off its bumper IPO

ft.com — At long last, Facebook has filed for its initial public offering, the most eagerly awaited event in Silicon Valley since Google went public in 2004. Having read the prospectus, with its details of how profitable and cash-rich the social networking
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
RT @johngapper: Facebook ought to ditch its public offering - my FT column http://t.co/qnfyZ3Ua
Izabella Kaminska Alphaville Reporter, Financial Times @izakaminska
Facebook's pointless IPO http://t.co/eD1dB7rM (It doesn't need the cash, says Gapper)
Adam Haigh Stock Markets Reporter, Bloomberg News @adhaigh
Facebook ought to ditch its public offering, says @johngapper http://t.co/fRnBfmDO
Peter Coy Economics Editor, Bloomberg BusinessWeek @petercoy
FT's @johngapper says Facebook shouldn't IPO because it doesn't need money. It's doing it for the VCs. http://t.co/KLUJQI4t
John Gapper Columnist, Financial Times @johngapper
Facebook ought to ditch its public offering - my FT column http://t.co/qnfyZ3Ua
Show 5 more tweets from Mathew Ingram, Andrew Hill, Sean Gallagher, Tony Tassell, Matthew Garrahan

Micron chief dies in small-plane crash

ft.com — Steve Appleton, chairman and chief executive of US chipmaker Micron Technology, was killed in a small-plane crash in Boise, Idaho on Friday morning. The company, which is based in Boise, said it would provide additional information later. Trading in its shares was suspended on the Nasdaq ahead of the news.
Chris Nuttall West Coast Tech Correspondent, Financial Times @chrisnuttall
me @ft.com Micron's stunt-pilot CEO #SteveAppleton dies in small-plane crash - http://t.co/M18typzu - Technology http://t.co/JQzYdjvD

Glencore and Xstrata turn to City dealmaker

ft.com — One of the best known dealmakers in the City helped to broker a deal between Ivan Glasenberg and Mick Davis that paved the way for the $88bn merger talks between Glencore and Xstrata. Michael Klein, a former senior merger and acquisition banker for
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
More inside track on the Glencore/Xstrata deal - the City dealmaker who brought them together http://t.co/ttH5ynB7

A clear-eyed view of danger

ft.com — It is a hazard of Doug Milne's job that sometimes his valued clients - people he considers friends - are murdered. He is not a member of the security services, however, but an insurance broker, albeit one who focuses exclusively on kidnap and ransom insurance for companies and wealthy individuals.
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
Sang froid from insurer whose clients have been kidnapped/butchered: "I went to a Scottish boarding school" by @emmavj http://t.co/4cYFDa3r

Investors beware gold’s deceptive beauty

ft.com — Has gold fever come to this? As the metal reached a two-month high this week, thieves smashed a glass display case and stole $3m of gold nuggets from a northern California courthouse, relics from the region’s 1851 gold rush. Unless they are
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Beware Gold's Deceptive Beauty http://t.co/fie4nEDt

ECB tonic buys time for eurozone

ft.com — The day of reckoning appears to have been postponed in the eurozone. Fears of a eurozone break-up, which dogged markets in December, have receded as peripheral government bonds – with the notable exception of Portugal – have seen one of the biggest
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
ECB tonic buys time for eurozone http://t.co/46Tq6bif

Risky debt use on repo market hits 2008 levels

ft.com — The use of lower-rated debt in a key US funding market has returned to pre-crisis levels, fuelling fears that the so-called shadow banking system is becoming riskier. The repo market is an important part of the shadow banking sector, which consists
Tracy Alloway Columnist, Financial Times @tracyalloway
RT @ChrisAdamsMKTS: Risky debt use on repo market hits 2008 levels, reports @tracyalloway http://t.co/gfMgMsYO
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
Risky debt use on repo market hits 2008 levels, reports @tracyalloway http://t.co/gfMgMsYO

Clear Channel floods world with Madonna

ft.com — Madonna’s performance during Sunday’s Super Bowl game will be only part of a multimedia promotional blitz that could prove critical in determining whether her landmark deal with Live Nation pays off. The performer struck a “revolutionary” 10-year
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
“I don’t remember any time with Madonna when she’s ever talked about sales," Guy Oseary says of her marketing blitz http://t.co/nDksKlMN

Call for fund fees ‘labelling’

ft.com — Private investors will be able to compare the full cost of investing in different funds, under two proposals for improving fee disclosure published this week. But the body representing fund managers has said any changes would have to be voluntary –
Lucy Warwick-Ching Editor and Producer, Money, Financial Times @WarwickChing
Call for fund fees labeling http://t.co/Bddo06e1

