BEIJING (AP) — Manufacturing activity in the world’s second largest economy grew at a slower pace in January compared to the previous month, according to an official government measure, as the country’s strict “zero-tolerance” COVID-19 measures put a dampener on economic activity. The purchasing manager’s index, tracked by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, slipped to…
LONDON (AP) — A politician’s troubles are a humorist’s treasures. The scandal-prone British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given cartoonists and meme-makers unimaginable riches for years, and with his hold on power now in jeopardy, their fortunes are only growing. Johnson and his staff are facing civil and criminal investigations into social gatherings they hosted…
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry said on Sunday it would call in all companies facing U.S. import bans over suspected forced labour practices to discuss immediate action to address the allegations. Malaysian factories, which include major suppliers of palm oil and medical gloves, have been under increased scrutiny over allegations of abuse…
BEIJING (Reuters) – Growth in China’s factory activity slowed in January as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and tough lockdowns hit production and demand, but the slight expansion offered some signs of resilience as the world’s second-largest economy enters a likely bumpy new year. The official manufacturing Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) registered 50.1 in January,…
BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s factory activity contracted at the sharpest rate in 23 months in January, underscoring the huge economic costs from the country’s zero-COVID approach as surging cases and tough containment measures weighed on output and demand, a private survey showed on Sunday. The Caixin/Markit Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 49.1 in…
By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) – British businesses grew at the slowest pace since April 2021 during the past three months, after demand for face-to-face services slumped due to the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the Confederation of British Industry said on Sunday. Britain’s economy only recovered to its pre-pandemic size in November, before being hit…
(Reuters) – T-Mobile US Inc will fire corporate employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by April 2, according to an internal company memo posted on the independent blog TMOnews.com. The blog said T-Mobile’s new policy was announced on Friday in an email from its human resource chief to all staff. It follows a…
(Reuters) – The Federal Reserve could supersize an interest rate increase to half a percentage point if inflation remains stubbornly high, Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic told the Financial Times in an interview. Bostic stuck to his call for three quarter-point interest rate increases in 2022, with the first in March, but a more aggressive…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will participate in a February meeting of the G20 remotely because of a rise in the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement. The secretary will attend virtual sessions with her counterparts as well as hold bilateral meetings to discuss the…
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Goldman Sachs is forecasting that the U.S. Federal Reserve will raise interest rates five times in 2022, versus four previously, with a hike expected in March, according to a note from its economists late on Friday. Economists have scrambled to update rate hike expectations since the Fed on Wednesday said it…
