International News

  Rome / AFP Italy has slashed its growth forecasts for this year and next, nine weeks before a referendum shaping up as make-or-break vote on the centre-left government’s record that could send shockwaves across Europe. Speaking after a cabinet meeting on updated budget plans for 2017, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said he was now making a “prudent” prediction of ...

  Athens / AFP The Greek parliament has adopted fresh austerity measures sought by its international creditors, including expediting privatisation of utility companies. The reforms were passed by 152 of the 293 parliamentary deputies present, deputy speaker Yorgos Varemenos announced after the debate. The vote opens the way for 2.8 billion euros ($3.1 billion) in loans, which have been blocked ...

  Paris / AFP The French government defended its 2017 budget on Wednesday, seven months ahead of the presidential election, after a top watchdog said it doubted it could hit its fiscal targets. France, which has repeatedly broken the European Union’s fiscal rules, is targeting a deficit of 2.7 percent of GDP for 2017, the lowest in a decade and ...

  Bloomberg The Nordic members of the European Union have vowed to work closer together to make up for the potential loss of a key ally, the U.K. Meeting Wednesday in the Finnish island of Aaland, the leaders of Sweden, Denmark and Finland agreed to explore ways of cooperating on some of the crucial battles they will face in Brussels. ...

  AFP A major US health insurance company has said it will help buy Apple smartwatches for customers as part of a move to integrate the gadgets into wellness management programs. Aetna announced that, in the coming open enrollment period, it will make Apple Watch buys an option for large employers and individual customers, becoming the first major health care ...

  Agencies The entire state of South Australia lost electricity after severe winds and storms lashed the region, according to Adelaide-based SA Power Networks. The distributor, which services about 850,000 homes and businesses, said that Australia’s fourth-largest state by area is currently without power and there is “no upstream supply from the transmission network.” The state — about one and ...

  Bloomberg India has more than doubled the amount of coal small and medium companies can buy as the country aims to boost domestic sales of the fuel to reduce a glut. The cap was raised to 10,000 metric tons a year, from 4,200 tons set almost nine years ago, the coal ministry said in a notice. The new guidelines ...

  Kuala Lumpur / AFP An airbag made by Takata — the Japanese firm at the heart of the auto industry’s biggest-ever safety recall — ruptured after a crash in Malaysia which killed the driver, Honda said on Wednesday. “Honda has confirmed that the Takata single stage driver’s airbag inflator ruptured in a crash… in Malaysia” the carmaker said in ...

  JAKARTA / AFP An Indonesian power company said on Wednesday it had removed its founders last year and takes seriously allegations of “improper behaviour” after revelations US justice officials are probing Standard Chartered over suspected bribery at the firm. London-based, Asia-focused Standard Chartered, which controls the MAXpower Group, acknowledged it was being investigated by the US Department of Justice over ...

  TOKYO / AFP Uber, which has struggled to win Japan over to its ride-sharing service, is hoping to fare better with takeout deliveries. UberEats opens Thursday, initially just in central Tokyo, ranging from simple dishes costing just hundreds of yen to Michelin-star dining at the equivalent of hundreds of dollars. Delivery is free at first, although fees are expected ...