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Bloomberg Bulgaria is renewing efforts to join the euro area’s waiting room in the hope for easier access to financial aid in the coronavirus crisis. The European Union’s poorest country has been pushing to join the currency zone since 2016 to boost living standards and avoid being sidelined in the bloc’s decision-making. After numerous setbacks, the central bank has signaled ...

Bloomberg Italy extended a national lockdown until May 3, rejecting calls by business leaders to allow a gradual restart of the economy. The decision reflects a pattern playing out in many parts of Europe as health officials and politicians warn against letting up too early on restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus and avoid a second wave of ...

Bloomberg The disruption caused by the fallout from coronavirus outbreak is the last thing Spain’s car industry needs. Already under pressure from the shift to electric vehicles, the pandemic risks raising uncomfortable questions for Europe’s second-largest auto producer. As auto bosses plot their course for the years ahead — with less money to spread around — Spain could come up ...

Bloomberg Caterpillar Inc. is in discussions with banks to raise a new $3 billion 9-month revolving credit facility. The deal could be increased to about $5 billion in total and will help boost the construction equipment company’s liquidity, the people said. Representatives for Citibank, which is leading the deal, and Caterpillar declined to comment. Other banks on the deal include ...

RIYADH / WAM The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen has declared a comprehensive ceasefire in Yemen for a period of two weeks, starting April 9 at 12:00 KSA time. The two-week period is subject to extension. “Based on its previous announcement on March 25, the Joint Forces Command of the coalition supported the Yemeni ...

Bloomberg Oil rose but trading was volatile as the world’s top producers inched towards a deal to curb output. Brent futures were higher on the day, but fell sharply by about $2 a barrel on concerns that any deal may not be enough to stem rising inventories. The Opec+ meeting discuss curbing output by 10 million barrels a day, said ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The UAE Space Agency, in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi-based global innovation hub Krypto Labs, announced that it would be kicking off its virtual programmes as part of the Global Space Industry Accelerator (GSIA) initiative. As part of its digital transformation, the UAE Space Agency will be holding a virtual roadshow for the NewSpace Innovation Programme. ...

Bloomberg India is planning to provide nearly $6.6 billion in loans to state power utilities as a slump in electricity demand squeezes liquidity while dues to generators pile up, according to people with knowledge of the development. The loans, via state-run Power Finance Corp. Ltd. and its unit REC Ltd., will help the utilities, known as discoms, clear debts to ...

Bloomberg The number of people going hungry around the world could double in just a few months as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on food supplies and hurts incomes. That’s according to a group of major food companies, industry bodies and academics, which warned that those suffering from chronic hunger may surge from about 800 million amid mounting food-supply risks. ...

ABU DHABI / WAM Four agriculture technology (AgTech) pioneers will build new facilities in Abu Dhabi dedicated to developing next generation agriculture in arid and desert agriculture. The Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) has partnered individually with AeroFarms, Madar Farms, RNZ and Responsive Drip Irrigation (RDI). The partnership will establish new R&D and production facilities in the emirate, turning sand ...