In nations around the world, the epidemiological number now getting all the attention is R, the effective reproduction number, which reflects the average number of new coronavirus cases resulting from a single infection. Germany estimates its R is now around 0.9, meaning the epidemic is waning there, if slowly. Estimates from two weeks ago in the US put R in ...

Bloomberg Economists are forecasting the Indian economy to shrink 0.4% in the year to March as a result of steps to contain the coronavirus pandemic, according to the latest survey by Bloomberg News. The forecast has been slashed thrice since February and represents a sharp cut from the 1.7% expansion seen in April, according to the median of 19 economists ...

Bloomberg China is allowing executives from some foreign companies to enter the country despite a coronavirus travel ban as it seeks to restart the economy, according to people familiar with the matter. The Ministry of Commerce told some key foreign companies they can apply for exemptions to the entry ban if they want to get executives back into China, the ...

Bloomberg China is stepping up purchases of soybeans from the US as Brazilian sales start to wane and the Asian nation seeks to meet its pledges under the trade deal with Washington, according to people familiar with the matter. State-run buyers have purchased more than 20 cargoes, or over 1 million metric tons, of American soybeans in the past two ...

Bloomberg The Philippines will keep the capital region that has the most coronavirus infections under a lockdown but it will allow some businesses to reopen in the area as it eases curbs in many parts of the country. President Rodrigo Duterte will put Metro Manila, Laguna province south of the capital and Cebu City in the Visayas under a modified ...

Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp warned profit will tumble 80% to a nine-year low and predicted it could take another year before global car sales return to pre-virus levels, the latest sign that expectations for a quick economic rebound are fading. Japan’s biggest automaker is targeting operating profit of 500 billion yen ($4.65 billion) for the year through March, the company ...

Bloomberg With the coronavirus pandemic crippling demand for automobiles worldwide, Tata Motors Ltd is worth nothing without its luxury unit Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), according to CLSA Ltd. The $3.7 billion Indian auto company faces a significant increase in debt due to the crisis, and its plan to deleverage may be delayed by four to six quarters, CLSA said. It ...

Bloomberg The nation’s top infectious disease official, Anthony Fauci, was expected to issue a stern warning against reopening the economy too soon during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, saying it risks multiple new coronavirus outbreaks throughout the country. The US risks “the danger of trying to open the country prematurely,” Fauci said in an email to a New York Times ...

Bloomberg The US Senate unanimously approved a bill seeking the restoration of Taiwan’s observer status with the World Health Organization (WHO), escalating an international campaign to push back against Chinese efforts to isolate the island. The bipartisan measure calls on the State Department to report about Taiwan’s participation as an observer at the World Health Assembly — a key WHO ...

Bloomberg Hong Kong’s leader is pushing ahead with politically divisive policies that may prompt new protests against China’s influence over the city, even as she tries to revive a once-vibrant economy that’s been battered by unrest and the coronavirus pandemic. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said on Tuesday a controversial law making it illegal to disrespect China’s national anthem would get ...