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Bloomberg Countries across the Asia Pacific are demurring on AstraZeneca Plc’s Covid-19 vaccine, or restricting its use, in a move that may delay protection for the region amid concerns that the shot could trigger a rare and potentially deadly blood clotting condition. After guiding against the vaccine’s use in people under 50 and saying that it didn’t expect shipments from ...

Bloomberg Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi is bringing forward plans for as much as 40 billion euros ($48 billion) in new borrowing as the cost of keeping the economy afloat drains the state’s coffers and street protests heap pressure on the government, according to two people familiar with the matter. The government will need between 35 billion and 40 billion ...

Bloomberg UK exporters reported lower sales in the first quarter after Covid-19 and the completion of Brexit added to shipping delays, higher transport costs and more extensive paperwork. The British Chambers of Commerce said 41% of businesses had lower revenue from overseas sales in the first quarter of the year, up from 38% in the final three months of 2020. ...

Bloomberg Non-essential retailers as well restaurants with outdoor space reopened across England after almost 100 days of lockdown, hoping pent-up demand will translate into strong sales. Retailers from luxury department store Harrods to budget fashion chain Primark have been lining up new spring and summer ranges, while restaurants have been buying tents to host outdoor gatherings in a bid to ...

Bloomberg British cybersecurity company Darktrace Plc announced plans for an initial public offering in London, marking the first major company to plan a listing on the exchange after Deliveroo Holdings Plc flopped in its market debut. The IPO is expected to value the company at about $3 billion to $4 billion, a person familiar with the matter said. Darktrace and ...

Bloomberg Germany and France, the euro area’s two largest economies, both saw unexpected declines in industrial production in February, suggesting that coronavirus restrictions are increasingly harming parts of the economy that have proved resilient so far. German output dropped 1.6% from the previous month, surprising all but three economists in a Bloomberg survey. Production in France slumped 4.7% and stagnated ...

Bloomberg Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the US economy is at an “inflection point” with stronger growth and hiring ahead thanks to rising vaccinations and powerful policy support, but Covid-19 remains a threat. “We feel like we’re at a place where the economy is about to start growing much more quickly and job creation coming in much more quickly,” ...

DUBAI / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has launched ‘100 Million Meals’ campaign to provide food parcels for families and people in need across 20 countries during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Launched as an expansion from last year’s locally-held ’10 Million Meals’ campaign that empowered Covid-19-hit communities ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), stated that the fund has helped finance hundreds of development projects in Jordan costing AED6.5 billion, enabling the Jordanian Government to achieve its economic and social priorities and drive the process of sustainable development. In his statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) ...

ABU DHABI / WAM President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has ordered the release of 439 prisoners serving various sentences in the UAE, ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The President pledged to settle the financial obligations of the released prisoners. The gesture is part of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa’s humanitarian initiatives and reflective of the ...