August, 2022

• 7 August

  Next raises profit outlook as hot spell spurs fashion buying

  

    Bloomberg Next Plc raised its profit forecast as the hotter weather and return to formal events encouraged more Brits to buy summer clothing but warned that worsening inflation could hit consumer sentiment. The British clothing and housewares chain said profit will be £860 million ($1.04 billion) this year through January, up from previous guidance of £850 million, according to ...

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• 7 August

  Fast Retailing set to open first GU brand store in US

    Bloomberg Fast Retailing Co will open its first GU store in the US, adding to its Uniqlo shops in the country as the apparel maker seeks a greater presence in the North American market. Opening this fall in Soho, New York, the pop-up store will be GU’s first outside Asia, where there are already 450 outlets selling more stylish ...

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• 7 August

  SAS reports 32% drop in July traffic

    Bloomberg SAS AB reported a 32% plunge in passenger traffic last month, revealing the impact a strike had on troubled Scandinavian airline and its customers. The total number of passengers fell to 1.3 million in July from 1.9 million a month earlier, the Stockholm-based carrier said in a statement. Capacity falls 23% in July as the 15-day strike among ...

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• 7 August

  Taiwan vows not to bow to pressure after China drills

  

  Bloomberg Taiwan reiterated it won’t succumb to pressure from China after days of military drills in the air and seas surrounding the island, with hostilities set to continue even as world leaders urge an end to the strife. The People’s Liberation Army said it conducted exercises around Taiwan on Sunday, with drills focused on testing the capabilities of joint firepower ...

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• 7 August

  Nuclear-plant disaster in Ukraine is ‘real risk,’ IAEA says

  

  Bloomberg Ukrainian officials said Russian forces shelled the area around Europe’s largest nuclear plant for a second day, hours after the head of the UN’s atomic safety agency warned of “potentially catastrophic consequences.” Russian shells landed near spent nuclear fuel stored at the Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant on Saturday evening, wounding one worker, according to Energoatom, the facility’s operator. “This ...

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• 7 August

  Ukraine’s grain corridors still need ships to ease food crisis

    Bloomberg Ukraine’s first shipments of grain since being invaded by Russia are a harbinger of relief for squeezed global markets, but many challenges remain before the millions of tons of food stuck in the country can be released. Perhaps the biggest is the willingness of shipowners to send their vessels into harm’s way, as the waters are littered with ...

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• 7 August

  China relationship casualty of battle to lead Britain

    Bloomberg The rivals to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson are locked in a battle to take the toughest line on China, firmly drawing a line under the vaunted golden era for Sino-British ties. Liz Truss, the front-runner in the Conservative leadership race, has branded Chinese tech giants a security risk, called to arm Taiwan and, in private, labeled China’s ...

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• 7 August

  UK’s biggest container port to be hit by eight days of strikes

  

  Bloomberg Almost 2,000 dock workers at Britain’s biggest container ship port plan to strike for eight days this month after failing to reach a pay deal, threatening to sever one of the UK’s most important trade routes. Workers at Felixstowe will strike from August 21 to August 29, the Unite union said in a statement. Talks failed after the port, ...

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• 7 August

  US consumer borrowing jumps by $40bn in June

  

    Bloomberg US consumer borrowing surged in June, reflecting a jump in credit-card balances and a record increase in non-revolving lending that includes auto and school loans. Total credit increased $40.2 billion from the prior month, second only to March’s $47.1 billion spike, Federal Reserve figures showed. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a $27 ...

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• 7 August

  Pfizer in talks to acquire sickle-cell drugmaker

    Bloomberg Pfizer Inc is in advanced talks to buy Global Blood Therapeutics Inc., the maker of a therapy for sickle-cell disease, for about $5 billion, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported. The New York-based drug giant is looking to finalise a deal in the coming days, the Journal reported. Bloomberg News had reported earlier this week that biotech was ...

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