Amazon sales data put focus on ebooks shift

ft.com — Amazon has long had an implicit deal with the stock market: as long as its sales grow at a supercharged pace, investors will overlook how its profits are being eroded by a huge investment programme. This week that deal began to fray. The world’s
Craig Pittman Environmental Reporter, St. Petersburg Times @craigtimes
Amazon's push for e-books produces results investors don't like & so its shares tumbled. http://t.co/199u9A8l

New Sony chief vows to make ‘painful choices’

ft.com — This week Kazuo Hirai, the 51-year-old Sony executive who will become the Japanese group’s next chief executive in April, spent part of his first news conference deflecting an old accusation: that he was not a “hardware guy” of the proper Sony mould.
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson Media Editor, Financial Times @Edgecliffe
Kaz Hirai and the "unavoidable, painful choices" facing Sony's new CEO, by @soble_ft http://t.co/gcNnytmC

Merkel, Barnier and the doomed DB/NYSE merger

blogs.ft.com — The Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext exchange mega-merger is dead, the objections of competition officials prevailed, but it followed a tremendous political tussle in Brussels, full of intrigue and skulduggery. Here are some of the snippets from the final days: The Merkel change of heart: A great mystery in this merger case was the deafening silence from Berlin.
Bruno Waterfield Brussels Correspondent, Telegraph @BrunoBrussels
A Friday must read @alexebarker on @ftbrusselsblog: Merkel, Barnier and the doomed DB/NYSE merger http://t.co/BT5cKnJq

The underbelly of Chinese New Year

blogs.ft.com — It will come as no surprise that last week’s Chinese New Year holiday was a good one for luxury goods retailers worldwide, with Chinese spending $7.2bn overseas on their much-loved luxe (up 28.6 per cent from the holiday week in 2011, according to Chinese newspapers).
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
Why the smart investor should make sure he gets into retirement homes, moutai and heart defibrillator stocks http://t.co/ckYjRmwS

Look before you leap, Mr Zuckerberg

ft.com — Dear Mark Zuckerberg, Congratulations on your IPO filing. We understand that you are faced with a difficult decision soon on where to list your stock. You have probably heard from your bankers that the Nasdaq exchange is for tech savvy companies
Jeremy Grant Editor, Financial Times @FTTradingRoom
Cracking open letter to Facebook's Zuckerberg from Themis Trading: http://t.co/q8wQePrB

Brazil-Mexico: auto fight

blogs.ft.com — The news Thursday that Brazil is contemplating scrapping a decade-old trade agreement with Mexico would seem to say quite a bit about the two countries’ attitudes towards globalisation and world trade. The accord, implemented in 2002, allows vehicles and car parts manufactured in Brazil and Mexico to enter each country without paying tariffs. But according to Brazil’s Valor Economico ...
Randal Archibold Central America Bureau Chief, New York Times @rcaNYT
#Brazil said to threaten tariffs on autos imported from #Mexico; Mexico very worried if it is so http://t.co/bJbpS1Mi via @beyondbrics

Duke Street abandons effort to raise fund

ft.com — Buy-out investor Duke Street has abandoned efforts to raise its next fund, in a strong indicator that the long-expected shake-out in the private equity sector has started in earnest. The mid-market buy-out group, which hit the headlines last year
Lucy P. Marcus Columnist, Reuters @lucymarcus
Difficult times ahead: Buy-out investor Duke Street abandons effort to raise fund, FT http://t.co/6xWC3pUp #privateequity

Podcast and audio downloads for business and arts from Financial Times

podcast.ft.com — Download or listen to the latest episodes from a selection of regular podcasts from our expert commentators and writers from the Financial Times, from Martin Wolf to the FT Money Show.
James Fontanella-Khan India Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @JFK_India
MT "@kanupriyakapoor: my first podcast on #UttarPradesh's upcoming elections, http://t.co/TcPvyKfJ @JFK_India #UPelections"

The pound is a poison pill for an independent Scotland

ft.com — As the slow unwinding of the eurozone continues, attention in Britain has turned to the monetary implications of a different unwinding: the possible break-up of the United Kingdom through Scottish independence. What do we mean by a currency union,
John Rentoul Political Columnist, Independent @JohnRentoul
“Currency is a confidence trick: its value depends entirely on the belief that it has value" John Kay, euro & Scotland http://t.co/BFNH2ybu

Facebook millionaires eye new exploits

ft.com — The Facebook IPO will give birth to a new generation of young millionaires in Silicon Valley and a handful of billionaires, several of whom have yet to hit their 30th birthdays. While there will surely be a race to the real estate market, and a rash
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
.@FT's April Dembosky on the rise of the "Facebook Mafia" angel investors http://t.co/1uFH0xBv How can #SiliconRoundabout match that?

