US political leaders have reacted with anger to an EU decision to hit Apple with a record-breaking €13bn tax penalty, with one politician describing it as a 'cheap money grab' by the European Commission. Chris Nuttall discusses the ruling and its likely repercussions with the FT’s Brussels bureau chief Alex Barker

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China’s president Xi Jinping has made building a new Silk Road from east Asia to the Middle East and Europe his signature foreign policy. If he succeeds, the Caspian region could once again be at the heart of world trade. The FT’s Jack Farchy reports from the port of Baku in Azerbaijan.Picture credit: Dreamstime

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Doctors in the US are wasting hundreds of millions of dollars a year prescribing expensive branded medicines even when cheaper generic alternatives are available, according to an FT analysis. David Crow and Sujeet Indap discuss the findings.

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For decades, astronomers have searched the skies for planets in our galaxy similar to Earth that could harbour life. A team of European scientists has now revealed they are closer to this goal, with the discovery of a new Earth-like body orbiting Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to the Sun. John Murray-Brown talks to Madhumita Murgia, FT technology correspondent, about the discovery.

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The FT's Davide Ghiglione reports from Amatrice as rescue teams race to find survivors from the earthquake that devastated mountain towns in central Italy this week.Picture credit: Davide Ghiglione

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Four of the world's biggest banks are collaborating on a new blockchain project to transform the way securities trades are processed, with the aim of making it cheaper and safer. Patrick Jenkins asks Martin Arnold, the FT's banking editor, to explain what's behind the development.

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Britain’s stunning medals success in the Rio Olympics was a cause for elation at home — but in parts of Europe it was met with sneers and some incredulity. Joshua Chaffin discusses this reaction and what's behind it with Guy Chazan and Henry Foy, FT correspondents in Berlin and Warsaw.

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Record low bond yields have intensified the pressure on pension funds already struggling to provide for retirees who are living longer. This squeeze has widened the pension deficit for hundreds of funds globally, prompting fears of a slow-moving but painful social crisis. The FT's John Authers and Robin Wigglesworth explain.

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The future of the Affordable Care Act's open insurance marketplaces is at risk as large providers such as Aetna threaten to pull out of the state exchanges in response to the administration's crackdown on industry mergers. The FT's Barney Jopson explains.

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Several towns in France have taken the unusual step of banning the burkini from their beaches, and a number of women in the resort of Cannes have already been fined for wearing the concealing swimwear favoured by some Muslims. Josh Noble discusses what’s behind the move and why Italy has taken a different approach, with the FT’s Paris and Rome bureau chiefs Anne-Sylvaine Chassany and James Politi.

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