Saoirse Ronan shines as the tomboyish lead sister in this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel — with sly feminist subtexts

Ever since I was knee-high to Nosferatu, I have loved steps and stairs on screen

Time wasted is time lost, says the Kresge Foundation as it makes a public pledge

Investors seeking safe haven for cash are driving a real estate boom

Claer Barrett wants to hear readers’ experiences of accessing business interruption loans

English companies with shared offices excluded from coronavirus rescue package

Kitty Green’s response to the Harvey Weinstein case unfolds with muted rage

There are potent moments here amid the stage-managed gloss

Corneliu Porumboiu’s film introduces us to a man with big ideas for the beautiful game

Greta Gerwig’s Little Women comes up a little short; Pixar’s latest sends elf brother on a quest with half a dad

Lorry company’s board says lenders will only support refinancing through buyout group’s proposal

The consultancies most recommended by clients and peers, rated by sector and specialism. Plus: millennial professionals’ search for meaning; weighing consultants’ worth; the conflict of interest debate; a call for courage on diversity; HS2 blurs consultancy lines; Brexit and fees

A key legacy of the self-described socialist has been to shift the Democratic party to the left

Coronavirus is depriving the former vice-president of a real campaign

Chipmaker resolved legal battle with the iPhone maker last month

Pressure on search giant rises following regulatory successes in Europe

When leaders take on more than one job, others will question their focus and commitment

Why workplace culture is a shock to new graduates. Plus: simple rules for managing your money; look more confident in front of colleagues; career plans v no plans; avoiding burnout from overwork; and getting ahead with a side hustle

Ministers expected to say use of coverings could stop virus spread in some circumstances

Tala al-Jabri is among a rising number of female professionals in the kingdom

Critics of AI platforms doubt whether they eliminate human interviewers’ prejudices

Wearable tech will measure workers’ true productivity, supercharging capitalism

Pharma company’s use of algorithms marks fast-growing trend in big digitally-savvy markets including India

‘Slow steaming’ options for imports gain popularity as coronavirus lockdowns sap demand

Municipal authorities encourage cycling amid fears networks cannot cope with social distancing

Vintage is best — chipped, stained and covered with lichen and moss

It offers a way to avoid mortgage debt and landlord enrichment — and live a scaled-back life

Awarding of franchises allows skeleton services to continue on Southeastern and Great Western lines

The recruitment process in the industry is slowly starting to turn more professional

The opposition leader on Covid-19, dealing with Corbyn’s legacy and holding Downing St to account

Companies must balance costs of staying shut against concerns for staff safety

Pandemic has added to pressure on companies already facing tough financial conditions

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

Patrick Jenkins and guests discuss push-payment fraud in the UK and who should compensate the victims, why Deutsche Bank is coming under pressure from investors to appoint a new investment banking chief, and why JPMorgan Chase in the US has been selling off loans from its balance sheet. With special guests: Stephen Jones, chief executive of the banking association UK Finance and Rushanara Ali, Labour MP and member of the UK Treasury Select Committee.

Contributors: Patrick Jenkins, financial editor, Caroline Binham, financial regulation correspondent, Stephen Morris, European banking correspondent, and Robert Armstrong, US financial editor. Producer: Fiona Symon

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Move in response to UN call to focus on preventing Covid-19 outbreak in war-torn country

UN official warns that war-ravaged country cannot deal with an outbreak of the disease

Israeli leader returns for fifth term as prime minister as head of emergency coalition 

Islamic republic eases coronavirus restrictions in effort to boost struggling economy

Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s appointment gives country its first functioning government in 6 months

The suits, the soft furnishings: a revealing glimpse of our MPs’ style choices

Books that give creative inspiration and comfort during isolation

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

“The cultural bore of the autumn is the lover of Mad Men.” So wrote FT arts writer Peter Aspden in his weekly culture column, provoking a storm of reader responses – some grateful, others outraged. As it enters a fourth series, has Mad Men made the fatal mistake of falling in love with itself? Is the series losing its sense of time and place, and are the characters becoming stale? We look at Mad Men's plot, historical significance and, crucially, its impact on fashion – the skinny ties, hourglass figures, and excessive drink consumption. Has it influenced our own sense of style? In this week’s arts podcast, FT columnists Peter Aspden, John Lloyd and Nicola Copping are in the studio with arts editor Jan Dalley. Produced by Rob Minto and Griselda Murray Brown  

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Thomas Hirschhorn’s South Bronx installation brilliantly embodies the belief that art should be part of everyday life  

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Driven by ubiquitous video technology, a new wave of films – such as the award-winning ‘Gaza: Chronicles of a Conflict’ – favours rawness and immediacy over explanation and context  

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Though shortlisted for the prestigious photography award, Nigeria’s Abraham Oghobase has been refused a visa by the UK government. That’s a sorry state of affairs for a country that professes to be in the vanguard of cultural openness, says the FT’s arts writer. This week’s column is read by Alexander Gilmour.  

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Dolly Parton, Judi Dench, Louise Bourgeois. . . in recent years, women in all branches of the arts have enjoyed major career successes in their 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. But what’s behind this phenomenon? The FT’s arts editor has some suggestions.  

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The editor of arthistorynews.com welcomes the decision of the National Gallery in London to let visitors photograph works – and hits back at critics who say it will make people look at art in the ‘wrong’ way  

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By focusing on the personal rather than the political, Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski created a quietly subversive masterpiece, Peter Aspden says  

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Urgent action needed to avoid human and economic catastrophe