Economy

• Monday, March 30th 2020 - 08:56 UTC

  Argentina satisfied with pandemic quarantine results, extends the circulation ban until 12 April

  

  Mandatory quarantine measures that permit citizens to leave their homes only for essential reasons will remain in place in Argentina until April 12, President Alberto Fernandez announced on Sunday.

• Monday, March 30th 2020 - 08:29 UTC

  Bolsonaro urges followers in the streets to keep the Brazilian economy going

  

  Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday flouted his government's social distancing guidelines against the spread of the coronavirus by mixing with supporters on the streets of Brasilia and urging them to keep the economy going.

• Monday, March 30th 2020 - 07:36 UTC

  Pandemic: Sweden avoids draconian measures of the rest of European countries

  

  While swathes of Europe's population endure lockdown conditions in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, one country stands almost alone in allowing life to go on much closer to normal. After a long winter, it's just become warm enough to sit outside in the Swedish capital and people are making the most of it.

• Monday, March 30th 2020 - 07:22 UTC

  Germany does not discard another huge financial package to prop the economy

  

  Germany's 750 billion euro (US$834 billion) package to soften the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak on Europe's largest economy will last for about two months, an independent economic think tank told a German newspaper group.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:54 UTC

  It's official: IMF says pandemic has driven the global economy into recession

  

  The coronavirus pandemic has driven the global economy into a downturn that will require massive funding to help developing nations, IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva said on Friday.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:52 UTC

  Bolsonaro and governors clash over priorities and funds to combat the epidemic

  

  Brazil’s governors pressed President Jair Bolsonaro on Thursday for more federal support in the coronavirus battle after he blasted them as job-killers and undermined their orders with a decree keeping churches open at evangelical preachers’ request.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:50 UTC

  ITUC praises Argentina for putting people first in fighting Covid 19

  

  A new analysis from the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, of government responses from 69 countries to the COVID-19 pandemic has identified 12 governments that are putting people first as they tackle the economic fallout from lockdown measures to stem the spread of the virus.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:39 UTC

  US approves the massive US$ 2,2 trillion package to cope with the pandemic

  

  The US House of Representatives on Friday approved a US$2.2 trillion aid package - the largest in American history - to help people and businesses cope with the economic downturn inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:34 UTC

  S&P downgrades Mexico and oil giant Pemex credit ratings

  

  S&P downgraded Mexico’s credit rating on Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic and a hit to state oil firm Pemex from plunging crude prices battered the growth outlook and piled pressure on the government to lift the struggling economy.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:26 UTC

  Brazil's central bank preparing a “financial bazooka” to prevent recession becoming depression

  

  Brazil’s central bank could soon be forced to fire up the money printing presses if the coronavirus-fueled recession facing Latin America’s largest economy is as devastating as some economists fear.