Bloomberg French voters went to the polls Sunday in the lowest numbers in 20 years despite a tight race between Emmanuel Macron and nationalist leader Marine Le Pen. French elections often throw up surprising twists, and this one didn’t disappoint. An early belief the vote would be a repeat of 2017, when Macron faced Le Pen and easily won, was ...

  Bloomberg UK companies are jacking up starting salaries at a record pace, and some of the country’s biggest grocery chains are already raising pay as labour shortages hand workers unprecedented bargaining power. The latest signs of wage pressures may add to concern at the Bank of England (BOE), which has raised interest rates three times since December to slow ...

  Bloomberg Los Angeles plans to electrify its fleet of more than 10,000 vehicles as part of an effort to become one of the first US cities to rely on carbon-free energy by 2035. The Electric Vehicle Master Plan was unanimously approved by the LA city council. The switch to electric vehicles will start at the city’s largest departments of ...

  Bloomberg Mexico’s annual inflation accelerated more than expected in March to its highest level in over two decades led by fuel prices, putting additional pressure on the central bank to continue boosting interest rates. Consumer prices rise 7.45% from the same month a year earlier, above 7.38% median estimate of economists , the national statistics institute reported. On a ...

  Bloomberg Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is imposing a one-time windfall levy on Canada’s major banks and permanently increasing their income tax rate, fulfilling an election promise that has raised the ire of the industry’s top executives. The measures will force banks and insurance companies to pay an additional C$6.1 billion ($4.8 billion) in tax over five years, according to ...

  Bloomberg There may be no more polarising vehicle than General Motors Inc’s new Hummer EV. The $112,595, more than 9,000-pound pickup is a gargantuan remake of the military vehicle that was tamed for civilians in the 1990s. It is 1,000 horsepower of muscled Americana with knobby tires and a ridiculous launch mode that will further inflate the diaphanous egos ...

  Bloomberg Apple Inc, looking to address criticism of its competitive practices by the European Union, developers and US lawmakers, pointed to a report showing that third-party apps are thriving on the iPhone and other devices. In a study published by Analysis Group and touted by the iPhone maker, analysts said that Apple’s own apps are infrequently the dominant option ...

  Bloomberg Spain plans to invest 11 billion euros ($12.4 billion) to develop microchips and semiconductors in a bid to modernise its tourism-dependent economy. “We want our country to be at the vanguard of industrial and technological progress,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in Madrid, without giving more details. He said the project will be approved soon by his cabinet. ...

  Bloomberg Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) revenue rose to a record in the first quarter on demand for chips used in smartphones, computers and cars, while a prolonged shortage helped to boost prices. Revenue jumped 36% to NT$491.1 billion ($17 billion) in the three months through March, the company said in a statement. Analysts estimated NT$469.4 billion on average. ...

Dubai / WAM The UAE’s gross domestic product (GDP) for 2021 has broken international economic expectations, registering the highest rate in the region of AED1.489 trillion. “In a turbulent and changing world, the UAE has been moving steadily forward. Our economy is growing, our journey is accelerating, our competitiveness is advancing upwards, our future is going to be promising, and ...