The FT News Briefing is a rundown of the global business stories you need to know for the coming day, from the newsroom of the Financial Times. If you enjoy it, subscribe to the FT News Briefing wherever you get your podcasts, or listen at FT.com/newsbriefing.

Friday, March 20

Republicans in the US Senate have introduced legislation to inject more than $1tn of fiscal stimulus into the economy as it grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. Sir Paul Tucker, the former deputy governor of the Bank of England and current chair of the Systemic Risk Council, says it’s time for policymakers and bankers to prepare for a wartime setting if conditions deteriorate. Plus, the only US drugmaker that makes a potential treatment for the coronavirus raised the price nearly 100 per cent in January as the outbreak wreaked havoc in China. 

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Stimulant given as ‘likely’ reason for lower infections but authorities stress health risks

Destocking is at an end and global consumption is expected to rise this year

Editor who raised the profile of the Financial Times’ coverage in Japan

The four-year bond will pay 7.5%

Facebook has a new connectivity app called Discover to help those who can’t afford to get online access information on the web. The service, available through mobile web and Android app, allows users to visit any website in text format (no video, images, audio and other elements that eat up large amounts of data) and […]

Amazon is in hot water with a powerful congressional committee interested in the company’s potentially anticompetitive business practices. In a bipartisan letter sent Friday to Jeff Bezos, the House Judiciary committee demanded that the Amazon CEO explain discrepancies between his own prior statements and recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal. Specifically, the letter addressed […]

Facebook has a new connectivity app called Discover to help those who can’t afford to get online access information on the web. The service, available through mobile web and Android app, allows users to visit any website in text format (no video, images, audio and other elements that eat up large amounts of data) and […]

It’s not a converted industrial warehouse in Brooklyn. Or a stately, century-old building in the Flatiron. But YC-backed Regalii’s atypical office location up in the Dominican-heavy Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan has given it plenty of insights into its working-class immigrant customer base. The startup, co-founded by several Latino founders who personally knew the hassles of sending money home, […]

Facebook has a new connectivity app called Discover to help those who can’t afford to get online access information on the web. The service, available through mobile web and Android app, allows users to visit any website in text format (no video, images, audio and other elements that eat up large amounts of data) and […]

PwC Australia is delighted to announce a partnership with The Australian National Committee for UN Women in a joint effort to promote gender equality.

On Monday, April 20, 2020, New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil front-month futures prices fell below zero dollars per barrel (b)—at one point, trading at -$40.32/b (Figure 1)—and remained below zero for part of the following trading day. Monday marked the first time the price for the WTI futures contract fell below zero since trading began in 1983. Negative prices in commodity markets are very rare, but when they occur they typically indicate high transactions costs and significant infrastructure constraints. In this case, the WTI front-month futures contract was for May 2020 delivery, and the contract was set to expire on April 21, 2020. Unless they have made other arrangements ahead of time, market participants that hold WTI futures contracts to expiration must take physical delivery of WTI crude oil in Cushing, Oklahoma. Typically, most market participants close any futures contracts ahead of expiration through cash settlement in order to avoid taking physical delivery, and only about 1% of contracts are physically settled. The extreme market events of April 20 and April 21 were driven by several factors, including the inability of contract holders to find other market participants to sell the futures contracts. In addition, in this case, the scarcity of available crude oil storage meant several market participants sold their futures contracts at negative prices, in effect paying a counterparty to close out of the contracts. ...

Facebook has a new connectivity app called Discover to help those who can’t afford to get online access information on the web. The service, available through mobile web and Android app, allows users to visit any website in text format (no video, images, audio and other elements that eat up large amounts of data) and […]

1. Amitabh Bachchan Remembers Sridevi And Irrfan In One Frame; See Pic  News18
2. Deepika Padukone & Amitabh Bachchan remember Irrfan Khan  NEWS9 live
3. Deepika Padukone recalls late Irrfan Khan with a throwback video of their tennis game; Says ‘please come back’  PINKVILLA
4. Deepika Padukone Remembers Irrfan Khan With A Sweet Memory From The Sets Of Piku  NDTV
5. Amitabh Bachchan remembers Sridevi, Irrfan Khan  Zee News
6. View Full coverage on Google News

1. ‘Have 7-stage plan to bring back migrants’: Trinamool on Amit Shah’s letter  Hindustan Times
2. I am healthy, not suffering from any disease, says Amit Shah  Times of India
3. Not Allowing Migrants' Trains "Injustice": Amit Shah To Mamata Banerjee  NDTV
4. No proposal so far to run 'Shramik Special' trains to Bengal: Railway officials  Livemint
5. Home Minister asks CM Mamata Banerjee to arrange for return of migrant Bengal workers  Times of India
6. View Full coverage on Google News

1. LG Polymers admits leaking vapor from gas storage tank caused Vizag tragedy  Livemint
2. LG Polymers fined Rs 50cr for Vizag gas leak by NGT, ministry says firms violated green norms  Times of India
3. Vizag gas leak: Venkatapuram village wears deserted look on the second day  Times of India
4. Vizag gas leak: Locals protest for closure of LG Polymers amid Andhra Pradesh DGP's visit  Times of India
5. Cautionary tale  The Indian Express
6. View Full coverage on Google News

As a cell phone plan, Yahoo Mobile seems pretty straightforward — there’s just one pricing tier, where you pay $39.99 per month for unlimited calls, data and mobile hotspot usage. But you may be wondering why Yahoo is getting into the phone business. It makes more sense when you recall that Yahoo is owned by Verizon, […]

A UK parliamentary committee that focuses on human rights issues has called for primary legislation to be put in place to ensure that legal protections wrap around the national coronavirus contact tracing app. The app, called NHS COVID-19, is being fast tracked for public use — with a test ongoing this week in the Isle […]

Recent business shutdowns and changes to normal routines related to mitigation efforts for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have caused daily, weekday electricity demand in New York state to decrease by 11%–14% in March and April compared with expected demand, after accounting for seasonal temperature changes. Electricity demand changes in New York state and in New York City, in particular, have been more pronounced than in other parts of the country, which may partly be caused by differences in electricity consumption across regions and the varying effects of COVID-19 mitigation efforts on these sectors.

