Bloomberg Business confidence in Britain has sunk to its lowest level since the global financial crisis, according to a survey of accountants, amid persistently high inflation and fears that the country is already in a recession. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales said Thursday that its latest monitor of business sentiment dropped to an index reading …

  Bloomberg The US Federal Trade Commission filed its lawsuit to block Microsoft Corp.’s $69 billion takeover of gaming company Activision Blizzard Inc. in December partly to get ahead of its European counterparts and dissuade them from accepting a settlement allowing the deal, according to people familiar with the investigations. The FTC filed a complaint challenging the merger on Dec …

Bloomberg The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should consider boosting flexibility in long-term yields as rising inflation risks call for securing more room for policy maneuvering, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Options include raising its 10-year yield target, widening the yield trading band, switching back to a quantity goal for bond buying and aiming at a shorter-maturity yield, the …