End this masochism in economic policymaking

ft.com — Herbert Hoover, you were right. That is the consensus of all right-thinking people on UK fiscal policy. This view, as my colleague, Chris Giles, notes, has even become a much admired British intellectual export. Interestingly, the Institute of
Tim Harford Senior Columnist, Financial Times @TimHarford
"End this masochism in economic policymaking" - Martin Wolf (FT) wants tax-cut stimulus http://t.co/8iN2q83G
Katty Kay Washington Correspondent and Anchor, BBC World News America, BBC @KattyKayBBC
Almost 4 yrs after the crisis the cuts vs stimulus debate not over http://t.co/dGSRCeJi #FT
Randeep Ramesh Reporter, Guardian @tianran
RT @jdportes: Martin Wolf pleads with the government (and Chris Giles) to end the masochism: http://t.co/WXDndz0o
Chris Cook Education Correspondent, Financial Times @xtophercook
RT @jdportes: Martin Wolf pleads with the government (and Chris Giles) to end the masochism: http://t.co/WXDndz0o

The preferred, puzzling, ESM

ftalphaville.ft.com — Posted by Joseph Cotterill on Feb 03 12:10. Eurozone states signed the final version of the treaty establishing the European Stabilisation Mechanism on February 2. (Click the image for the full document) The ESM treaty now heads for ratification by 17 states, ready for it to enter into force by July 2012.
James Mackintosh Investment Editor, Financial Times @jmackin2
ESM makes IMF senior in law @jsphctrl http://t.co/COIJd7Rn Problem I see: bilateral loan docs "at least pari passu". Now subordinated to IMF

Clearing way as bourse merger era ends

John Authers Investment Editor, Financial Times @johnauthers
Are exchange mega-mergers over? And can exchanges keep juicing their profits without them? My video w Jeremy Grant; http://t.co/a6iJoMlo

The FT Money Show podcast and audio downloads

podcast.ft.com — Listen to podcasts and download audio from top financial columnists from the Financial Times. The FT Money Show podcast is your weekly audio guide to personal finance.
Lucy Warwick-Ching Editor and Producer, Money, Financial Times @WarwickChing
Listen to the latest FT Money Show on the latest campaign to cut fund manager fees http://t.co/UqTIJnm4

The trials of a reluctant superpower

ft.com — In 1793 the Emperor Qianlong airily dismissed the emissary of King George III on the grounds that China was the self-sufficient centre of the world and had no conceivable need of imports. Modern China should be so lucky.
James Crabtree Comment Page Editor, Financial Times @jamescrabtree
RT @oliverstuenkel: http://t.co/CI547j3E FT - The trials of a reluctant superpower excellent column by David Pilling

Facebook ought to ditch its public offering

ft.com — At long last Facebook has filed for its initial public offering, the most eagerly awaited event in Silicon Valley since Google went public in 2004. Having read the prospectus, with its details of how profitable and cash-rich the social networking enterprise is, may I suggest it calls the whole thing off.
James Mackintosh Investment Editor, Financial Times @jmackin2
Excellent @johngapper Facebook take-down. Forget IPO, he says. http://t.co/N4Noi20G

A clear-eyed view of danger

ft.com — It is a hazard of Doug Milne's job that sometimes his valued clients - people he considers friends - are murdered. He is not a member of the security services, however, but an insurance broker, albeit one who focuses exclusively on kidnap and ransom insurance for companies and wealthy individuals.
Emma Jacobs Commissioning Editor and Writer, Financial Times @emmavj
Money and menace - The job of a kidnap insurance broker - http://t.co/n9a9dWBr

AstraZeneca chairman to stand for re-election

ft.com — Louis Schweitzer, the veteran French industrialist, has agreed to stand for re-election as chairman of AstraZeneca at the next annual meeting, after the failure over the past year to find a successor. Mr Schweitzer, 69, had hoped to stand down in April in line with good corporate governance practice after serving almost eight years on the board.
Kristen Hallam Health Editor, Bloomberg News @kristen_hallam
RT @blogaceutics: AstraZeneca chairman to stand for re-election[FT] http://t.co/cuVoJh9j

Befriending Facebook

ft.com — Facebook wants friends. Its planned initial public offering could value the company at up to $100bn, and it wants to raise $5bn - more than the biggest listings of the dotcom bubble. The bet on Facebook is that it will be the next Google.
James Mackintosh Investment Editor, Financial Times @jmackin2
Today's Short View: what to expect from Facebook's first day pop. http://t.co/8s1hc7kh

Facebook ought to ditch its public offering

ft.com — At long last Facebook has filed for its initial public offering, the most eagerly awaited event in Silicon Valley since Google went public in 2004. Having read the prospectus, with its details of how profitable and cash-rich the social networking
Rohin Dharmakumar Senior Assistant Editor, Forbes India, Forbes @r0h1n
Facebook doesn't need the IPO money or shareholders. So why not call off the IPO, asks @johngapper rightly: http://t.co/wN3tMCVz