Recent business shutdowns and changes to normal routines related to mitigation efforts for the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have caused daily weekday electricity demand in the central region of the United States to decrease by 9%�13% in March and April compared with expected demand, after accounting for seasonal temperature changes. This decrease is similar to declines seen in New York. In contrast, other areas of the country, such as Florida, have not experienced significant changes, which may partly be caused by regional differences in how much electricity each end-use sector consumes and the varying effects of COVID-19 mitigation efforts on the sectors.

The actress, 84, looked in high spirits as she arrived at the premiere of the feature film adaptation of Downton Abbey in Leicester Square on Monday.

In scenes set to air on Saturday's edition of the Jonathan Ross Show, the pair joked that that the iconic British actress, 84, 'loves a meme'.

Lesley Nicol, who played Downton cook Mrs Patmore in the long-running period drama, told DailyMailTV talks for a second film are underway following the success of the first movie last month.

The actor's outing comes after reports that he has not been seen with girlfriend Lily James for several months while his The Crown co-star Claire Foy is said to be providing a consoling shoulder.

Close friends say Claire Foy is providing a consoling shoulder for Matt Smith, whose relationship with girlfriend Lily James, has been the subject of increasing talk among showbiz insiders.

Dame Maggie Smith has revealed she didn't feel 'satisfied' with her roles in the Harry Potter and the Downton Abbey franchise.

Welsh-born Ioan Gruffudd, 46, told The Guardian that he couldn't wait to get his teeth into the character after reading the script, but the 'horrible things he's done' took their toll on him during filming.

The pregnant star, 38, took to Instagram to share a sweet snap alongside her husband-to-be after tweeting she wouldn't be attending the ceremony because she 'can't be a***d to get glammed up.'

Katie McGlynn has said she is willing to replace Michelle Keegan in Our Girl, after the actress, 32, stepped down from the role to spend more time with her family.

The TOWIE star, 28, admitted Chris' scuffle with a paparazzi photographer did not come as a surprise to her after they previously had an argument at the awards.

The actress, 38, poked fun at her stylish black polo neck jumper with a playful caption as she took to Instagram on Monday to share the sweet selfie with her husband-to-be, 28.

The 30-year-old explained that starring on House Rules 'wasn't great' for her diet, as she was constantly relying on a quick sugar fix during filming.

Donald Trump's impeachment inquiry faces one last, long, and contentious public hearing before it moves to the House floor for a full vote among all lawmakers in the lower chamber.

Kyly Clarke is the biggest star on House Rules: High Stakes. And it appeared she captured the attention of some of the male contestants on Wednesday night's episode

Neymar is prepared to end speculation over his future and commit to Paris Saint-Germain, but any chance of a deal will depend on how far the team progresses in the Champions League.

The 28-year-old has already made over 100 international appearances, helping his country win the Confederations Cup and an Olympic gold on home turf, but Tite says he is not the be-all and end-all.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar claims the uncertainty over football's return due to the coronavirus pandemic has left him suffering with anxiety.

The pregnant star, 38, took to Instagram to share a sweet photo of herself with her friend Matthew Rowland, who took on the role of Dr. Pomatter, and his co-stars.

Sam Smith has become the latest star to self-isolate at home.

Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown joined Miley Cyrus via webcam on Monday afternoon for the singer's latest episode of her Instagram Live series Bright Minded.

The star, 39 - who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon on Sunday night - said she doesn't normally watch television.

The tennis ace, 37, who is presently competing in the US Open at Flushing Meadow, New York, revealed she finds it 'really kind of painful' to leave the toddler she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian.

Serena Williams, 37, called Meghan Markle, 38, 'amazing' for travelling to New York to support her but admitted she didn't know if she could have left her daughter at Archie's young age.

The Bulgarian tennis star, 28, defended his garish outfit, saying he didn't want to wear anything 'vanilla' and that he'd collaborated with kit sponsor Nike on the colourful tracksuit.

Fourth seed Michael Smith became the latest victim of an upset after Luke Woodhouse claimed a memorable 3-1 win at the PDC World Darts Championship.

GREAT SPORTING MOMENTS OF 2019: In the fourth in our series of the greatest moments of the sporting year, we recall those two nights when two Brits claimed World Championship gold...

The Borussia Dortmund star has been heavily linked with a move to United after enjoying yet another stellar season in Germany, where he has registered an impressive 17 goals and 19 assists.

Blues winger Callum Hudson-Odoi spoke about the close relationship he has with the Borussia Dortmund star - having played together for England at various age groups.

It's been a scary week for the Strictly contestants after Jerry Hall's shock exit last Sunday.

It wasn’t applause Miss Bussell, 43, used to show her appreciation but a masculine gesture that involved raising her left arm, a clenched fist and her teeth.