Bloomberg Gross domestic product (GDP) in the Latin America and Caribbean region, excluding Venezuela, is expected to shrink 4.6% in 2020, according to the World Bank. The dramatic drop in demand from China and G7 countries due to the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting commodity exporters in South America and exporters of manufactured goods and services in Central America and the ...

Bloomberg The UK has paid out more than 1 billion pounds ($1.25 billion) to small businesses across the country to help them weather the coronavirus pandemic. Almost 100,000 firms have so far drawn on the cash from the government’s grants programs for small businesses, retailers and the hospitality sector, the Local Government Association said in an emailed statement on Monday. ...

Bloomberg Mexico’s employment market had its worst March in a quarter of a century as the global coronavirus pandemic took its toll on Latin America’s second largest economy. The country lost more than 130,500 jobs in the month from February after the employment market shrank 0.6%, according to a statement from the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). The net job ...

Bloomberg Argentina will make an offer to its creditors “in the coming days” that will reflect the economic hit from the coronavirus pandemic, President Alberto Fernandez said in a newspaper interview. While debt talks are “going well,” calculations of debt sustainability will be affected by the impact of the virus, Fernandez was quoted as saying by Perfil. “The coronavirus affects ...

Bloomberg The G-20 is close to a deal to allow lower income countries to freeze their government debt repayments, the Financial Times reported. The deal would put a moratorium on payments for at least six to nine months, with the possibility of going through to 2021. The move would be part of a plan to help the nations grapple with ...

Bloomberg As the coronavirus pandemic leads to anxiety over the strength of the world’s food supply chains, everyone from governments to banks are turning to the skies for help. Orbital Insight, a California-based Big Data company that uses satellites, drones, balloons and cell phone geolocation data to track what’s happening on Earth, has seen inquiries about monitoring food supplies double ...

Bloomberg Parts of the US may be ready in May to ease emergency measures taken against the coronavirus pandemic but there’s no universal “light switch” to flip on, Dr Anthony Fauci said. There’s also the possibility of a Covid-19 rebound in the fall which could be a factor in November’s elections, he said. Fauci and a range of others, including ...

Bloomberg China’s top agency overseeing Hong Kong said lawmakers blocking action by the local legislature were potentially violating their oaths, in a signal that Beijing was losing patience with the months-long legislative logjam. The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office urged the city’s Legislative Council in a statement released on Monday to end the stalemate and resume normal operations. Opposition ...

Bloomberg China rejected criticism about the alleged mistreatment of Africans by authorities in the southern city of Guangzhou, a dispute that could set back Beijing’s diplomatic outreach to help the continent cope with the coronavirus pandemic. The government has treated foreigners equally and attaches great importance to their life and health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian said in ...

Bloomberg North Korean leader Kim Jong-un raised the standing of his sister as a key player in the secretive state and bolstered his new foreign minister in a cadre shuffle that comes as he tries to fend off the coronavirus pandemic. Part emissary, part personal assistant, Kim Yo Jong was reinstated to her position as an alternate Politburo member of ...