May, 2020

• 13 May

  Covid-19: The death of the “hot” economy

  

  The US economy has taken a turn for the worse — much worse. The collapse of the job market in late April and early May raises the question (for which there is no clear answer) of whether the economy has fallen into a depression or, if not, faces a long stretch of slow growth, high unemployment and stagnating incomes. The ...

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• 13 May

  What impairs India’s virus recovery

  

  The gradual reopening of India’s economy after a 43-day coronavirus lockdown has been marred by a hyper-centralisation of decision-making. Deepening mistrust between New Delhi and the 28 states threatens to splinter the country’s common market of 1.3 billion people, its biggest draw for investors. With infections surging by nearly 50% to cross 70,000 since the shutdown was eased about a ...

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• 13 May

  Britain’s furlough plan is only just the start

  When Boris Johnson said “we must act like any wartime government,” he also meant Britain must spend like one — and the prime minister has certainly lived up to the promise. His Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told Parliament that Britain had one of the most comprehensive financial relief plans for the Covid-19 outbreak anywhere in the world. That ...

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• 13 May

  Is US’s tax return case about Donald Trump?

  You might think that the Supreme Court case regarding President Donald Trump’s tax returns is about him, or least about the power of the presidency. It isn’t. As the live-streamed oral arguments made clear, this is a case about Congress — and whether its oversight authority will be stripped away by an activist Supreme Court. The Constitution gives Congress “all ...

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• 13 May

  Amazon: Delivery speed returns to normal after virus crush

  

  Bloomberg Amazon.com Inc says the one- and two-day delivery times that shoppers have come to expect should gradually return in coming weeks as the online retailer catches up from a demand surge tied to the coronavirus outbreak. The company lifted restrictions on the amount of inventory its suppliers can send to Amazon warehouses and is shortening delivery times — which ...

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• 13 May

  Ryanair sees its rivals failing, cheaper Max deal after virus

  

  Bloomberg Ryanair Holdings Plc sees an opportunity to buy planes for less and reduce other costs with weaker rivals out of the picture once the airline industry emerges on the other side of the coronavirus pandemic. Dublin-based Ryanair is in “advanced discussions” with Boeing Co over pricing for 737 Max jets, Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary said at a Financial ...

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• 13 May

  Lufthansa’s bailout plan sparks debate

  

  Bloomberg The German government is engaged in last-minute debates over the details of its bailout of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, with Chancellor Angela Merkel seeking a deal that doesn’t involve a direct stake in the national carrier, while her deputy, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, favors such an investment, according to people familiar with the matter. Under a scenario preferred by the ...

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• 13 May

  TUI plans 8,000 job cuts to adapt to ‘shrunken market’

  

  Bloomberg TUI AG will eliminate as many as 8,000 jobs, about 15% of its workforce, to cut costs and slim down its business as people travel less and favor different locations following the coronavirus outbreak. The world’s biggest package-holiday company is seeking to pare overall costs by almost one-third and offer more local breaks in the hope of encouraging a ...

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• 13 May

  Iceland to test visitors at Keflavik Airport

  Bloomberg Iceland will test all airline passengers arriving at Keflavik Airport for coronavirus by June 15, with those resulting negative spared a mandatory two-week quarantine, the government said. Testing will take place inside the terminal of the international airport. Visitors will be allowed to head to their accommodation while they wait for the result of their test, which is expected ...

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• 13 May

  Ghani asks army to resume operations against Taliban

  

  Bloomberg Afghan President Ashraf Ghani ordered government forces to resume operations against the Taliban and other insurgent groups after 40 people, including newborn babies, were killed when armed militants opened fire inside a hospital and at a funeral ceremony. The Taliban denied involvement in the attacks on the hospital in a Shiite neighbourhod of capital Kabul and on a funeral ...

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