SNB’s Jordan vows to continue radical intervention

ft.com — In the past year, many western central bank leaders have squirmed in the spotlight. Few, however, are in such a delicate position as Thomas Jordan, the acting chairman of Swiss National Bank. Last month, the SNB’s former head, Philipp Hildebrand,
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
SNB's Jordan vows radical intervention: interview with Gillian Tett http://t.co/zo3BfvwY
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
SNB's Thomas Jordan vows to continue radical interventions in interview with Gillian Tett and @johngapper http://t.co/6sxgwnct
Alice Ross Deputy Money Editor, Financial Times @aliceemross
SNB's Jordan tells FT there are govt proposals to limit size of foreign exchange interventions http://t.co/uBS73B5W #franc

Gamble on Gingrich yet to pay off

ft.com — Sheldon Adelson used to give a book to visitors to his Las Vegas office, a plush suite past the indoor canals and singing gondoliers in the heart of the Venetian casino. “You need to read this,” he once told the Financial Times after an interview,
Matt Frei Washington Correspondent and Presenter, Channel 4 @mattfrei
http://t.co/wt8hpOuc - US Politics & Policy http://t.co/a7cns4fF Casino mogul who puts chips on Newt
Matthew Garrahan Los Angeles Correspondent, Financial Times @MattGarrahan
Sheldon Adelson has gambled $10m on Newt Gingrich and may yet donate more. What's he up to? My story http://t.co/uYP7oxnu

Israel warns Tehran nears immunity from attack

ft.com — Iran’s nuclear programme could soon become immune to military attack, Israel’s defence minister warned on Thursday, suggesting that Israeli leaders see a rapidly closing window of opportunity peacefully to resolve a standoff with Tehran. Ehud Barak
Borzou Daragahi Middle East Correspondent, Financial Times @borzou
#Israel warns #Iran nears immunity from attack "nuclearised Iran will be far more complex, dangerous and costly" http://t.co/9x4luxnh

How the Glencore and Xstrata merger stacks up

ft.com — The proposed $80bn all-share merger between Glencore and Xstrata could reshape the mining industry by combining the world’s largest commodities trading house with one of the biggest mining groups. This interactive dashboard will be updated as the
Anousha Sakoui Correspondent, Financial Times @anoushasakoui
great interactive. How the Glencore and Xstrata merger stacks up - http://t.co/73xdyebw - Mining http://t.co/s2BOMbtN

China considering deeper involvement in EFSF

ft.com — Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, told an audience of Chinese scholars on Thursday that European countries were taking serious steps to rein in debt and strengthen growth, kicking off a mission to reassure China over the crisis in the eurozone. “
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
RT @FinancialTimes: China considering deeper involvement in EFSF http://t.co/WaGJubOQ #FinancialTimes
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
China to, um, bail out Europe.... maybe http://t.co/f10dkWJq

Africa - a resilient frontier amid euro turmoil

ft.com — As global financial markets have been roiled by the eurozone’s worsening debt crisis, Africa has proved a rare bright spot. Debt issuance by African sand companies outside the northern Arab states hit a record $12.4bn in 2011, up 17 per cent on the
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
Even African debt is having a good run. http://t.co/HfeAsrjZ

BT set to launch ‘ultrafast’ internet

ft.com — “Ultra-fast” broadband using direct fibre-optic connections will become available to most British homes and businesses next year, after a significant technological breakthrough by BT, the telecoms group. The advance, to be announced in BT’s third-qua
Mark Colvin Presenter, Australian Broadcasting Corporation Radio @Colvinius
RT @TurnbullMalcolm: BT set to launch ‘ultrafast’ internet: http://t.co/1pgwPvcX #FT

Macworld thriving without Apple

ft.com — Macworld has lost much of its allure since Apple announced it was pulling out in 2008 and it no longer upstages the annual Consumer Electronics Show, as it did in 2007, when Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone there. But the show continues to
Chris Nuttall West Coast Tech Correspondent, Financial Times @chrisnuttall
me @ http://t.co/cbkMJAy1 weekly Personal Tech column -Macworld thriving without Apple - http://t.co/XSNjZymU

Record-breaking start to 2012 for Asian bonds

ft.com — Asian debt markets got off to a flying start in 2012, recording all time record issuance for January as global investors look for new safe homes for their cash and issuers look to guard against the disappearance of other financing options.
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
After LatAm bonds, it's Asia's turn to roar. Record-breaking start to 2012 for Asian bonds http://t.co/kB84gHdw

