International News

Bloomberg Italy is in the depths of one of its worst droughts, with the country’s largest river, the Po, hitting its lowest level in 70 years, threatening crops and raising the specter of power outages. While much of Europe has had drier-than-average conditions this year, northern Italy’s Po valley is worst hit, according to the JRC Global Drought Observatory. Several ...

Bloomberg US factory production unexpectedly declined in May for the first time in four months, restrained by ongoing supply challenges and hints of cooler demand for some big-ticket consumer goods. The 0.1% decrease followed 0.8% increases in the prior two months, Federal Reserve data showed. Total industrial production, which also includes mining and utility output, rises 0.2% last month. Median ...

  Bloomberg General Motors Co. plans to return to Europe with battery-powered models starting with the Cadillac brand and is considering selling the hulking Hummer electric vehicle. The carmaker may start importing the electric Cadillac Lyriq model, which is already on sale in the US, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential deliberations. Broadening GM’s offering would ...

  Bloomberg A UnitedHealth group Inc unit has agreed to acquire Emis group Plc in an all-cash deal that values the UK health-technology company at about £1.24 billion ($1.51 billion). The companies said in a statement that Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, an affiliate of UnitedHealth’s Optum business in the UK, has agreed to buy Emis for 1,925 pence in ...

  Bloomberg SpaceX has fired “a number of employees” responsible for an open letter critical of the behavior of CEO Elon Musk, according to an internal memo, an unusual clash hinting at growing discord over the billionaire’s controversial comments. The open letter called Musk’s behavior and tweets “a frequent source of distraction and embarrassment for us, particularly in recent weeks.” The ...

  Bloomberg French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he is determined to get a European Union agreement on a global corporate minimum tax, setting up a clash with Hungary at a meeting of officials in Luxembourg on Friday. Disagreements over how to implement the levy have dogged France’s six month presidency of the EU that concludes at the end ...

  Bloomberg Germany’s biggest union said it has won a 6.5% pay rise — the biggest in 30 years — for steel workers in the northwest of the country, setting the stage for upcoming talks in the metals- and electronics industries. The 18-month deal for about 68,000 steel industry employees includes one-off payments of 500 euros ($524) for June and ...

  Bloomberg Europe’s new-vehicle sales slumped for an 11th consecutive month as record inflation and falling consumer confidence joined prolonged supply-chain disruptions. Registrations fall 12.5% to 948,149 vehicles in May, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said. Hardest-hit among major automakers was Volkswagen AG, which saw sales drop by more than 21% from the same month last year. After nearly a ...

  Bloomberg Canadian telecommunications company Telus Corp. said it will acquire digital-health provider LifeWorks Inc. for about $1.8 billion, expanding further into health services as it pursues a diversification strategy. Telus will pay C$33 for each LifeWorks share and is offering the option to take cash or stock or a mix of the two. It’s about an 80% premium to ...

  Bloomberg One of the architects of the European Union’s sweeping General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) admitted the law needs a revamp to ensure its fit for purpose amid growing attacks on citizens’ privacy. Four years after it took effect, European Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said “targeted improvements” are now needed to the GDPR “in the age of tools ...