Bloomberg Business

When Dr. Simon Walsh finished a recent 10-hour shift in the pediatric emergency department at a London hospital, he felt guilty.

China may be reopening, allowing its 1.4 billion people to come and go largely without restrictions, but just as it is, more and more countries are tightening measures for travelers from the world’s second-biggest economy, concerned the tsunami of virus cases there may spawn new Covid variants.

Florida Republican Matt Gaetz, who was among those who questioned whether the coronavirus originated in a lab in China, wants to chair a House Armed Services subcommittee. Maryland Republican Andy Harris, one of Congress’s most conspicuous opponents of abortion and recreational marijuana, wants the gavel of the Appropriations subcommittee on health and human services. And a freshman wants two A-list committee assignments.

Next Plc raised its profit forecast as a December cold snap brought British shoppers into stores in search of winter clothing, defying gloom about weakening consumption and the UK’s cost-of-living crisis.

The presidents of China and the Philippines agreed to resume talks on oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea and discuss maritime differences amicably after meeting in Beijing on Wednesday, a move that potentially paves the way for easing of recent tensions.

Taiwan detained three active-duty officers and a retired Air Force officer suspected of spying for China, the Central News Agency in Taipei reported, a case that hints at the extent of Beijing’s snooping on its much smaller neighbor.

BYD Co. launched the first of two new luxury electric-vehicle brands it is introducing this year, looking to broaden its rapidly expanding reach by shifting into the premium car segment.

Europe is set for the warmest January in years, easing an energy crunch that has hammered the region for months.

Almost £1 billion of fraudulent or erroneous cash handouts made to businesses during the Covid pandemic are unlikely to be returned to UK taxpayers, according to the government.

European Union member states recommended new restrictions on passengers traveling into the bloc from China but stopped short of adding new rules for flights.