Bloomberg Volkswagen AG struck deals with two Chinese companies and deepened cooperation with Ford Motor Co., broadening its strategic footprint as the coronavirus sparks the worst economic contraction in decades and internal tensions rise. The German manufacturer will become the biggest shareholder of battery company Guoxuan High-Tech Co. and closed in on a 50% stake in a Chinese electric-vehicle partner. …

Bloomberg South Africa is seeking investments from multilateral lenders, commercial banks and pension funds in what a senior ruling party official said will be a $20.5 billion infrastructure program. The program will focus on “network industries such as rail and ports, energy, broadband connectivity, water, sanitation and human settlements,” Paul Mashatile, the treasurer-general of the African National Congress, said in …

Bloomberg Oil extended declines after an industry report showed US crude inventories swelled for the first time in three weeks. Futures fell 1.4% in New York, following Wednesday’s 4.5% decrease. The American Petroleum Institute reported that stockpiles expanded by 8.73 million barrels last week, according to people familiar with the data, raising questions about the strength of the market’s return …