Entering the sense-making era of big social data

ft.com — Every individual on Amazon.com gets a customised experience, based on the actions they take on the site. Harrah’s, now called Caesars Entertainment, increased its customers’ ‘share of wallet’ by offering a Total Reward card that enabled it to track
Paul Taylor Reporter, Columnist and Editor, Connected Business, Financial Times @PaulTaylorFT
#TCBiz Social Big Big data is coming and companies may need to appoint a Chief Analytics Officer to manage the delgue http://t.co/y5GmHA9M

Facebook filing flags privacy risks

blogs.ft.com — caption id="attachment_107921" align="alignleft" width="167" caption="Getty Images"][/caption] One thing Facebook's IPO filing documents make clear is that the company is taking privacy risks seriously. Privacy is mentioned 35 times, mainly as a risk factor. The company acknowledges that media coverage of privacy lapses, for example, could affect profits. Unfavorable publicity regarding, ...
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
Facebook filing flags privacy risks http://t.co/jot6dpps via by @maijapalmer @fttechhub $FB
Maija Palmer Technology Correspondent, Financial Times @maijapalmer
Facebook filing flags privacy risks | FT Tech Hub http://t.co/uPoQjKjt via @fttechhub

Breaking up is hard to do - but here goes, anyway

ftalphaville.ft.com — Posted by Izabella Kaminska on Feb 01 16:37. From Jonathan Tepper, economist, chief editor of Variant Perception and co-author with John Mauldin of Endgame: The End of the Debt Supercyle… A thirteen point guide to breaking up the euro. Those countries that opt to remain in the euro will, however, have to take action too, points out Tepper.
Michael Casey Managing Editor, Money, Wall Street Journal @mikejcasey
Ah, yes, easily done over one weekend! RT @Frances_Coppola: How to break up the eurozone... http://t.co/5ZNRn9jE #gfc2

Facebook: doing it by numbers

ft.com — There is, in the end, one number in Facebook‘s IPO filing that really matters: 845m people use Facebook every month. The user base is so big that it makes the traditional metrics for valuing an internet IPO (or any IPO) look a little silly. It makes
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
Why @thelexcolumn rules the roost. Best commentary I have seen so far on Facebook's IPO: http://t.co/2bwscSig

Befriending Facebook

ft.com — Facebook wants friends. Its planned initial public offering could value the company at up to $100bn, and it wants to raise $5bn – more than the biggest listings of the dotcom bubble. The bet on Facebook is that it will be the next Google. Like
James Mackintosh Investment Editor, Financial Times @jmackin2
Friending Facebook: what to expect in first day pop http://t.co/9bHG2F1j

Glencore/Xstrata: a game-changer?

Terence Corcoran Editor, Financial Post, National Post @terencecorcoran
RT @FinancialTimes: Video: Glencore/Xstrata: a game-changer? http://t.co/334vrCJH #FinancialTimes

Traders on alert for Swiss intervention

ft.com — Markets are on high alert for a fresh round of intervention by the Swiss central bank after the franc hit its strongest level against the euro in nearly five months. The currency is edging towards the level at which the Swiss National Bank has said
Linda Yueh Economics Editor, Bloomberg TV, Bloomberg News @lindayueh
RT @aliceemross Will they won't they? Traders on SNB watch. http://t.co/hhzU4eMK CHF
Alice Ross Deputy Money Editor, Financial Times @aliceemross
Will they won't they? Traders on SNB watch. http://t.co/oqgoa1J7

An evening in the Past Knights’ Club

ft.com — Sir Fred Goodwin, former chief executive of Royal Bank of Scotland, has joined one of the most select groups in Britain – the Past Knights’ Club. Meeting in the cellar of an anonymous terrace house in Westminster, the past knights gather to swap
Tim Harford Senior Columnist, Financial Times @TimHarford
Fred the Shred meets Mugabe and Blunt in the Past Knight's Club... by @robertshrimsley http://t.co/2l02s1Wz
Robert Shrimsley Managing Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @robertshrimsley
An evening in the Past Knights’ Club - Fred Goodwin, Anthony Blunt and Mugabe swap stories - http://t.co/3r4Zdzye - http://t.co/Vze3ql0G

Glencore and Xstrata close to $80bn deal

ft.com — Glencore and Xstrata are in advanced talks for a nearly $80bn merger that could reshape the mining industry, combining the forces of the world’s largest commodities trading house with one of the largest miners of thermal coal and copper. The deal
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
RT @ftcommodities: Glencore/Xstrata deal codenamed Everest after Himalayan expedition by Simon Murray and John Bond http://t.co/eqLIeo2V
Kayla Tausche Correspondent, CNBC @kaylatausche
My reporting: Years ago, Xstrata told Glencore it wouldn't merge until $GLEN went public and had currency. And then! http://t.co/YSGjyY8u
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
RT @ftcommodities: FT Scoop: Ivan Glasenberg nears deal to accept role as deputy CEO to Mick Davis CEO http://t.co/eqLIeo2V
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
RT @TonyTassell First FT take on this : Glencore and Xstrata close to $80bn merger - http://t.co/yfbBDQIf - Companies http://t.co/AOdoA69w
Tony Tassell Financial News Editor, Financial Times @TonyTassell
First FT take on this : Glencore and Xstrata close to $80bn merger - http://t.co/q7RZ94KM - Companies http://t.co/AmEYyYyi

