International News

  Bloomberg German factory orders increased more than anticipated in December, a bright spot for Europe’s largest economy as the pandemic threatens to tip it into another recession. Demand increased 2.8% after rising a revised 3.6% in the previous month, a stronger reading than even the highest estimate in a Bloomberg survey of 27 economists. Domestic demand was a key ...

  Bloomberg Spain’s government will suspend the obligation to wear the face masks outdoors as soon as next week, Cadena Ser reported. The order, which was reintroduced last December to stem the Omicron variant, will take effect by next Wednesday, the radio station said, citing people in the government it didn’t identify. The news comes as the latest coronavirus wave ...

  Bloomberg New York Times Co. set a new goal of attracting 15 million subscribers by the end of 2027, aiming to double its current customer base as it signs up more paying readers and snaps up other digital media properties. In 2019, the Times set a goal of 10 million subscriptions by 2025. Unlike that target, the new goal ...

  Bloomberg UK car sales rebounded the most in seven months in January thanks to surging demand for battery-powered vehicles. New-car registrations rose 28% last month, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. One in five buyers opted for a car with a battery, with shipments of fully electric vehicles more than doubling and plug-in hybrids ...

  Bloomberg Mark Zuckerberg quipped that if he started to cry, it wasn’t because of the day’s news. His red, teary eyes were the result of a scratched cornea, the Facebook founder said, attempting to lighten the mood as Meta Platforms Inc.’s stock price lost more than a quarter of its value. At a company-wide virtual meeting, Zuckerberg explained that ...

  Bloomberg American families are feeling the financial squeeze of soaring inflation and a persistent pandemic as fractious Democrats return to Washington this week no closer to a deal on a tax and spending bill party leaders hoped would by now provide relief. Despite gangbusters growth at a 6.9% annual rate during the final quarter of 2021, other economic measures ...

  Bloomberg Denmark’s unemployment rate plunged to the lowest level in 14 years, adding to concerns of overheating in the Nordic country that’s emerging from the coronavirus pandemic as one of economic winners. The gross rate declined to 2.5% in December from 2.8% a month before, falling for the first time to the level it was before the 2008 financial ...

  Bloomberg Bentley Motors Ltd. will build its first fully electric car in the UK, part of a 2.5-billion pound ($3.4 billion) spending push to overhaul manufacturing and ditch its roaring 12-cylinder combustion engines. The investment over the next decade will modernise Bentley’s factory in Crewe, England, the Volkswagen AG brand said. The decision is a boon to the site’s ...

  Bloomberg The euro-area economy grew modestly in the fourth quarter amid another wave of surging coronavirus infections and curbs on activity. Gross domestic product (GDP) rises 0.3%, slightly less than predicted, after a sharp contraction in output left Germany on the brink of recession. Meanwhile, a ramp-up in investment contributed to stronger-than-expected growth in France and Spain. Italy reported ...

  Bloomberg British workers will need pay rises of 8% on average this year to offset the living standards squeeze from higher energy bills, tax rises and broader inflation if the government does nothing to help. Analysis by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change shows that the poorest fifth of UK workers will need a wage increase of more ...