April, 2021

• 10 April

  Covid thrusts governments into cockpit with flag carrier aid

  

  Bloomberg Decades after being unshackled from government control, many of Europe’s largest airlines are being forced back into the arms of states by the pandemic. With air travel still showing no signs of recovery in the region, the carriers may have to contend with their saviours as powerful shareholders for some time to come. Air France-KLM became the latest to ...

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• 10 April

  Levi surges to highest since IPO on ‘outlook’

  

  Bloomberg Levi Strauss & Co shares reached their highest ever since going public after the denim maker projected a sales boost in the first half of the year. The company joins a group of retailers that expect shoppers to spend more freely as 2021 progresses. The San Francisco-based company said it sees net revenue increasing 24% to 25% in the ...

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• 10 April

  Tyson opens first new poultry plant in 25 years in retail push

  Bloomberg America’s biggest meat company opened its first new poultry plant in 25 years after the pandemic gave grocery-store sales of chicken a boost. Tyson Foods Inc’s $425 million plant in Humboldt, Tennessee, is starting production of the retail products this month, and the company expects to employ 1,500 people at the facility by 2023, according to a statement. While ...

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• 10 April

  Hermes to Swiss: Stop feeding luxury-watch supply glut

  

  Bloomberg Swiss watchmakers are still churning out too many timepieces despite production cuts following a Covid-induced sales slump, according to the head of Hermes International’s horology unit. Brands including Hermes, Rolex and Audemars Piguet temporarily halted production last year amid the pandemic, which helped ease a supply glut somewhat. Still, some producers are failing to address the issue, Laurent Dordet, ...

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• 10 April

  Russia says Ukraine’s actions raise risk of broader conflict

  

  Bloomberg Russia warned that growing violence in Ukraine could set off a broader military conflict, brushing off German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call to pull back troops massed near the border. “The escalation of tensions in the southeast of Ukraine justifies the measures Russia is taking,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on a conference call, referring to the military buildup. “The ...

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• 10 April

  China’s envoy invokes ping-pong diplomacy for better relations

  

  Bloomberg China’s ambassador to the US called for the two countries to take history as a guide to solve the disputes, in an apparent attempt to cool rising tensions between both nations. The two sides should carry forward the spirit of Ping-Pong diplomacy and seek common ground, Ambassador Cui Tiankai said in a recorded speech. He was speaking at an ...

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• 10 April

  US eases limits on Taiwan contacts as China tensions climb

  

  Bloomberg The State Department restored rules governing officials’ contacts with Taiwan that were lifted in the Trump administration’s final days, but said the new version eased unneeded restrictions as the US looks to counter increasing encroachment by China on the island’s sovereignty. The new guidance “underscores Taiwan is a vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is ...

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• 10 April

  Pentagon makes new push to root out extremism among US troops

  

  Bloomberg The Pentagon announced plans to crack down on extremism in the ranks with new regulations, screening and training after troops and veterans participated in the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a working group to rewrite the definition of prohibited extremist activity in the military, update questionnaires on past activity for new recruits ...

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• 10 April

  EU to delay Brexit legal action amid violence in Northern Ireland

  

  Bloomberg The European Union (EU) is set to postpone legal action against the UK for breaching the Northern Irish Brexit deal, according to two people familiar with the matter, as riots grip the province. The EU began proceedings last month after Britain unilaterally extended a waiver on checks on some goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain. The temporary exemption was ...

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• 10 April

  Norway premier fined for breaching Covid-19 rules

  Bloomberg Norway’s prime minister, Erna Solberg, was fined 20,000 kroner ($2,350) for breaking her own government’s Covid restrictions in connection with a party celebrating her 60th birthday. The circumstances wouldn’t normally trigger a fine, but police suggested the country’s prime minister should be held to a higher standard. “Even though the law is the same for everyone, not everyone is ...

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