Bloomberg The Biden administration said it recommended changes to China’s requirements for Covid-19 quarantine and testing among American diplomats, adding to tensions between the world’s biggest economies ahead of the Olympics. “We have long-standing concerns regarding the PRC’s quarantine and testing policies that run counter to diplomatic privileges and immunities,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Thursday, ...

  Bloomberg A UK government probe into alleged rule-breaking parties in Boris Johnson’s office during the pandemic could be stripped of key details at the request of the police, potentially handing the prime minister a boost as he tries to persuade his Conservatives not to mount a leadership challenge. Facing a major public backlash, Johnson commissioned the civil service to ...

  Bloomberg North Korea confirmed launches of four missiles this week, as Kim Jong Un ramped up weapons-testing to a record pace in an effort to signal displeasure with the US over economic sanctions. The tests included the launch of two long-range cruise missiles Tuesday that flew for 1,800 kilometers before striking an island off the peninsula’s eastern coast, the ...

Bloomberg As populism tested the ability of Europe’s mainstream parties to adapt, one country stood out as an exception: Portugal. General elections on Sunday are likely to cement its status as an oasis for the political center. Yet it’s not without risks. Prime Minister Antonio Costa of the center-left Socialist Party has only a slight edge in some polls over ...

  Bloomberg The euro area economy kicked off 2022 on a weak footing, with pandemic restrictions taking a toll on confidence and growing fears that Germany may be on the brink of a recession for the second time since the crisis began. A sentiment gauge by the European Commission fell to 112.7 in January, the lowest in nine months, driven ...

  Bloomberg The Spanish economy beat expectations at the end of last year, benefiting from a surge in investment and strong export demand. Gross domestic product rises 2% in the fourth quarter following growth of 2.6% in the previous three months. That beats economist estimates for an increase of 1.4%. It’s also better than France’s 0.7% expansion and the contraction ...

  Bloomberg Swiss watch exports had a record year amid booming demand in the US, which overtook China to become the industry’s top market for the first time in more than a decade. Shipments rise 31% to 22.3 billion francs ($24.1 billion) last year, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said. The industry has recovered from a 22% decline ...

  Bloomberg Business closures in the UK jumped by 14% from a year ago in the fourth quarter as the coronavirus pandemic took a brutal toll. Almost every industrial group saw the number of closures rise, with the transport and storage sector posting the largest increase, the Office for National Statistics said. Only finance and insurance bucked the trend. Meanwhile, ...

  Bloomberg Donald Trump is planning a significant expansion of his Trump National Doral Miami resort, which is located in one of hottest real estate markets in the US. The former president said that he plans to apply to create 2,300 luxury homes as well as retail and commercial space in the first phase of construction at Trump National Doral. ...

  Bloomberg France’s economy grew more than anticipated at the end of last year, overcoming supply shortages and Covid-related disruptions to give President Emmanuel Macron a lift ahead of April’s election. Rising consumer spending and investment in the euro area’s second-largest economy powered a 0.7% increase in gross domestic product in the fourth quarter. That was above the 0.5% expansion ...