FT News in Focus

Donald Trump this week blocked Broadcom’s $142bn takeover of rival chipmaker Qualcomm, citing national security concerns. Ravi Mattu asks the FT's Richard Waters what prompted the president to intervene and what it means for other potential mergers in the sector.

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Donald Trump sacked Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state on Tuesday, making the US’s top diplomat the latest casualty of a White House that has been in near-constant conflict with some of the president’s most senior aides. Sam Fleming explains what led to the shake up, and what to expect from replacement Mike Pompeo. 

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India is hoping GIFT City, a special economic zone in the western state of Gujarat and a pet project of prime minister Narendra Modi, can become India’s answer to Hong Kong: a haven for foreign investors to transact Indian securities with minimal tax and bureaucracy, and for domestic companies to raise funding in foreign currencies. Jyotsna Singh asks the FT's Simon Mundy how realistic this is.

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Financial Times analysis shows that tax rates for multinationals have fallen since the financial crisis, despite growing political pressure to crack down. Alex Barker asks the FT's Rochelle Toplensky why, amid government cutbacks and higher tax rates for individuals, the world’s biggest public companies have escaped the pain.

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What do we do about the fact that within countries, some places are doing so badly, even when the national economy is doing pretty well? In the US, people are worried about the post-industrial heartlands. In the UK the deepest problems seem to be in old seaside towns like Blackpool. Andy Haldane, chief economist at the Bank of England, has been thinking a lot about this question. He's been touring some of the poorest parts of the UK and he spoke to the FT's Sarah O'Connor after one of his recent trips.

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Air pollution is usually regarded solely as an environmental issue, but the toll it takes on public health has only recently begun to hit the headlines. Darren Dodd discusses the benefits of tackling the problem with the FT’s science editor Clive Cookson, the WHO's Maria Neira, and Laurie Laybourn-Langton, of the UK health alliance on climate change. Music by David Sappa

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The Senate is set to begin voting this week on a bipartisan bill that, supporters claim, would rein in aspects of the Dodd-Frank banking act that have unfairly penalised smaller lenders. The FT's Ben McLannahan explains what is in the proposed bill and why it is gaining traction now. 

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Rising youth unemployment in the Arab world has made it increasingly difficult for the region's autocratic governments to keep a lid on popular discontent. The FT’s Heba Saleh speaks to Ragui Assaad, an Egyptian professor of planning and public affairs at the University of Minnesota, about the root causes of the problem.

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Donald Trump has signalled his resolve to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminium. Ben Hall asks the FT's Shawn Donnan how this will affect the American economy and whether the move will trigger a global trade war.

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When India's prime minister Narendra Modi suggested that sellers of street food should considered to be employed, he alienated young voters hoping for more secure middle class jobs, the FT's Amy Kazmin tells Jyotsna Singh.

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