News

* French shares fall as virus death toll crosses 15,000 (Adds comments, updates prices to close)

UnitedHealth Group Inc on Wednesday reaffirmed its financial targets for the year, but cautioned it was uncertain of the impact of elective procedures being postponed by Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 2m businesspeople thought to be ineligible for existing coronavirus support schemes

Jordan's Prime Minister Omar al Razzaz said on Wednesday the government would soon ease a tight lockdown imposed to stem the spread of coronavirus by allowing more businesses and industries to return to work.

* German auction successful; Greece sells first bond since ECB eligibility (Updates prices, adds France issuing)

The coronavirus pandemic and economic shutdowns could have multiple second-order impacts such as deflation in some economies, a loss of output, permanently-shifted supply chains and a re-evaluation of regulation, the director of the International Monetary Fund's monetary and capital markets department said.

Civil servant in charge of welfare reform programme says events are ‘truly seismic’

Saudi Arabia's King Salman has approved an additional package of measures to help the private sector deal with the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, its finance minister said.

Britain's banks have enough funds to keep lending to the economy even under the deep recession scenario outlined by a government watchdog, Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said on Wednesday.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday said it expected Lebanon's GDP would shrink 12% in 2020, amid a financial crisis that has drained the country of hard currency and prompted it to default on debt payments.

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