April, 2020

• 22 April

  Doctors plan silent protest across India

  

  Bloomberg Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government announced an executive order to ensure the safety of medical staff after they threatened to protest against rising incidences of violence over fears doctors are spreading the deadly coronavirus. Cabinet on Wednesday amended laws to convert such violent acts into non-bailable offenses and provide compensation for injury or loss to property. Prison terms range ...

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• 22 April

  Spanish virus cases steady, lockdown to be extended

  

  Bloomberg Spain reported a small increase in the number of new coronavirus cases, though the numbers remain steady as the country readies for at least two more weeks of lockdown. There were 4,211 new infections in the 24 hours through Wednesday, up from 3,968 on April 21 and taking the total to 208,389, according to Health Ministry data. The number ...

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• 22 April

  With immunity cards, lockdowns, Chile forges own path

  

  Bloomberg Santiago’s central square looks a little like India this week, with police and army units enforcing a tight lockdown — no one moves without a permit. Down the street, it feels more like Sweden with its soft approach to the pandemic — the produce market there is thronged with shoppers and many stores are open. Chile, South America’s richest ...

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• 22 April

  ‘Ethiopia at high risk of yellow fever outbreak’

  Bloomberg Ethiopia, already battling Covid-19, is at high risk of a second scourge after yellow fever was reported in the south of the nation, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The first two cases were reported on March 3 in the SNNP Region and had risen to six by April 6, the WHO said in an emailed statement. “The high ...

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• 22 April

  Germany has a winning hand again in Europe

  

  On Thursday, the European Union’s leaders will gather to decide on a joint response to the economic crisis caused by Covid-19. The central question will be whether the euro zone is ready to issue some form of mutualised debt to relieve pressure on the bloc’s most fragile member states. The chances of anything resembling so-called “euro bonds” are extremely slim. ...

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• 22 April

  Facebook, Ambani can be happy together

  

  When naming his telecom foray in 2016, Mukesh Ambani chose the mirror image of OIL, the commodity that has made him India’s richest man. In hindsight, Jio was a good choice. The week that oil prices turned negative, the refining tycoon won a $5.7 billion investment from Facebook Inc for his digital assets, Jio Platforms Ltd. Like his wordplay, the ...

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• 22 April

  Covid-19: Plastic bags are making a comeback

  After decades of bitter fights, environmentalists seemed to be winning the war against single-use plastics in recent years, with cities around the world banning or taxing them. Then the coronavirus arrived, raising fears that reusable goods might lead to infections. The impact has been swift. From Maine to Hawaii, plastic-bag bans have been suspended or postponed. In San Francisco, reusable ...

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• 22 April

  Did Dems get rolled on US’s new rescue plan?

  So a deal was reached on the bill to supplement the money for small business and other new pandemic relief. Congressional Republicans had wanted $250 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program for small-business loans. The final bill added up to a $480 billion package, with Democrats winning aid for hospitals and increased coronavirus testing, plus provisions for smaller banks to ...

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• 22 April

  Covid-19: The era of airline buccaneers may be ending

  

  Aviation has always carried a whiff of the pirate ship about it. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, likes to describe himself as an “adventurer and troublemaker,” and once claimed to have found buried treasure on his private Caribbean island as a prank. Right now, the buccaneering executives who have driven the airline industry since the 1980s, when ...

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• 22 April

  Now revenge is a dish that’s off China menu

  

  China’s high-end consumers aren’t going on a “revenge spending” spree. They’re just bringing their love affair with luxury brands home. A surge in China sales for stores operated by the likes of LVMH and Hermes International has spurred optimism that consumer demand will snap back as the lockdowns lift. The reports offered a glimmer of light amid data showing that ...

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