Business

Economic prospects for the developed world this year have darkened again in the past month as the coronavirus pandemic has rolled from Asia to the Americas, with a V-shaped sharp recovery expected by less than one-fifth of economists polled by Reuters.

Merck & Co Inc , which has largely kept to the sidelines of the race for COVID-19 treatments, said it was buying Austrian vaccine maker Themis Bioscience and would collaborate with research nonprofit IAVI to develop two separate vaccines.

Oil prices fell on Wednesday on concerns over how quickly fuel demand will recover even as lockdowns ease in many countries with falling coronavirus cases, with U.S.-China tensions adding to pressure.

When Renault SA , Nissan Motor Co and Mitsubishi Motors Corp announced the last strategy plan for their Alliance in September 2017, the goal was to become the world's biggest automaker by 2022.

Mexico's auto industry reopening picked up pace on Tuesday, with Fiat Chrysler and BMW AG joining peers in gradually dusting off operations even as the wait for approvals slowed the return of Ford Motor Co and other companies.

LATAM Airlines Group , the continent's largest carrier, filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, becoming the world's largest carrier so far to seek an emergency reorganization due to the coronavirus pandemic.