Bloomberg Media mogul Silvio Berlusconi pulled out of the running for Italy’s presidency shortly before voting starts, strengthening the prospect that Prime Minister Mario Draghi could be elected as head of state. Italy’s longest-serving postwar premier, Berlusconi, 85, announced his decision in a statement as his Forza Italia party held a virtual meeting with fellow leaders of the center-right ...

  Bloomberg Senegal holds municipal elections that will serve as a gauge of support for President Macky Sall and his ruling coalition. The Benno Bokk Yakaar coalition, which comprises Sall’s Alliance for the Republic, the Socialist Party and the Alliance of Forces for Progress, currently holds most of the 552 municipal seats and 125 of the 160 seats in parliament. ...

  Bloomberg US military aid to help Ukraine defend against a possible invasion by Russia began arriving, according to the American Embassy in Kyiv. The embassy, in a Twitter post, said the material “includes close to 200,000 pounds of lethal aid, including ammunition for the front line defenders of Ukraine.” “The shipment – and $2.7 billion USD since 2014 – ...

  Bloomberg President Joe Biden’s sweeping infrastructure law was supposed to ease problems for the trucking industry and relieve supply chain woes, but the law overlooked a vital necessity for truckers: Parking. Overcrowded truck stops force drivers to often spend hours scavenging for parking wherever they can find it, even in illegal and unsafe spots. The problem has simmered for ...

  Bloomberg Vodafone Group Plc and Iliad SA are discussing a deal that would merge their businesses in Italy, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the situation that it didn’t identify. The combination would create a business with revenue of almost six billion euros ($6.8 billion). Iliad, which is set to start fixed-line broadband operations in Italy next week, is ...

  Bloomberg Britain’s labour market grew strongly despite a surge in coronavirus infections late last year, with vacancies hitting a record 1.25 million in the fourth quarter and unemployment falling unexpectedly. The number of people on company payrolls rose 184,000 in December, stronger than the pace expected, the Office for National Statistics data. The jobless rate dropped to 4.1% in ...

  Bloomberg Germany needs to attract about 400,000 foreign workers per year to mitigate the economic impact of its aging society, according to the caucus leader of the country’s FDP party. “The shortage of skilled workers is now so serious that it is dramatically slowing down our economy,” Christian Duerr said in an interview with WirtschaftsWoche. “We can only get ...

  Bloomberg Argentina sharply reduced its budget deficit in 2021 as President Alberto Fernandez tries to cut down on spending amid talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The so-called primary deficit, which excludes interest payments, fell to 3% of gross domestic product from 6.5% in 2020. The figure, boosted by proceeds from a wealth tax, was also below the ...

  Bloomberg Group Lotus Plc and Britishvolt Ltd signed a preliminary agreement to explore teaming up on battery manufacturing, research and development, according to people familiar with the matter. The companies plan to share details of their memorandum of understanding next week, said the people, who asked not to be identified ahead of the announcement. The deal is Britishvolt’s first ...

  Bloomberg Ericsson AB filed US trade complaints seeking to block imports of Apple Inc devices, escalating a legal battle that shows licensing talks between the two over 5G telecommunications technology are going poorly. In complaints filed with the US International Trade Commission in Washington, Ericsson targets a wide swath of Apple products — the iPhone, tablets, smart watches, smart ...