Bloomberg The euro-area economy is facing a contraction this year in line with the European Central Bank’s (ECB) more pessimistic forecasts, according to Christine Lagarde. Output in the region is likely to shrink between 8% to 12%, the ECB president said in an online question-and-answer session targeted at European youth. Estimates for a mild scenario are “out of date.” “We’ll ...

Bloomberg Britain could create 850,000 new green energy jobs this decade if it uses recovery stimulus to fast-track decarbonisation, a report has found. Financial stimulus being used to kick-start the economic recovery from coronavirus should accelerate the UK’s path towards net-zero emissions and limit the worst effects of climate change, according to a report by a the cross-party IPPR environmental ...

Bloomberg President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a raft of measures aimed at reviving France’s struggling car industry and drawing manufacturing back to local factories. The plan includes incentives for the purchase of electric cars, cash-for-clunkers to encourage consumers to trade in older, more polluting cars and subsidies for struggling car-parts makers. The total of roughly 8 billion euros ($9 billion) also ...

Bloomberg Argentina’s ninth default on its external debt is now official after some of its bonds were cut to default status by two rating companies. Fitch Ratings reduced the South American nation to restricted default (RD), while S&P Global downgraded four of its dollar-denominated bonds to default from CC following a missed $500 million payment last week. That sets up ...

Bloomberg Brazil, the biggest exporter of beef and chicken, is betting on a new set of safety standards to avoid the kind of mass processing disruptions that caused meat shortages and price spikes in America. The South American farming powerhouse plans to introduce new national guidelines that incorporate requirements from local authorities and labour prosecutors, Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina Dias ...

Bloomberg Stocks advanced in Europe along with US equity futures as investors looked past simmering tensions between Washington and Beijing and focused on progress in relaxing lockdowns. Oil slipped, while Treasuries and the dollar edged higher. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index headed for a third daily increase as the region’s push to revive battered economies looked to be on track, ...

Bloomberg Shares in Singapore Exchange Ltd. (SGX) plunged after MSCI Inc. announced it will move licensing for derivatives products on a host of gauges to Hong Kong from Singapore. SGX’s stock fell 11.8% as of 3:22 pm local time, set for the biggest drop since 2003, amid concerns over the loss of revenue stream following the move. MSCI has struck ...

DUBAI / WAM Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the gradual reopening of business activities in Dubai from the fourth day ...

Bloomberg Oil rose near $34 a barrel following Russia’s prediction that the market may balance as early as next month as global producers take historic amounts of crude out of the market. Russia, a key member of the Opec+ alliance that has pledged record output cuts, expects the market to balance in June or July. Energy Minister Alexander Novak said ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) issued a decision to postpone implementation of the ban on supplying, transferring, storing, and possession of water pipe tobacco and electrically heated cigarettes in the UAE that do not carry digital tax stamps until January 1, 2021. The ban had previously been scheduled to come into effect on June 1 this ...