Subsidies and freebies to retain cash-strapped users add to sector’s financial burden

Nooks for books can be created anywhere in the home

Downing Street says any changes will be ‘very limited’ to avoid second peak of infections

Safety and commercial concerns remain but football, rugby and cricket begin talks to resume play in pandemic

Social distancing forcing GPs and patients to conduct their consultations online

No pasta machine? No problem. Tim Hayward shows Daniel Garrahan how to make it by hand - just like nonna

Sales rise but company warns revenues will decline as bar and restaurant closures hit beverages

Kellogg and Kraft Heinz see chance to win back customers who had shifted to healthier brands

Tyson Foods chief warns of supply shortages that critics blame on concentrated production line

Tim Hayward shows Daniel Garrahan how to grow and feed a sourdough starter before turning it into a home-baked pizza

Sales for drinking at home soar but alcohol companies say they do not offset bar closures

Tech-savvy stylists offer virtual consultations and algorithm-matched dyes

Books that give creative inspiration and comfort during isolation

Street style is changing, with baggy shapes and Birkenstocks replacing tailored outfits

Conservative activists vow to step up street demonstrations against business closings

Addiction experts say Covid-19 could tip heavy drinkers into full-blown alcoholism

Local news sites are experiencing a resurgence and streaming is more popular than ever

From business closures to movement restrictions, some countries’ policies show first signs of easing

When David Cameron presented Li Keqiang with a ‘Downton Abbey’ shooting script recently, the gesture was fraught with subtext. But what should a post-imperial premier give to his rising-power counterpart? Peter Aspden has some suggestions. . .  

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Ludovic Hunter-Tilney looks back 50 years to the time of the British Invasion and Petula Clark's evocation of Anglo-Americana. Credit: Sanctuary Records/BMG; Universal  

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Instructing people to stay at home is to confine millions to cramped housing

Ruling sets precedent in continent where poorest fear cure could be worse than the disease

Ramaphosa administration wants phased reopening to limit damage to struggling economy

Plea for increased humanitarian help has gone unanswered and funding is set to be cut further

Why women must conquer their fear of networking and do it anyway

Since people are no longer paying restaurant margins, some reason they can spend a bit more at home

Vice-president makes suggestion even as number of deaths across the country spikes

US cable company enjoys rising demand for high-speed internet but movie business suffers

Litigation battles, fear turns to lawsuits, and a data security flaw

Join a live discussion with our FT Money editor at 12pm and 5pm UK time on Wednesday April 8

Restrictions in nation that processes 90% of world’s stones upend global industry 

Behaviour of Brazil’s ‘walking crisis’ president sparks backlash among one-time allies

Flashpoint between Brazil’s populist leader and political establishment over response to virus

Cafés, restaurants and secondary schools to reopen in phased easing of restrictions

Consumers have been looking for something to do as well as something to eat

Modern life can be deafening — but for all the shouting, no one’s listening any more. This is the conclusion reached by FT columnist Jo Ellison after an uncomfortably noisy Eurostar journey. She discusses what’s gone wrong with Horatia Harrod. Read Jo's column here 

Contributors: Katie Martin, capital markets editor, Horatia Harrod, associate editor of FT Life & Arts, and Jo Ellison, fashion editor and columnist. Producer: Fiona Symon

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The disputed Himalayan state of Jammu and Kashmir is in lockdown after India revoked its special status following a long running insurgency that led to thousands of deaths. Jyotsna Singh discusses what India plans to do next, and how neighbouring Pakistan, which also claims the territory, has reacted, with Amy Kazmin the FT's South Asia bureau chief.

Contributors: Jyotsna Singh, Delhi reporter, and Amy Kazmin, South Asia bureau chief. Producers: Jyotsna Singh and Fiona Symon

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The FT News Briefing is a rundown of the global business stories you need to know for the coming day, from the newsroom of the Financial Times. If you enjoy it, subscribe to the FT News Briefing wherever you get your podcasts, or listen at FT.com/newsbriefing.

Tuesday, March 17

Governments in all large western economies took drastic measures to limit public movement on Monday in an urgent effort to arrest the spreading coronavirus pandemic while US stocks plunged despite a set of emergency measures laid out by the Federal Reserve on Sunday. Plus, an analysis by the Financial Times finds that the UK and the US have key weaknesses in their healthcare systems which could trigger a collapse if put to the test by the outbreak. 

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Start every week on the front foot with a preview of what’s on the global agenda

Decline leads to a drop in wholesale prices as businesses close

Join our live discussion with buying agent Henry Pryor on Friday May 8 at 12 and 5pm UK time

Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell says other countries could face big ‘second wave’

Large foreign financing requirement and small reserves leave Erdogan facing cash crunch

Programmes should be flexible and help workers move to in-demand sectors

Near-unconditional cash transfers are the most efficient form of relief

The industry has been one of the hardest hit, with contracts cancelled, production halted and pleas for big bailouts

Oil and gas company in Texas given approval to use unmanned aircraft to inspect vital infrastructure

Pandemic forces rethink of luxury industry after cancellation of fairs

Tim Hayward helps the FT's Daniel Garrahan turn his kitchen into a Parisian bistro

Move illustrates how coronavirus impact is rippling through manufacturing supply chains