Bloomberg Kim Jong Un showed off his increasingly varied arsenal of missiles designed to frustrate US defense systems, in a rare display that appeared to be the North Korean leader’s latest effort to break a diplomatic stalemate over his nuclear program. Blaming the US for “creating regional tension with wrong decisions and action,†Kim vowed at a defense forum to ...
Read More »EU unveils $1.15bn support package to counter Afghan crisis
Bloomberg Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, on Tuesday announced an expanded support package to Afghanistan worth about $1.15 billion to try and contain a spiraling humanitarian crisis. The package combines European Union aid “with the delivery of targeted support on basic needs in direct benefit of the Afghan people and neighbouring countries,†von der Leyen said ...
Read More »France to build small nuclear reactors by 2030 in export push
Bloomberg The French government will help state-controlled utility Electricite de France SA develop so-called small modular nuclear reactors by 2030, betting that the technology will be exported to regions looking to accelerate their transition to cleaner fuels. The announcement, made by President Emmanuel Macron, signals that he sees nuclear power as key to reducing global carbon emissions, alongside renewable energy. ...
Read More »Austrian poll shows Kurz’s party drop in hit from scandal
Bloomberg The corruption investigation that forced Austria’s Sebastian Kurz to resign as chancellor has wiped out his lead against his closest rival. Support for the People’s Party dropped to 26% from 33%, putting it almost on par with the Socialist Party, which stood at 25%. That is according to a survey conducted by the IFDD pollster as the political turmoil ...
Read More »Scholz’s bid to run Germany hits key phase as discord persists
Bloomberg Social Democrat Olaf Scholz’s bid to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor is reaching a critical phase as the party seeks to work through vast policy differences with its two prospective junior partners. After 14 hours of talks this week and sparring over the weekend, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats said they made progress in finding common ...
Read More »Macron unveils $35 billion plan for industrial revival
Bloomberg French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a 30-billion-euro ($35 billion) plan to create the high-tech champions of the future and reverse years of industrial decline in the euro area’s second-largest economy. The plan, dubbed “France 2030,†foresees investing the funds over five years in sectors including nuclear and renewable energy sources, electric cars, semiconductors and robotics. “I want us to ...
Read More »Global PC sales stunted by supply, logistics snarls
Bloomberg Computer sales grew at the slowest rate since the start of the pandemic due to component shortages and logistics snarls, according to the latest report by IDC. The key US market shrunk for the first time since sales cratered in the first quarter of 2020 with the coronavirus outbreak, the market researcher said. Shipments there fell 7.5% in the ...
Read More »Lonza to keep investment high amid vaccine demand
Bloomberg Swiss drug-ingredient maker Lonza Group AG said it plans to keep investment at high levels over the coming years to keep up with demand to manufacture products such as Moderna Inc.’s Covid-19 vaccine. Capital expenditure will be 25% of total revenue this year and remain at such elevated levels for the next few years, the company said on Tuesday. ...
Read More »UK pays most since Brexit vote to borrow compared to Germany
Bloomberg UK government bond yields have climbed to levels last seen before the Brexit referendum in 2016 relative to German peers, as traders brace for inflation in Britain over the next decade to far outpace the rate in Europe’s largest economy. The extra yield investors demand to own 10-year gilts over equivalent bunds jumped to more than 125 basis points ...
Read More »German investor confidence falls in Oct
Bloomberg German investor confidence declined for a fifth month in October, adding to evidence that global supply bottlenecks and a surge in inflation are weighing on the recovery in Europe’s largest economy. The ZEW institute’s gauge of expectations fell to 22.3 from 26.5 the previous month, the lowest since the start of coronavirus lockdowns last year. The outlook for the ...
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