If the number of lily pads on a pond doubles every day, and it takes 29 days for them to cover the entire pond, on what day is the pond half-covered? This brainteaser is how Martin Hirsch, head of the Paris region’s hospital network, describes the brutal first wave of Covid-19 that triggered lockdowns across Europe in March and April. ...

Bloomberg The head of Indonesia’s flag carrier said better terms on aircraft loans will help it avoid falling into bankruptcy as the nation grapples with surging coronavirus cases. “We discussed the risks, the benefits, the pluses and minuses and the company’s leadership decided against it,” PT Garuda Indonesia President Director Irfan Setiaputra said when asked in an interview about considering ...

Bloomberg TUI AG said it’s making progress on plans to cut overhead costs by 30% as the world’s largest tour operator struggles to cope with a collapse in demand for its holidays. Measures including increased digitalisation that are underway across TUI’s head office, destination services and markets and airlines operations are already set to deliver close to a 300 million-euro ...

Bloomberg Tiffany & Co persuaded a court to fast-track a lawsuit claiming that LVMH is relying on faulty legal pretexts to try to cancel a $16 billion buyout, with the judge urging both sides to seek a settlement. Delaware Chancery Court Judge Joseph Slights III rejected a request by the maker of Louis Vuitton bags and Moet & Chandon Champagne ...

Bloomberg European planemaker Airbus SE unveiled three designs it’s studying to build hydrogen-powered aircraft as it races to bring a zero-carbon passenger plane into service by 2035. The approaches include a turbofan jet with capacity for as many as 200 passengers — similar to its A321neo narrow-body — that can fly more than 2,000 nautical miles, according to a statement. ...

Bloomberg Avianca Holdings SA, the Latin American airline that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May, is now seeking court approval for financing totaling about $2 billion. The company secured commitments for the debtor-in-possession financing and has filed a motion to approve it in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. “Securing these financing commitments ...

Bloomberg Chinese demand for luxury goods is projected to grow as much as 30% this year as high-income mainland shoppers drive the country’s post-pandemic economic rebound. It’s the only bright spot for the luxury industry, which is otherwise poised to see worldwide spending shrink 45% in 2020 as Europe and the US continue to battle the coronavirus ahead of a ...

Bloomberg Chinese President Xi Jinping took a veiled swipe at the US in a strongly worded speech, saying no country should “be allowed to do whatever it likes and be the hegemon, bully or boss of the world.” Pushing for developing countries to have a greater role in world affairs, Xi said the United Nations could be “more balanced” and ...

Bloomberg Boris Johnson told Britons to work from home when possible and ordered restaurants to close early as he sought to stamp out a resurgence of coronavirus in the weeks ahead. Under the new measures for England, which are likely to last six months, face coverings will become mandatory for passengers travelling in taxis and workers in the hospitality and ...

Bloomberg Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte saw off a challenge from opposition rival Matteo Salvini in local elections, strengthening the premier’s grip on his quarrelsome coalition ahead of negotiations over the European Union’s recovery fund. Parties in Conte’s year-old alliance, led by the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the center-left Democratic Party, held on to three regions including the leftist ...