Franco-German plan for a 500 billion-euro ($548 billion) “recovery fund” for the European Union has raised the hackles of a group of smaller countries, made up of Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. The so-called “frugal four” believe the EU should only loan the money to the countries most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, rather than giving it away in ...

This summer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will launch a rover designed to collect samples of the Martian surface and store them until they can eventually be brought back to Earth. When they arrive, according to a former Nasa scientist, they’ll be “quarantined and treated as though they are the Ebola virus until proven safe.” His statement caused ...

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd expects revenue growth to slow this year, reflecting post-Covid 19 economic uncertainty at home as well as the potential for US-Chinese tensions to disrupt its business. The e-commerce giant forecast sales growth this year of at least 27.5% to more than 650 billion yuan ($91 billion), down from 35% previously and slightly below analysts’ estimates. ...

Bloomberg Southwest Airlines Co expects flying capacity later this year to be down about 30% from 2019, potentially leaving the company overstaffed, Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said. The carrier may be forced into the first involuntary furloughs in its 49-year history if travel demand doesn’t pick up more swiftly over the summer, Kelly said in a video message to ...

Bloomberg EasyJet Plc founder turned activist Stelios Haji-Ioannou lost out on an attempt to remove the UK airline’s management and block Airbus SE jet purchases. Shareholders resolved to retain four directors including Chief Executive Officer Johan Lundgren, Chairman John Barton and Chief Financial Officer Andrew Findlay at a virtual meeting. Haji-Ioannou, EasyJet’s top investor with a 34% stake, has spent ...

Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc’s Prime Air fleet will grow to about 200 planes — up from 42 now — in the next seven or eight years, creating an air cargo service that could rival United Parcel Service (UPS), according to a study. “At a time when many other airlines are downsizing due to the pandemic, Amazon’s push for faster and cheaper ...

Bloomberg Passengers arriving in the UK will be forced into quarantine for two weeks and face fines of 1,000 pounds ($1,200) if they break the rules. The plan, which will take effect from June 8, is designed to stop travelers bringing coronavirus into the country after becoming infected overseas, and is likely to have a major impact on the aviation ...

Bloomberg A senior member of Hong Kong’s delegation to Beijing dismissed speculation that new national security legislation would be used to whisk people over the border, as Chinese authorities sought to assuage global concerns about the measure. Maria Tam, vice chairwoman of the Chinese parliamentary committee that oversees Hong Kong’s law, said in an interview that she didn’t believe the ...

Bloomberg Trump administration officials discussed whether to conduct the first nuclear test explosion since 1992, the Washington Post reported. A meeting of people representing the top national security agencies discussed the matter, according to the newspaper, which cited an unidentified senior administration employee and two former officials familiar with the deliberations. The matter surfaced after some administration representatives said Russia ...

Bloomberg The US suspects North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is currently in the wider Pyongyang area, according to a report by South Korean daily DongA Ilbo that cites an unidentified Washington government official. The official told the newspaper that the US identified what it believed was Kim’s train in Kangdong County this week, and his car and horse was also ...