Bloomberg Zimbabwe’s troubled national airline has failed to secure outside investment, dealing a blow to government plans to sell state-owned assets and secure much-needed revenue. The airline, which in October 2018 was placed under administration, a form of bankruptcy protection, received expressions of interest from 10 international investors and had short-listed three bidders. “A process to solicit for a strategic …

Bloomberg Qantas Airways Ltd is slashing capacity on international flights in Asia by 15% and freezing recruitment as the coronavirus drives down travel demand. The reductions apply to flights to mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore and will be in place until at least the end of May, the Australian airline said in a statement. The cuts are the equivalent …

Bloomberg The guardians of the world economy are convening amid mounting fears that the coronavirus outbreak poses a greater threat to global growth than first envisaged. Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 nations began meetings on Saturday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for the first time since the virus forced much of China to be …

Bloomberg Oil fell as the coronavirus outbreak accelerated beyond China, intensifying concerns about the infection’s economic fallout. Futures fell 0.9% in New York. China revised how it calculates infection totals for the third time this month, raising questions about data reliability and confirming the virus’s growing reach. Meanwhile, a key IHS Markit gauge of factories and service providers in the …

ABU DHABI / WAM Strata Manufacturing (Strata), the advanced composite aero structures manufacturing facility wholly-owned by Mubadala Investment Company PJSC, outlined its ability to expand production capabilities beyond traditional aerospace at the Unmanned Systems Conference in Abu Dhabi. At the conference, which took place on Saturday at Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (Adnec), Ismail Ali Abdulla, the CEO of Strata, …

Bloomberg California is backing away — ever so slightly — from its once-sweeping mandate requiring solar panels on virtually every new home. The California Energy Commission voted unanimously in favour of a measure proposed by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to allow homes to get power from solar farms instead of rooftop panels. The move is a setback for …

Bloomberg Nigeria will build the second-largest hydroelectric plant in Africa after the government settled a legal dispute that was delaying the project, Power Minister Sale Mamman said. “We have now overcome the major problem stopping this project and it is nearly over,” Mamman said. He said Attorney General Abubakar Malami is finalising the terms of the settlement, which are undisclosed. …

Bloomberg Apple Inc is considering giving rival apps more prominence on iPhones and iPads and opening its HomePod speaker to third-party music services after criticism the company provides an unfair advantage to its in-house products. The technology giant is discussing whether to let users choose third-party web browser and mail applications as their default options on Apple’s mobile devices, replacing …

Bloomberg The maker of Britain’s iconic black cabs is building a plug-in hybrid van that can travel for 377 miles without recharging or filling up, in a bid to win over long-distance delivery firms and other companies that rely on purely gasoline vehicles. London Electric Vehicle Co is targeting high-mileage fleets at firms such as Royal Mail Plc and utilities …

Bloomberg Air travel and glitch-free internet access are often considered mutually exclusive, thanks to the technical difficulties associated with making Wi-Fi work at 40,000 feet. For the airlines, a satisfying online experience is even more elusive. The hardware, software, maintenance and inability to easily switch service providers combine for a very expensive headache. But there may be some good news …