International News

Bloomberg Global demand for Chinese goods has been so strong recently it’s creating a shortage of containers and driving up shipping costs, potentially impeding the nation’s exports in coming months. Exports have been on a tear since July last year, fuelled by pandemic-related purchases like medical masks and work-at-home equipment, including computers. Imports haven’t been growing at nearly the same ...

Bloomberg Vedanta Resources launched an open offer for a 10% stake in its India unit, two months after a failed delisting attempt for Vedanta Ltd. The London-based parent of Mumbai-listed Vedanta Ltd will buy as many as 371.75 million shares, comprising 10% of the outstanding equity of the Indian unit, according to an exchange filing. The open offer, which will ...

Bloomberg India will kick start one of the world’s largest coronavirus inoculation campaigns, aimed at stemming the spread of a disease that has infected 10.4 million people within its borders and plunged its economy into recession. Starting January 16, the South Asian nation will start administering the first shots of a Covid-19 vaccine on nearly 30 million healthcare workers and ...

Bloomberg Europe’s latest lockdowns are presenting citizens with even more hurdles to spending money, swelling already-hefty savings that stand ready to fuel the recovery once vaccines tame the pandemic. Households in the euro zone accumulated a mountain of cash when businesses shut in the spring. Now in a lengthening second wave of closures, they are sitting on about $615 billion ...

Bloomberg Chancellor Angela Merkel extended Germany’s lockdown and tightened restrictions as pressure mounts on her government to contain the coronavirus spread and speed up vaccinations. With hundreds dying each day, political tensions have been high and threaten to escalate further amid a rising tide of criticism over the government’s strategy to distribute a Covid-19 shot. At an ill-tempered meeting, Merkel ...

Bloomberg A measure of US manufacturing expanded in December at the fastest pace in more than two years, bolstered by a pickup in new orders and the strongest growth in production since 2011. A gauge of factory activity unexpectedly increased to 60.7 from 57.5 a month earlier, according to Institute for Supply Management data. Readings above 50 indicate expansion and ...

Bloomberg French restaurant owners are readying for more disappointment, as rising virus numbers threaten to delay the reopening of the country’s food and beverage industry. The government will push back the planned January 20 reopening of restaurants and cafes, broadcasters France Info and RTL reported after Alain Griset, minister for small and medium-sized businesses, said that it’s unlikely Covid surge ...

Bloomberg UK businesses were suffering even before the latest lockdown, leaving many in a precarious position as they enter new restrictions with what many say is insufficient government support, a survey showed. The findings from the British Chambers of Commerce in November add to pressure on Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak to extend aid to companies beyond the $12,000 ...

Bloomberg US lawmakers are receiving urgent security instructions in advance of potential violence in Washington tied to protests as Congress meets to certify Joe Biden as the next US president. The precautions to members of the House and Senate include guidance to use underground tunnels while traveling between chambers in the Capitol and to nearby office buildings during the day. ...

Bloomberg Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak rolled out 4.6 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) of new support to help UK businesses forced to close during the pandemic, as the country enters its third lockdown. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses will be entitled to one-off top up grants of as much as 9,000 pounds ($12,233) to tide them over until the ...