Merger to provide $100m boost for advisers

ft.com — After a less than stellar year for the mergers and acquisitions market in 2011, and the worst start to the year it has had for a decade, the potential merger between Glencore and Xstrata is likely to give a more than $100m boost to the advisers
Anousha Sakoui Correspondent, Financial Times @anoushasakoui
Merger to provide $100m boost for advisers - http://t.co/73xdyebw - Banks http://t.co/dhx0He3J

Tech groups take up slack in central London

ft.com — Technology companies are fast taking up some of the slack in the London property market created by the downsizing of the financial services sector. IT, telecoms and internet start-up companies doubled their uptake of office space in central London
Kevin Anderson Freelance Journalist @kevglobal
RT @tim: Property industry stats show how fast tech companies are expanding in London - @FT http://t.co/rPDOfqW4 #nonFacebookIPOnews
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
Property industry stats show how fast tech companies are expanding in London - @FT http://t.co/rPDOfqW4 #nonFacebookIPOnews

Who’s the highest-profile European Commissioner?

blogs.ft.com — caption id="attachment_20851" align="alignleft" width="272" caption="Finn Olli Rehn, last week in Davos, has been seen on Finnish media by 45% of his fellow countrymen."][/caption] In Brussels, being a member of the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, is about as high as an official can climb in the eurocracy.
David Enrich Reporter, Wall Street Journal @davidenrich
Great use of #EU resources: polling on which commissioners are best known http://t.co/eBJLIku0

SNB head warns of political fallout after crisis

ft.com — The independence of the Swiss National Bank risks being compromised due to political pressure following the departure of Philipp Hildebrand as chairman, the central bank’s acting chairman has warned. Mr Hildebrand resigned last month after it
Christopher Adams Markets Editor, Financial Times @ChrisAdamsMKTS
FT: SNB chief warns of political fallout after Hildebrand crisis http://t.co/TsildaDI

Who’s the highest-profile European Commissioner?

blogs.ft.com — caption id="attachment_20851" align="alignleft" width="272" caption="Finn Olli Rehn, last week in Davos, has been seen on Finnish media by 45% of his fellow countrymen."][/caption] In Brussels, being a member of the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, is about as high as an official can climb in the eurocracy.
Bruno Waterfield Brussels Correspondent, Telegraph @BrunoBrussels
Baroness Ashton not (quite) worst known SHOCK @ftbrusselsblog: Who’s the highest-profile EU Commissioner? http://t.co/CO5LEQ41

Bernanke: recovery now, thrift later, generic speeches in the meantime

ftalphaville.ft.com — Not much interesting in Bernanke's testimony to the House of Representatives this morning, but given his many previous warnings that premature fiscal tightening could stifle the weak recovery, he probably hopes listeners will tune out this par… Having a large and increasing level of government debt relative to national income runs the risk of serious economic consequences.
Ezra Klein Blogger and Columnist, Washington Post @ezraklein
FT Alphaville wins for this headline: "Bernanke: recovery now, thrift later, generic speeches in the meantime" http://t.co/c7XypZzu

China’s capital flight looks ready for take-off

ft.com — A casual visitor to Macau might be struck by the number of expensive watch shops along the streets of the former Portuguese enclave now under China’s control. The shops cater to Chinese tourists who aren’t really seeking the latest fashionable
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
China’s capital flight looks ready for take-off http://t.co/AVQzmofj

Opportunities for Asia in Europe bank crisis

ft.com — Fears of a credit crisis in Asia are abating as funding pressures on European banks ease. That in turn eases the pressure on those banks to shrink their balance sheets by selling assets far from their home markets on the continent. That is good news
Pan Kwan Yuk Emerging Markets Reporter, Financial Times @pyuk
Opportunities for Asia in Europe bank crisis http://t.co/gcUBDrzi

