International News

Bloomberg UK retail sales growth accelerated in February as government’s roadmap to end coronavirus lockdown spurred purchases of back-to-school items, an industry survey showed. The increase of 1% last month compared with a gain of 0.1% a year ago and average growth of 0.6% for the past three months, according to the report by the British Retail Consortium and KPMG. ...

Bloomberg As the House is poised to send the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan to President Joe Biden for his signature, providing an economic boost that will last long after $1,400 stimulus checks start arriving in Americans’ accounts this month, the US economic outlook is much sunnier than it looked in early January. The latest Bloomberg monthly survey of economists ...

Bloomberg Vodafone Group Plc is looking to raise 2 billion euros ($2.4 billion) from an initial public offering of its European mobile-phone towers unit in Frankfurt, in what will be one of the region’s biggest stock market listings this year. The UK telecommunication giant plans plans to sell shares in Vantage Towers AG at 22.50 euros to 29 euros apiece, ...

Bloomberg Puerto Rico is asking the court overseeing its record bankruptcy to consider a revised restructuring plan to cut $18.8 billion of bond debt backed by the central government, reviving a restructuring effort that has largely been stalled for a year by the coronavirus pandemic. Puerto Rico’s financial oversight board filed its debt adjustment plan, which hews to the terms ...

Bloomberg President Joe Biden’s signature $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief bill passed the Senate 50-49 following a more than 25-hour marathon of amendment votes completed after Democrats settled an intra-party dispute over unemployment aid. The measure, the American Rescue Plan Act, now heads back to the House, where Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said a vote will be held on Tuesday. Although ...

Bloomberg German joblessness unexpectedly rises for the first time in eight months, adding to strains Europe’s largest economy is facing due to the protracted coronavirus lockdowns. The rise of 9,000 put the total number of unemployed people at 2.75 million and the rate at 6%, according to the Federal Labour Agency. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had expected a drop of ...

Bloomberg Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc will build its new electric cars in the UK from 2025, the company’s biggest shareholder told the Financial Times in an interview. Chairman Lawrence Stroll said its battery sports car and sport utility vehicle would be produced at plants in England and Wales respectively, according to the newspaper. The Canadian billionaire led a ...

Bloomberg A decision by the government of Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi to recruit consulting firm McKinsey & Co. for help with the European Union’s recovery package has prompted disquiet within his coalition. The company will advise the finance ministry and help to accelerate the drafting of Italy’s plan to spend its 209 billion-euro ($250 billion) share of the EU ...

Bloomberg Cheplapharm Arzneimittel GmbH, the German drugmaker, is weighing plans for an initial public offering in what could be one of Europe’s largest share sales of 2021. Greifswald-based Cheplapharm is speaking with advisers about a potential listing as soon as this year, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. A share sale could value the business ...

Bloomberg Canada is a step closer to building a nationwide marketplace to trade carbon credits as part of the Trudeau government’s bid to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the country. The federal government released draft regulations that will create a domestic market for trading carbon credits. The move will allow companies in industries such as agriculture and forestry to voluntarily ...