Sterling jumped more than 0.8% against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday after the EU signaled that a trade deal with the U.K. is still possible. “Despite the difficulties we’ve faced, an agreement is within reach if both sides are willing to work constructively, if both sides are willing to compromise and if we are able to make progress […] Read more
China — Foxconn, the Taiwan company that assembles Apple’s iPhone, has launched an platform to help automobile companies make electric cars. The technology giant is best known for being a major assembler of consumer electronics products such as smartphones. But the latest announcement pushes Foxconn into a market which could be worth over $800 billion by 2027, […] Read more
Residents and businesses in the city of Liverpool — known for its tourism, night life and music scene as the birthplace of The Beatles — were put into a strict lockdown Wednesday, with a backlash already underway against the government’s new rules. The city region is now the only part of the country that is […] Read more
Paris and its surrounding suburbs have been put on “maximum alert” Monday as coronavirus cases surge in the city. Bars in the French capital will close on Tuesday as part of a new package of restrictions designed to stop the spread of the virus but restaurants will be allowed to stay open, with “reinforced precautions,” […] Read more
The number of mortgages in active pandemic-related bailout plans rose by 21,000 in the past week after declining for six straight weeks, according to Black Knight, a mortgage technology and analytics firm. The increase was not across all mortgage types but among bank-held and private-labeled security loans (28,000), and, to a lesser extent, among FHA/VA […] Read more
European countries are likely to impose more restrictions on public life in the coming days as the number of daily coronavirus infections rises rapidly, analysts said. France reported 10,569 new cases Sunday (down from more than 13,000 new cases reported the day before), Reuters reported, while the U.K., reported almost 4,000 new cases on Sunday. […] Read more
Always wanted to live abroad? Now may be your best chance. More countries are inviting travelers to trade their home offices for the opportunity to live and work abroad during the pandemic. Stanford University economist Nicholas Bloom estimates 42% of the U.S. labor force is now working from home full time. And workers may not be returning […] Read more
Central banks have slashed interest rates this year in an effort to revive economies ravaged by the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. But low interest rates are proving to be a challenge for investors, even ones who have long-term, multi-generational views on investments such as Canada’s massive pension fund. While the Canada Pension Plan Investment […] Read more
It looks increasingly unlikely that the U.K. will reach a trade agreement with the European Union — and that could also harm the chances of a future deal with the United States. The U.K. government outlined on Wednesday how it plans to manage trade following its full breakup from the EU at the end of the […] Read more