The unbearable vagueness of Mark Zuckerberg

blogs.ft.com — Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder, sets himself an admirable test in the company’s filing for an initial public offering – “that everyone who invests in Facebook understands what this mission means to us, how we make decisions and why we do the things we do.” Unfortunately, he then flunks it.
Heidi N. Moore Freelance Journalist @moorehn
Zuck tries to be Buffett. RT @andrewtghill: "An unsettling start" to the #Facebook sale process: @johngapper: http://t.co/2aNhJ22L
Andrew Hill Columnist, Financial Times @andrewtghill
"An unsettling start" to the #Facebook sale process: @johngapper for the FT Business Blog: http://t.co/0FR81giA
David Leonhardt Economics Columnist, New York Times @DLeonhardt
RT @johngapper: The unbearable vagueness of Zuckerberg http://t.co/u87A3kDU
John Gapper Columnist, Financial Times @johngapper
The unbearable vagueness of Zuckerberg http://t.co/u87A3kDU

India cancels 2G licences

ft.com — India’s telecoms industry is facing fresh upheaval after the Supreme Court overturned 122 mobile telephone licences awarded in 2008 by Andimuthu Raja, the country’s jailed former telecoms minister. The court on Thursday ruled that the licences,
James Crabtree Comment Page Editor, Financial Times @jamescrabtree
our story on today's dramatic, messy indian telecoms ruling. Short version: Sucks to be norwegian - http://t.co/j8VG53tN
James Fontanella-Khan India Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @JFK_India
India cancels 2G licences - http://t.co/L00W0lZF - Telecoms http://t.co/ynlc6nQ4

Violence: Egypt’s political football

blogs.ft.com — As with every eruption of violence in Egypt since the downfall of the Mubarak regime a year ago, the events at a football match on Wednesday evening were the result of the absence of an effective police force and the political failure of the generals who have let this state of affairs persist.
Tom Gara Reporter, Financial Times @tomgara
Spot on post about Egypt violence by @khalafroula, who also happens to be my boss and therefore is always spot on :) http://t.co/XdpU8AIF

US jobless claims trend lower

ft.com — US jobless claims extended their downward trend last week, falling by 12,000 to 367,000, in a further signal of a strengthening labour market recovery. The labour department’s report on first-time claims for unemployment benefits in the week ending
Shannon Bond U.S. Reporter, Financial Times @shannonpareil
all eyes on friday nonfarms RT @ftuseconomy: US jobless claims trend lower http://t.co/3sTmys9b

Facebook backers to take stake in Zalando

ft.com — Two early Facebook backers – Yuri Milner’s DST and the Samwer brothers – have teamed up to invest in Zalando, a German online clothing retailer that rivals Asos of the UK. DST, which became known for buying shares in Facebook and Twitter through
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
SCOOP @FT: Facebook backers DST to take stake in German ecommerce site Zalando http://t.co/ARJMS7Lm

European VC investments hit 11-year low

blogs.ft.com — Venture capital investors appear to be growing increasingly wary of European companies. In 2011, they put just E4.4bn into 1,012 start-ups in the region, a 14 per cent drop from the previous year, according to Dow Jones VentureSource. This was the lowest annual deal count since Dow Jones began tracking investments in Europe in 2000.
Courtney Boyd Myers East Coast Editor, The Next Web @CBM
European VC investments hit 11-year low | FT Tech Hub http://t.co/0EGEKgIj via @fttechhub

Some more equal than others

ft.com — What premium might Swiss-based commodities trader Glencore have to pay to realise its longstanding goal of gaining control of miner Xstrata? Announcements from both companies this morning spoke of a “merger of equals”, implying no sweetener would be
Andrew Hill Columnist, Financial Times @andrewtghill
... and, on same topic of treatment of minorities, FT Lombard on the prospects for a nil-premium Glencore-Xstrata deal http://t.co/cVZ5uG5j

Calls mount to cut Trinity Mirror chief’s pay

ft.com — Trinity Mirror is facing renewed pressure to rein in the pay of its chief executive Sly Bailey from some of the biggest shareholders in the media group. The shareholders will set out their mounting unhappiness over the pay of one of the UK’s highest-
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
RT @sdavoudi: http://t.co/7zDEh7jq Sly Bailey payat Trinity Mirror in spotlight
Ben Fenton Chief Media Correspondent, Financial Times @benfenton
RT @sdavoudi: http://t.co/7zDEh7jq Sly Bailey payat Trinity Mirror in spotlight
Ben Fenton Chief Media Correspondent, Financial Times @benfenton
Excellent report from @sdavoudi http://t.co/jq7EpuaD showing Trinity Mirror investor unease at Sly Bailey's pay
Patrick Smith Freelance Journalist @psmith
Calls mount to cut Trinity Mirror chief’s pay: http://t.co/MoF7y40R

ECB prop might avert credit crunch

John Authers Investment Editor, Financial Times @johnauthers
Did LTROs come just in time to avert a European credit crunch? Looks possible. My video on Deutsche w Patrick Jenkins: http://t.co/UYsxl7sV

