Microsoft Corp was never going to rival Apple Inc in retail, or gain much from it. The coronavirus pandemic provided a good opportunity to face that fact and throw in the towel. The software giant announced it will permanently close all of its Microsoft Store brick-and-mortar locations. The company’s stores, which were primarily based inside malls, were temporarily shuttered in ...

The Covid-19 pandemic is intensifying the most destructive trends in global trade. Support for free trade has given way to talk of decoupling and de-globalisation. Tensions between the US and China are rising, as are calls for protectionism and re-shoring of far-flung supply chains. It is no longer seen as desirable, or even possible, to integrate countries that possess different ...

Bloomberg Boeing Co and federal regulators are preparing to hold a critical set of test flights on the 737 Max early next week, and laying plans for other milestones toward ending the jetliner’s 15-month grounding including convening a panel of pilots to go over a proposed training course. Aviation industry officials briefed on the plans, which still haven’t been finalised, ...