International News

Bloomberg Telecom Italia SpA, Italy’s former phone monopoly, is drawing up a new plan worth between 4 billion and $5.3 billion to speed up its fiber roll-out in the country, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. Telecom Italia earlier this month launched a new tender aimed at widening the company’s fiber-to-the-home coverage to about 10 million Italian households, according ...

Bloomberg Californians are facing the largest mass blackout so far this year as the state’s biggest utility, PG&E Corp., prepares power shutoffs to prevent live wires from falling into dry brush and igniting wildfires with ferocious winds expected to sweep across the region. PG&E is planning to cut power to 386,000 homes and businesses — an estimated 1.2 million people ...

Bloomberg The European Union’s (EU) first offering of social bonds was said to receive orders of more than 233 billion euros ($275 billion), a record in the euro area. The bloc looks set to raise 10 billion euros from the sale of 10-year debt via banks, according to a person familiar with the matter. That alone drew orders above 145 ...

Bloomberg The European Union (EU) plans to remove Canada, Tunisia and Georgia from its list of countries whose residents should be allowed to visit the bloc amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to EU officials familiar with the matter. The EU intends at the same time to reopen its doors to travellers from Singapore as a result of improved virus trends ...

Bloomberg Ireland imposed some of the most severe pandemic restrictions in Europe as countries across the region battle to overcome the virus. Non-essential stores and restaurants will be forced to close for at least six weeks, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said. Travel will be further restricted, with people told to stay within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of their home. Countries ...

Bloomberg Swiss watch exports extended their longest decline in about three years as the industry becomes even more dependent on the Chinese market. Shipments fall 12% to $1.76 billion in September, dropping an eighth consecutive month, according to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. Exports to China surged 79%, while falling almost everywhere else. China has been one of ...

Bloomberg Job vacancies in London’s finance industry slumped 54% in the third quarter compared to 2019 as uncertainty around coronavirus, Brexit and bank profits discouraged hiring. City firms were advertising 3,810 roles in the three months through September, according to data from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley. While this is a fraction of the opportunities available in previous years, the total ...

Bloomberg Alibaba Group Holding Ltd will invest about $3.6 billion to double its stake in Sun Art Retail Group Ltd, taking control of China’s largest chain of hypermarts to try and fend off rivals like JD.com Inc in e-commerce’s hottest growth arena. Alibaba will raise its direct and indirect stake in the grocery chain to about 72% by acquiring equity ...

Bloomberg Jack Ma’s Ant Group Co won a key approval from the China Securities Regulatory Commission for its listing in Hong Kong, paving the way for what could be the world’s biggest initial public offering, according to people familiar with the matter. The Chinese regulator has given Ant a green light to seek a listing hearing with Hong Kong Exchanges ...

Bloomberg Singapore’s emergence from the Covid-19 shock is gathering pace, but that isn’t boosting the nation’s equity benchmark. That’s because the gauge is very much a bet on the global recovery rather than a wager on the city-state. The Straits Times Index is still 21% away from turning positive for the year, among the worst in Asia. Singapore’s plan to ...