Gulf rulers must rely on constitutional power

ft.com — In October 1990, two months after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, its government held the Kuwaiti Popular Congress in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to which leaders of all the state’s political groups were invited. Beyond the goals of the congress –
Tom Gara Reporter, Financial Times @tomgara
Gulf rules should draw legitimacy from constitutionalism, not ethnic or religious claims, says @algergawi: http://t.co/ldhDXOnx

The trials of a reluctant superpower

James Fontanella-Khan India Editor, FT.com, Financial Times @JFK_India
RT @davidpilling: Reader writes: china is a reluctant superpower the way lady gaga is a reluctant superstar. http://t.co/7kLljdpd
Sarah Mishkin Correspondent, Financial Times @sarahmishkin
RT @davidpilling: Reader writes: china is a reluctant superpower the way lady gaga is a reluctant superstar. http://t.co/7kLljdpd
David Pilling Asia Editor, Financial Times @davidpilling
China, kidnappers and the problem with omnidirectional diplomacy - The trials of a reluctant superpower Front page http://t.co/7kLljdpd

Don’t jump aboard the anti-Dow bandwagon

ft.com — The Olympic Games is the biggest show on earth, which makes it a target for those who want to drum up either trouble or money. There have been protests (US athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos giving their black power salutes in Mexico City in 1968)
Michael Skapinker Assistant Editor and Columnist, Financial Times @Skapinker
There are bigger Bhopal culprits than Olympic sponsor Dow Chemical. My FT column. http://t.co/gWNIozE7

Details emerge on “NewBuy” mortgages

ft.com — We’re slowly being given additional snippets of information on the government’s new-build mortgage indemnity scheme, or what it refers to as the NewBuy Guarantee Scheme. After a big fanfare last November, the first state-backed mortgage indemnity
Tanya Powley Personal Finance Reporter, Financial Times @TanyaPowley
My blog on NewBuy Guarantee Scheme: http://t.co/SadtWM5T

Tokyo exchange glitch halts some trading

ft.com — Trading in some of Japan’s biggest stocks was halted on Thursday as the Tokyo Stock Exchange suffered a technical glitch. The outage, which lasted the entire morning session and affected trading in companies such as Sony, Komatsu and Tokyo Electric
Jeremy Grant Editor, Financial Times @FTTradingRoom
Tokyo suffers trading glitch: http://t.co/JqSZdaJT

US launches probe into Qualcomm

Rohin Dharmakumar Senior Assistant Editor, Forbes India, Forbes @r0h1n
For foreign corruption, under the dreaded FCPA RT @financialtimes: US launches probe into Qualcomm http://t.co/36RPzKXD #FinancialTimes

Indian court pulls 122 telecom licenses

blogs.ft.com — In the latest twist in India's epic, multibillion-dollar 2G telecom scandal, the Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the award of 122 mobile telephone licences granted in 2008 by Andimuthu Raja, the country’s jailed former telecoms minister. While the move put into jeopardy major investments by 11 companies – including Uninor, Tata Teleservices, Idea, Loop Telecom and Etisalat DB – ...
Josh Noble Blogger and Editor, Financial Times @JoshTANoble
Indian court pulls 122 telecom licenses. Share getting hammered http://t.co/5HtkH4Po via @beyondbrics

French court fines Google over mapping

blogs.ft.com — There was more bad news in France for Google on Wednesday as a Paris court decided that the internet company had abused its dominant position in online mapping tools. The decision comes as we await the bigger decision by the European Commission over whether Google has behaved anti-competitively in the search market.
Bobbie Johnson European Correspondent, GigaOM @bobbiejohnson
French court tells Google to pay €500k damages over location data rival's claims of uncompetitive behaviour: http://t.co/mnboxVAU (@ft)

Dutch left parties call for bank bonus ban

ft.com — The Dutch Labour and Socialist parties have called for a complete ban on bonuses in the Netherlands’ banking and insurance industries, a move that could put the country at the forefront of international efforts to restrict financial sector pay.
Matt Steinglass Blogger, The Economist @mattsteinglass
Dutch left parties call for bank bonus ban - http://t.co/FKPxugOk - Europe http://t.co/6XzAnTMQ

Facebook’s conundrum over mobile ads

blogs.ft.com — One of the more eye-catching elements of Facebook’s obligatory rundown of “risk factors” in Wednesday’s IPO filing was the section on mobile. Facebook has huge scale on mobile. Half of Facebook’s monthly active users - 425m people - use its mobile products, as of December.
Maija Palmer Technology Correspondent, Financial Times @maijapalmer
Facebook’s conundrum over mobile ads | FT Tech Hub http://t.co/LkeHA9bE via @fttechhub
Tim Bradshaw Digital Media Correspondent, Financial Times @tim
Facebook’s conundrum over mobile ads http://t.co/nbSlk1pE via @fttechhub $FB