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How much risk will a vital hub of global commerce entertain to open an important chunk of the economy? None, appears to be the answer, judging by the suspension of the Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble on the eve of its debut. The two finance and transport centres hit pause on what would have been the world’s first quarantine-free bubble, citing ...

Most Western countries have suffered mightily from Covid-19, but Britain still managed to stand out for all the wrong reasons during the first wave of the pandemic. There was the initial see-sawing between whether to follow a Swedish-style laissez faire approach or more draconian measures, the struggles with test and trace and confusing public communications. Still, there appears to be ...

Bloomberg ANA Holdings Inc will raise as much as 332.1 billion yen ($3.2 billion) via an overseas and domestic share placement as airlines around the world rush to shore up their finances amid the coronavirus pandemic. Japan’s largest carrier, whose shares have slumped 30% this year, will use the proceeds to repay long-term debt and buy Boeing 787 aircraft to ...

Bloomberg Arcadia Group, the retail empire controlled by Philip Green is likely to file for administration in the UK as early as next week, putting 13,000 jobs at risk. The owner of the Topshop and Topman brands wrote in an emailed statement that it’s exploring “a number of contingency options” after the closure of its stores due to Covid-19 “had ...

Bloomberg Lunar New Year may be more than two months away but one Chinese fuel supplier is already gearing up for an expected surge in air travel. China Aviation Oil (CAO) is seeking to import jet fuel for January delivery in its first buy tender since May, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The move by CAO, one of the ...

Bloomberg Europe’s airlines will struggle more than competitors elsewhere to end losses next year as they’re held back by higher expenses and their dependence on overseas routes, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The region’s carriers should achieve seat-occupancy levels averaging 63.8% for the whole of 2020, increasing to 65.6% in 2021. That’s still below the projected break-even ...

Bloomberg Francesca’s Holdings Corp is preparing to file for bankruptcy, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The boutique-style women’s clothing chain could file as soon as next week, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the process isn’t public. The plan could still change. Representatives for Francesca’s didn’t respond to multiple phone and email requests ...

Bloomberg The coronavirus pandemic and its devastating impact on global aviation and economic growth isn’t swaying Megawide Construction Corp from its 109 billion peso ($2.3 billion) plan to upgrade Manila’s airport, the main gateway to the Philippines. The company proposed a 10-year plan to double annual capacity at the aging and overcrowded Ninoy Aquino International Airport to 65 million passengers, ...

Bloomberg Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is keeping up pressure on the UK government for another independence referendum, yet she also faces the task of keeping her party patiently united behind her approach. As the Scottish National Party (SNP) holds its annual conference this weekend, the 50-year-old leader’s position could hardly look stronger: there’s now clear majority support for breaking ...

Bloomberg Ethiopian federal troops began an artillery offensive against the city of Mekelle as the government seeks to break the hold of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) on the region. TPLF leader Debretsion Gebremichael confirmed that the government offensive is under way. There were no immediate reports of casualties or specific targets being hit, according to two senior United ...