France’s experience of Covid-19 has been one of logistical public-service highs and infantilising, bureaucratic lows. Its springtime lockdown, one of the strictest in Europe, saved lives and protected overloaded hospitals but also punished people for leaving home without the right authorisation form or jogging at the wrong hour. The government fretted about panic-buying so much that even purchases of nicotine ...

The pandemic has asked many difficult questions of Europe’s governments, from whether to close down schools to which companies to bail out. As economies continue to open up, politicians face a new daunting choice: Should they leave their employment furlough schemes in place? These support programs have kept workers in their jobs (artificially) at a vast cost to the public ...

Bloomberg Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd shares extended their double-digit rally after a Chinese state-run newspaper tweeted that Hong Kong’s airport may restart transfer flights to mainland China, a move that could inject the beleaguered carrier with some much-needed travelers. Cathay climbed more than 13%, its biggest intraday gain in two months, as the Global Times said on Twitter that the ...