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Bloomberg Swiss National Bank (SNB) President Thomas Jordan has reason to expect a less intense 2021 after a multi-billion currency battle this year that put Switzerland in the crosshairs of US authorities. The combination of a landmark European Union fiscal package and the anticipated global economic recovery driven by the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines will likely dampen demand for haven …

Bloomberg Nordea Bank is winding down what’s left of its operations in Russia, after years spent cutting back its business there as part of a plan to minimise its risks. The Helsinki-based bank had already axed its Russian retail business, but previously indicated it would keep some services open for corporate clients. Late on Thursday, it said its decision to …

Bloomberg Microsoft Corp. is working on in-house processor designs for use in server computers that run the company’s cloud services, adding to an industrywide effort to reduce reliance on Intel Corp.’s chip technology. The world’s largest software maker is using Arm Ltd. designs to produce a processor that will be used in its data centers, according to people familiar with …

Bloomberg Volkswagen AG, the German automaker, is bracing for a major production disruption from a shortage of semiconductors. The world’s largest automaker will need to adjust first-quarter manufacturing plans around the globe because of the bottleneck, VW said in an emailed statement, without giving specific figures. The number of cars affected could be in the low six-digit range. The situation …

Bloomberg Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have taken unusual measures to appease customers unhappy with CD Projekt SA’s Cyberpunk 2077 game, which was released earlier this month and is riddled with bugs, especially in console versions. For PlayStation players, Sony is offering full refunds for Cyberpunk 2077 and is removing the title, one of the year’s most highly anticipated gaming …

Bloomberg Apple Inc. is temporarily closing its Los Angeles-area stores as Covid-19 cases jump in the region. The move marks the first time in many months that Apple has shut retail locations in one of the country’s most populous areas. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant has several stores in Los Angeles, including major outlets at The Grove and Beverly Center …

Bloomberg Huawei Technologies Corp. is positioning itself to get more business in Ethiopia, as the East African economy opens up its telecommunications sector. “Ethiopia is rising and becoming much more important for the future,” Loise Tamalgo, Huawei’s head of public relations for 22 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, said in an interview in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan. The company is …

Bloomberg Asian buyers are snapping up oil at higher prices than last month, helping to bolster physical crude markets across the world and underpin a rally in futures. Driven by a slew of purchases from Indian and Chinese refiners, crude values everywhere from Russia to the Middle East and Latin America have surged so far. Spot trading activity has been …

CAIRO / WAM His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt, on Wednesday discussed the prospects of further consolidating the strong cooperation ties between the UAE and Egypt. This came as President el-Sisi received His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin …

Bloomberg China injected cash into the financial system by offering medium-term loans, in the government’s latest effort to ensure the country’s banks have sufficient liquidity. The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) added 950 billion yuan ($145 billion) of one-year cash via the medium-term lending facility, more than offsetting the 600 billion yuan that matures in December. That’s the fifth straight …