Federal Reserve officials and new Dallas Fed data have begun lowering expectations for May jobs growth in the United States as business hiring plans continue to outrun the supply of people able or willing to work.

Planemaker Boeing Co has drawn up preliminary plans for a fresh sprint in 737 MAX output to as many as 42 jets a month in fall 2022, industry sources said, in a bid to extend its recovery from overlapping safety and Covid-19 crises.

China will crack down on bitcoin mining and trading activities as part of efforts to fend off financial risks, the State Council’s Financial Stability and Development Committee said on Friday.

Pakistan said on Friday its economy was on course to grow 3.94 per cent in the financial year 2020/2021 that ends in June, almost double the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank’s projections, as it recovers from the worst of the pandemic.

London’s FTSE 100 was flat on Friday, posting a weekly loss, as weakness in mining stocks countered a bigger-than-expected jump in retail sales and business activity.

A federal judge on Friday grilled Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook over whether the iPhone maker’s App Store profits from developers such as “Fortnite” maker Epic Games are justified and whether Apple faces any real competitive pressure to change its ways.

The White House said on Friday it had pared down its infrastructure bill to $1.7 trillion from $2.25 trillion, with cuts to investments in broadband and roads and bridges, but Republicans dismissed the changes as insufficient for a deal.

Euro zone business growth accelerated at its fastest pace in over three years in May, a survey showed on Friday, but European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said an uncertain recovery still needed emergency support from the ECB.

US factory activity gathered speed in early May amid strong domestic demand, but backlogs of uncompleted work are piling up as manufacturers struggle to find raw materials and labor, boosting costs for both businesses and consumers.

Indian drug vial maker Schott Kaisha is expecting annual vial sales for Covid-19 shots to more than triple as vaccine production, including by one of its top customers Serum Institute, increases in response to a monster second wave of infections.

In December 2020, with coronavirus infections spreading rapidly across factories and workers’ dormitories in Malaysia, officials raided latex glove maker Brightway Holdings near Kuala Lumpur.

US homebuilding fell more than expected in April, likely pulled down by soaring prices for lumber and other materials, but construction remains supported by an acute shortage of previously owned homes on the market.

British inflation more than doubled in April, the start of a likely climb in prices this year as rich economies recover from pandemic lockdowns, but one that the Bank of England hopes will prove temporary.

Trade ministers from the United States, Canada and Mexico said on Tuesday they held “robust” talks on the new North American trade deal and pledged to fully enforce its higher standards, while downplaying differences over a range of other irritants.

Britain’s unemployment rate fell again to 4.8 per cent between January and March, when the country was under a tight lockdown, and hiring rose further in April, according to data that showed employers gearing up for the easing of curbs.

Japan’s economy shrank more than expected in the first quarter as a slow vaccine rollout and new Covid-19 infections hit spending on items such as dining out and clothes, raising concerns the country will lag others emerging from the pandemic.

Bringing the US economy back from the brutal downturn caused by Covid-19 will take time, and hiccups like last month’s weak hiring data will happen, a top Federal Reserve official said Monday.

Next Digital Ltd shares were suspended on Monday after authorities froze assets of its jailed owner Jimmy Lai under a new national security law in Hong Kong, while the tycoon pleaded guilty to taking part in an illegal protest in October 2019.

Microsoft conducted a probe into co-founder Bill Gates’ involvement with an employee almost 20 years ago after it was told in 2019 that he had tried to start a romantic relationship with the person, the company said on Monday.

The European Union has agreed a partial truce with the United States in a dispute over US metals tariffs imposed by former president Donald Trump as the two sides start discussions on addressing global overcapacity in steel and aluminium.