
British Airways (BA) was labeled a national disgrace by lawmakers for its treatment of employees on Saturday, adding to pressure on the airline as it juggles job cuts and new quarantine rules.

Home rental firm Airbnb struck a partnership with Brazil's Sao Paulo state to encourage tourism once the novel coronavirus crisis has passed, a company executive said on Friday.

The British Council, which promotes UK cultural and language relations overseas, is seeking a multi-million-pound bailout to stave off insolvency because of the impact of COVID-19, the government said on Thursday.

Despite being cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 proved to be a record-breaking cruise season in the Falkland Islands. A total of 72,836 cruise passengers arrived in the Islands, up 16.5% on the previous season.

The economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could plunge an extra 395 million people into extreme poverty and swell the total number of those living on less than US$1.90 a day worldwide to more than 1 billion, researchers said in a report on Friday.

UK sales of beer have slumped to the lowest level on the record because of the coronavirus outbreak, trade industry body the British Beer and Pub Association said on Thursday.

The UK economy shrank by 20.4% in April, according to figures outlined by the Office for National Statistics on Friday morning.

The Spanish government started lobbying on Wednesday for Economy Minister Nadia Calvino to take the presidency of the Euro-group, with a minister saying it would be good news if she were to replace Mario Centeno, who is stepping down.

The United States Federal Reserve says it will keep buying bonds to maintain low borrowing rates and support the U.S. economy in the midst of a recession. And it says nearly all the Fed's policymakers foresee no rate hike through 2022.

Brazil's oil and gas giant Petrobras during the month of Maye exported 1.11 million tons of fuel oil, surpassing the previous record set in February 2020 by 10%. The amount of fuel oil exported was 231% above the volume exported in May last year.