Australia’s economy was likely already slowing before wide-scale coronavirus restrictions shuttered swathes of business and jobs, setting the stage for a vicious contraction this quarter.

The French government has extended 240 billion euros ($283 billion) in financial aid to businesses hammered by the coronavirus pandemic since March 2020, mainly in the form of state-guaranteed loans, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced Monday.

Singapore must stay open to preserve its status as a global business hub, its prime minister said on Sunday, even as the country continues to tighten its foreign worker policies and addresses anxieties among locals over competition for jobs.

Growth in China’s factory activity likely cooled further in August, a Reuters poll showed on Monday, as Covid-related restrictions and high raw material prices continued to pressure manufacturers and the economy lost momentum. 

Britain’s government has rejected calls from retail and logistics companies to temporarily ease post-Brexit immigration rules which they say are contributing to a shortage of truck drivers and acute supply chain disruption.

For many affluent young Chinese consumers, modern simplicity is out and tradition is back in when it comes to jewellery.

India attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows of $22.53 billion during the first three months of the fiscal year starting on April 1, 90 per cent higher than the April-June period last year, the government said on Saturday.

Cuban entrepreneurs, running businesses ranging from selling dried fruit to repairing bikes and developing software, are scrambling to understand the opportunities and challenges ahead after a landmark change in the rules governing the Communist-run economy.

Britain aims to conclude negotiations to join the trans-Pacific trade group by the end of 2022, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing International Trade Secretary Liz Truss. 

The Biden administration, which was criticized this week for approving licenses for auto chips for Huawei, said it has not changed the policy on restricting sales of goods and technology to the Chinese company that was put in place during the Trump presidency.

Thailand will lift most coronavirus restrictions on retail and dining from next month and permit gatherings of up to 25 people in Bangkok and other high risk areas, its Covid-19 task force said on Friday.

China has launched a multi-pronged attack on its tech companies, threatening to curb their ability to list in the United States, seeking to tighten up regulation of their use of algorithms and sidelining their cloud computing businesses in a major city.

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell’s wait-and-see approach in Friday’s long-awaited address gives investors and market participants an extraordinary central bank to support the economy. Assets that have reassured us that efforts are likely to support the more risky ones will be a little longer.

China’s top social media platforms, Wechat, Douyin, Sina Weibo and Kuaishou, said on Saturday they would begin to rectify irregular practices of  “self-media” accounts that publish financial information, reported state media Global Times.

The US economy and labor market have healed to the point that the central bank could begin to withdraw its stimulus measures by the end of the year, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Friday.

US consumer spending slowed in July as a decline in motor vehicle purchases due to shortages offset a rise in outlays on services, supporting views that economic growth will moderate in the third quarter amid a resurgence in Covid-19 infections.

Toyota Motor said on Friday it had suspended all self-driving e-Palette transportation pods at the Tokyo Paralympic Games village, a day after one of the vehicles collided with and injured a visually impaired pedestrian. 

Indian Oil Corp is expanding its joint venture with Malaysia’s state-run Petronas to include building liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, fuel retailing and gas distribution, Chairman SM Vaidya said on Friday.

 Canada has joined Mexico in seeking formal consultation with the United States over the interpretation of content rules for automobiles set out in the North American trade pact, Mexico and Canada said on Friday. 

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal left Dhaka for Geneva today to attend the Asia-Pacific Regional Review Meeting on implementation of IPoA in preparation for the 5th UN Conference on the LDC (UNLDC-5).