International News

Bloomberg Germany has suffered a 300 billion-euro ($366 billion) blow from fallout linked to the coronavirus and the economic damage will take years to fix, according to research group IW Cologne. The pandemic is projected to slash about 100 billion euros ($122.59 billion) from the output of Europe’s largest economy in the first half of 2021, adding to the hit ...

Bloomberg The UK posted a 31.7 billion-pound budget deficit ($45 billion) in April as the new fiscal year got under way. The shortfall reported by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday was in line with the median forecast of economists but well below the 47.3 billion pounds registered in April last year, when the first coronavirus lockdown pummeled the ...

Bloomberg France will likely decide on Wednesday whether additional restrictions are needed at its border with the UK to fend off a coronavirus variant first identified in India. The UK is trying to make a case to France that extra curbs aren’t necessary, citing the large share of its vaccinated population, a person familiar with the discussions said. About 70% ...

Bloomberg Poland has “undoubtedly” emerged from its first economic slump in three decades, while European Union (EU) stimulus and a government plan to boost spending will stabilise the economy and ensure strong growth in the coming years, Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Gowin said. Polish output shrinks for a fourth straight quarter in the first three months of this year. But ...

Bloomberg The US called for a global minimum corporate tax of at least 15%, less than the 21% rate it has proposed for the overseas earnings of US businesses — a level that some nations had argued was excessive. The contrast between the new proposal, released by Treasury Department, and higher rate the Biden administration is seeking to be applied ...

Bloomberg Germany will impose fresh restrictions on travelers from the UK due to the rapid spread in Britain of the coronavirus strain first identified in India. Travelers from the UK will have to spend two weeks in quarantine upon arrival in Germany even if they test negative for the virus, according to the foreign ministry. In addition, transport companies will ...

Bloomberg The Eiffel Tower is getting ready to welcome visitors again starting in mid-July as restrictions linked to the coronavirus ease throughout France. The French capital’s iconic structure will reopen from July 16 to tourists eager to climb the 324-meter tower’s staircases or use its lifts, according to an announcement on Twitter. The news comes as the terraces of cafes ...

Bloomberg The euro area’s economic recovery is increasingly being supported by a rebound in services as factories confront a supply squeeze that is pushing up costs. Surveys of purchasing managers by IHS Markit show the 19-nation region emerging from the pandemic crisis as infections drop and the lockdowns that dragged the bloc into a double-dip recession are eased. Service-sector businesses, ...

Bloomberg Kansas City Southern agreed to a $30 billion merger with Canadian National Railway Co, scrapping a $25 billion deal with Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. after it declined to boost its offer. Under the deal, Canadian National will pay $200 and 1.129 shares of its stock for each share of Kansas City Southern, the US railroad said. Kansas City Southern ...

Bloomberg The UK economy is firing on all cylinders as it emerges from months of lockdown, with the private sector expanding at the fastest pace in at least 23 years and retail sales surging. IHS Markit said that its measure of private-sector growth this month hit the highest since the index began in 1998, with hotels, restaurants and other consumer-facing ...