International News

  Bloomberg The squeeze on Germany’s economy eased further at the start of the year as the services sector grew for the first time since June, another sign the country may dodge a recession that many had predicted as a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Private-sector activity in the country remained resilient in January, and inflationary pressures continued to ...

  Bloomberg Vodafone Group Plc sold the headquarters it’s held for decades in Newbury, England, and will rent just over half of the site’s premises back as it downsizes and cuts costs. Iqon Capital agreed to buy the total of seven buildings known as “The Connection” on behalf of Aljazira Capital for an undisclosed figure, it said in a statement ...

  Bloomberg The private-sector economy in the euro area unexpectedly returned to growth at the start of 2023, offering further signs the region may avoid a recession and comforting the European Central Bank’s focus on underlying inflation risks. S&P Global’s flash Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 50.2 in January, better than the 49.8 reading predicted in a Bloomberg survey and ...

  Bloomberg An Austrian startup that aims to streamline housing construction raised about €100 million in fresh cash from a group of investors led by Vonovia SE, Germany’s largest landlord. Gropyus AG will use part of the Series B funding to expand its factory in southwest Germany, according to Chief Executive Office Markus Fuhrmann. The Vienna-based company targets output of ...

  Bloomberg British companies signaled output dropped at the fastest pace since the start of the pandemic as the government budget deficit widened to a record, adding to evidence that the economy probably has lurched into a recession. S&P Global said its index of sentiment from purchasing managers fell more sharply than expected in January, led by a deterioration in ...

  Bloomberg Turmoil at trophy properties in London and Frankfurt offer a glimpse of the damage awaiting European real estate investors as they face the sharpest reversal on record. From a fraught refinancing process for an office building in the City of London to the strained sale of the Commerzbank Tower in Germany’s financial hub, investors are scrambling to find ...

  Bloomberg A new survey of business economists suggests US job market conditions are beginning to soften, with firms indicating an easing of labor shortages and a pullback in hiring expectations. A National Association for Business Economics survey showed about a third of respondents say their firms are not facing any labor shortages, and nearly 20% expect employment at their ...

  Bloomberg Germany’s antitrust regulator opened an investigation into PayPal Holdings Inc. over potential obstruction of competitors and restriction of price competition The Federal Cartel Office is looking at PayPal’s user terms that block business from offering products at lower prices if their customers chose other payment services. The regulator will also look at how the company bans sellers from ...

Bloomberg Ambulance workers walked out Monday in the biggest show of industrial action by first responders since trade unions kicked off an historic series of protests against pay levels in Britain’s National Health Service. Workers from Unison, Unite and the GMB labor groups are on strike again with the public advised to only call 999 if there’s a life-threatening situation. ...

  Bloomberg France and Germany announced a plan to strengthen their rail links as a way to offer greener travel between the two countries. The nations “support the deployment of the high-speed train route between Paris and Berlin, as well as the night train service, both announced for 2024,” according to a joint declaration released after a meeting in Paris ...