German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday that a decision would come "soon" on a potential rescue program for coronavirus-stricken airline giant Lufthansa after weeks of talks.

Greece will restart its tourism season on June 15 in a key boost to the economy after the virus lockdown, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Wednesday, adding that international flights would resume on July 1.

"The tourism period begins June 15, when seasonal hotels can reopen, and direct international flights to our tourist destinations will gradually begin July 1," Mitsotakis said in a televised address.

German car giant Volkswagen apologized Wednesday for an Instagram ad that showed a giant white hand pushing around a black person, after an online backlash slamming the clip as racist.

The U.S. economy risks suffering "permanent damage" the longer the lockdown to contain the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Tuesday.

Angola on Tuesday awarded the licence for its fourth telecoms network to Lebanese group Africell, as sub-Saharan Africa's second-biggest oil producer opens other economic sectors to foreign competition.

Automakers Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi have hinted that they may unveil a strategic plan next week to repair their troubled alliance as the coronavirus pandemic lashes the industry.

Facebook on Tuesday reached out to businesses struggling to survive the pandemic with free tools for creating online "Shops" at the social network and Instagram.

Turkey was recovering from its first recession in a decade when the coronavirus hit. Now the economy is on the brink again, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is running out of options.

Hopes for a vaccine to treat coronavirus and a further easing of lockdown measures around the world spurred a rally on Asian markets Tuesday as investors tracked a surge across Europe and Wall Street.

The coronavirus pandemic could cut up to 9.7 percent off the global economy, the Asian Development Bank said Friday, doubling its previous estimate as the virus stifles trade and leaves millions jobless.