Bloomberg South Africa’s largest clothing retailer sees a successful Covid-19 vaccination rollout as key to reopening the economy and adding new stores, helping to address the world’s highest unemployment rate. “If we get people vaccinated, the economy can normalise quickly,” Pepkor Holdings Ltd CEO Leon Lourens said in an interview. “If the economy normalises, we can create jobs.” The government ...

Bloomberg Colombia plans to start the bidding process for the construction and modernisation of three airports in the fourth quarter as part of a larger $13 billion infrastructure plan. The expansion of the capacity of the airport that serves Cali, the nation’s third-largest city, as well as those of Buenaventura and Neiva, in western Colombia, have an estimated cost of ...

Bloomberg American Airlines Group Inc signed a letter of intent to invest $200 million in Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes SA for a 5.2% stake in the Brazilian carrier under a three-year deal that would expand commercial cooperation, establish an exclusive codeshare and link loyalty programs. The two will work together in areas including purchasing, sales tools and systems integration as ...

Bloomberg Travel companies are set for the busiest weekend of the year as holiday bookings surged following the UK government’s announcement that it would ease travel curbs for the fully vaccinated. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the current traffic light system of red, amber and green countries would be scrapped for England from October 4 and replaced by a simplified ...

Bloomberg An Air France-KLM flight made an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Beijing after the Boeing Co 777 aircraft suffered a technical failure and smoke filled the cabin. The flight, destined for Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, returned to Beijing airport 14 minutes after departure, the carrier said in a statement. Passengers reported hearing a loud bang before black ...

Bloomberg US retail sales rose unexpectedly in August as a pickup in purchases across most categories more than offset weakness at auto dealers, showing resilient consumer demand for merchandise. The value of overall retail purchases climbed 0.7% last month following a downwardly revised 1.8% decrease in July, Commerce Department figures showed. Excluding autos, sales advanced 1.8% in August, the largest ...

Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party is set to win a decisive victory in legislative polls despite simmering discontent after sidelining political opponents. While Putin personally retains broad support, according to polls, his United Russia party recorded some of the lowest ratings in nearly a decade earlier this year, scorned by voters angry over stagnant living standards and unpopular policies. ...

Bloomberg Australian PM Scott Morrison said France was aware of Australia’s concerns on the capability of submarines being built by the European nation, defending his government’s decision to sign a new deal for nuclear-powered ones. Australia understands France’s disappointment but the decision was made on “sovereign, national defense interests,” Morrison said. “Ultimately, this was a decision about whether the submarines ...

Bloomberg Ports operating in the US’s biggest gateway for trade with Asia will extend night hours and work weekends to clear port delays amid record volumes. The port of Los Angeles will expand weekend operating gate hours while neighbouring Long Beach will extend the hours during which trucks can pick up and return containers, they said in a joint statement. ...

Bloomberg Italy’s government will spend around 3.5 billion euros ($4.1 billion) to protect consumers from a surge in energy prices that’s hit countries across Europe, according to people familiar with the matter. The disbursement could be approved as soon as next week, the people said, asking not to be named discussing confidential plans. Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s administration is also ...