Bloomberg UK retail sales surged unexpectedly in June as consumers spent more in grocery stores to celebrate European championship soccer, adding momentum to the economic recovery. The volume of goods sold in shops and online rose 0.5% from the month before, the Office for National Statistics said. Economists had expected a 0.1% drop. The figures followed an unprecedented jump in ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong will postpone for at least two weeks a plan to start antibody testing at the airport for fully vaccinated people arriving from some areas, people familiar with the matter said, a setback in easing one of the strictest quarantine restrictions in the world. The delay in the second phase of its antibody-testing plan was a result of ...

Bloomberg The redevelopment of Athens’ old airport offered a unique chance to secure pristine sea-side homes close to a major city, and even before bulldozers start to roll, it may already be too late to buy one. Demand has been so strong that all of the apartments in the project’s 45-floor marina tower as well as the 27 beach-front villas ...

Bloomberg United Airlines Holdings Inc. is confident that a domestic travel resurgence will continue despite rising coronavirus infections, leading the carrier to forecast profits for the rest of this year “We don’t just see the light at the end of the tunnel, we’re exiting the tunnel,” Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby said on an earnings call, citing robust demand. “It’s ...

Bloomberg Uber Technologies, Inc is accelerating its on-demand grocery delivery service in the US, more than doubling the cities where it’s available and partnering with a major grocer as the pandemic-fueled delivery competition heats up. After launching its grocery delivery service last July, Uber said on Monday that it can now be used in more than 400 locations in the ...

Bloomberg The Biden administration has no immediate plans to levy economic sanctions on Chinese officials in response to the Microsoft Exchange hack that the US blames on Beijing, according to people familiar with the matter. Some in the administration cite concern that sanctions wouldn’t be as effective as other approaches in deterring future cyber-attacks by China, according to two people ...

Bloomberg The European Court of Human Rights denied Russia’s request to apply interim measures over alleged violations of human rights conventions by Ukraine, according to the court’s website. Russia demanded the court take measures in accordance with Article 39 of its rules. After the move, the application will be considered at a later date. Russia is seeking to make Ukrainian ...

Bloomberg Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters flooded into Australia’s largest cities, some clashing with police, defying stay-at-home orders imposed as the country grapples with resurgent infection rates and a sluggish vaccination program. Some demonstrators in Sydney were seen hurling bottles and plants — torn from the sidewalk — at police officers, while others chanted “Freedom, freedom” as they marched along Broadway ...

Bloomberg Members of Venezuela’s opposition said they are open to a new round of political negotiations with President Nicolas Maduro’s government ahead of upcoming local elections, but cautioned that agreement on the terms of the talks has not been reached. The two sides appeared to be moving closer to planning to hold meetings in Mexico, after Maduro declared the government ...

Bloomberg The Japanese and French governments have agreed to “actively” maintain defense cooperation to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific, according to a joint statement following a summit meeting between PM Yoshihide Suga and President Emmanuel Macron. Japan welcomed France’s intention, as presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2022, to reinforce the group’s ...