Danone is planning to sell its Russian business to a member of its Kremlin-installed management linked to Ramzan Kadyrov's nephew, seven months after Vladimir Putin ordered the seizure of its local operations. Scoop by Courtney Weaver and Adrienne Klasa

ft.com/content/6c1c5f…

Another brilliant Courtney Weaver joint on the cover of FT Weekend Magazine this week. Being poisoned by Russian security services used to be a mark of high esteem as an enemy of the state, with pathologically targeted precision. That may be changing on.ft.com/49kO6bF

Danone’s new Chechen bosses are “running it basically as an MBA case, without raising too many flags — pulling the guns out and stuff like that.”

On how Danone learned to live with Putin seizing its assets, with ⁦Courtney Weaver⁩ ⁦Adrienne Klasa⁩ ft.com/content/adb439…

Inside Danone’s Chechen takeover :

Kadyrov’s nephew is listed as director of the renamed “Life & Nutrition” but Dutch ⁦Danone⁩ exec Charlie Cappetti fulfils many of the role’s duties.

Financial Times ⁦Courtney Weaver⁩ ⁦max seddon⁩
Adrienne Klasa⁩ on.ft.com/3sZq7yN

Hurray!!

In three Russian regions clinics have relinquished licences. In Crimea, abortions are no longer available privately. Two others penalized “influencing women to have abortions.”

⁦Polina Ivanova⁩ & ⁦Anastasia Stognei⁩ on Russia’s conservative push on.ft.com/3MTA5Z1

I had lunch in Dubai with Russia’s richest man, who talked about why he doesn’t feel responsible for the war in Ukraine, why sanctions on agriculture oligarchs are like the Hiroshima bombing, and why “the time of troubles won’t be limited to Russia” on.ft.com/3PiJKdg

1. I got a lot of emails and DMs about the story clock for Miles Johnson's FT Weekend Magazine cover story I posted last week, so I thought I’d post a few narrative nonfic resources in case anybody finds it useful (a thread)

My new FT Weekend Magazine cover story: Two shocking murders in Italy, 25 years apart, and the Mafia family that thought it could outrun its past
ft.com/content/bab4fd…

..In which Margarita Simonyan takes a Volga cruise on coup day, and a Z-poet (who titled his latest book “To the Music of Wagner”) works out what to do next.

With coup coverage crack team ⁦Courtney Weaver⁩ ⁦max seddon⁩ ⁦Anastasia Stognei⁩ on.ft.com/4303l5x

It’s been a total pleasure to work with the FT Russia coup squad this week, including on this piece – Polina Ivanova, Anastasia Stognei, and Courtney Weaver are all stars

One of the most beautifully told pieces of investigative journalism I’ve ever read. And the first time the FT has published simultaneously in two languages. Antonia Cundy is a first class reporter and this is a story worth your time this morning:

🚨Amazing Job Alert🚨 FT Weekend Magazine seeks a Deputy Editor! Looking for a seasoned editor/coach, skilled in literary journalism & narrative reporting, and for an ideas machine who wants to assign to hundreds of @FT journalists worldwide & freelancers (w/ a budget)
boards.eu.greenhouse.io/financialtimes…

So excited to speak at #FTWeekendFestival with brilliant women - Washington Post’s Catherine Belton and FT correspondent Courtney Weaver on “From Sesame Street to ‘Z Generation.’” At The Kennedy Center - see below!

mtr.cool/xfzyhdjbji

Financial Times #MuppetsinMoscow #PutinsPeople

'We miss you and we want you back.'

We call for the release of our friend and colleague @EvanGershkovich and all the other reporters detained for simply doing their job.

#IStandWithEvan #JournalismIsNotACrime

We are very grateful if you can take the time to read and share our article about the young American unjustly imprisoned by Russia on.wsj.com/3lZIyQg #IStandWithEvan   #FreeEvan #JournalismIsNotACrime

Shocked by the horrifying news of Russia's absurd espionage charges against Evan Gershkovich, an excellent reporter and friend.

Evan is accredited by Russia's MFA and was simply doing his job. Journalism is not a crime. Russia should release him at once.
ft.com/content/b774ca…

I never wanted to write this. But some stories you tell or they tell you.

🙏 The Atlantic for the platform.
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/…

Throughout his life, one of them dreamed of getting an Oscar, the other - to become the president and lead his nation to a better future. (Credit to Пeрзидент Роисси)

'That's how I approach my life. I get that exact same sinking feeling in my gut when I’m staring at my calendar and it’s not working.'

Bestselling productivity author Cal Newport talks to Courtney Weaver about coping strategies for office workers: on.ft.com/3l6YBLO