France's government is pledging 45 billion euros in aid for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus global pandemic. That's in addition to tens of billions already promised for French workers forced to stop working because of store and restaurant closures and strict new confinement measures. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced the new aid in the morning today, after another dark day for French markets. The aid will include tax breaks and a "solidarity fund'' for struggling small businesses across the economy. France now has more than 6,600 cases of the virus, including 148 deaths.-AP

Source: The Standard March 17, 2020 08:10 UTC