Tag: Asia

South Asia faces fresh health crisis as children miss vaccinations

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — South Asia could face a further public health crisis as children miss routine vaccinations, the UN warned Tuesday, spurring fears that the fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic might reverse hard-earned gains in the region. The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said hundreds of thousands were at risk as lockdowns across South Asia halted immunization drives and parents refrained from taking their children to doctors to be inoculated. “While the COVID-19 […]

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Oil prices collapse on storage fears, Asia equities mixed

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Oil prices collapsed to more than two-decade lows Monday as traders grow concerned that storage facilities are reaching their limits, while equities were mixed, with some support coming from signs that the coronavirus may have peaked in Europe and the United States. US crude benchmark West Texas Intermediate briefly plunged almost 20 percent to below $15 — its lowest since 1999 — as stockpiles continue to build owing to a […]

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Asia markets higher as China trade data beats forecasts

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets posted gains on Tuesday as better than expected Chinese trade data suggested a rebound from the economic devastation wrought by the coronavirus pandemic. China has largely brought the disease under control within its borders since the COVID-19 outbreak first emerged in the city of Wuhan late last year. But it came at the cost of drastic measures that shuttered much of the economy and cordoned off tens of […]

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US criticizes WHO for ignoring Taiwan virus warnings

  by Shaun Tandon with Amber Wang in Taipei Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday accused the World Health Organization of putting politics first by ignoring early coronavirus warnings by Taiwan, which voiced outrage over criticism from the UN body’s chief. President Donald Trump has gone on an offensive with threats to withhold funding for the WHO, which is at the forefront of fighting the pandemic that has […]

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Asian markets mostly down as traders fret over virus

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Most Asian equities retreated Wednesday after a two-day rally as investors closely track developments in the coronavirus crisis, while the oil market continued to fluctuate ahead of a crucial producers’ meeting. While the deadly disease continues to sweep across the planet, signs that the rate of infections is possibly leveling out and countries are preparing to ease some lockdown restrictions have instilled a semblance of optimism this week. However, the […]

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Asian markets mostly higher but virus uncertainty casts shadow

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets were mostly up Wednesday after suffering a diabolical first quarter, while traders weigh trillions of dollars in global stimulus with the prospect of lengthy lockdowns as the coronavirus continues its deadly sweep across the planet. With the number of infected and dead still surging in Europe and the United States, hopes are fading that strict containment measures keeping billions of people at home will be lifted any time […]

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Asia markets mostly up after Wall St rally but nerves remain

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Most Asian equities enjoyed gains Tuesday following another rally on Wall Street, while oil bounced, with traders welcoming a surprise jump in Chinese factory activity, though analysts cautioned that the road ahead remained rocky for the global economy. The World Bank also warned that fallout from the coronavirus pandemic could bring China’s growth to a standstill, with even a best-case scenario seeing expansion slow to 2.3 percent from 6.1 percent […]

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Asia equities rally as US agrees blockbuster stimulus package

HONG KONG  China (AFP) — Asian equities soared again Wednesday after US lawmakers finally agreed on a mammoth stimulus package to support the world’s biggest economy against the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. While the deadly disease continues to spread, traders have a rare semblance of optimism after weeks of carnage across global markets, with eyes fixed on Washington where lawmakers in the early hours thrashed out an emergency bill worth as much as $2 […]

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Asia markets rally as Fed unveils ‘game changer’ support measures

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets and crude prices surged while the dollar sank Tuesday after the Federal Reserve unveiled an unprecedented bond-buying program to support the US economy. While most of the planet goes into lockdown, traders gave a massive thumbs up to the US central bank’s pledge to essentially print cash in a move not seen since the global financial crisis more than a decade ago. The Fed, which has already slashed […]

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Asian markets sink as pandemic deaths soar

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets were mostly in the red in early trade Monday despite massive economic stimulus efforts worldwide, with investors spooked by the relentless march of the coronavirus pandemic. The negative mood was fuelled by the failure of US lawmakers to agree on a trillion-dollar emergency package to help the reeling American economy. The global death toll from the virus has surged past 14,300, with nearly a billion people confined and […]

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Asia steps up virus efforts as second wave of infections strikes

by Allison JACKSON Agence France-Presse Hong Kong, China (AFP) — From Australia’s Bondi Beach to the streets of New Delhi, authorities across Asia have ramped up efforts to stem the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus amid fears of a second wave of infections in places where outbreaks had appeared under control. Tighter travel restrictions were imposed in several countries as the number of cases in the region soared past 95,000 — a third of the […]

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Asia markets lifted by huge economic support plans

HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian equities enjoyed some much-needed gains Friday after another volatile week on global markets as investors took solace in a blockbuster series of government and central bank measures aimed at cushioning the economic blow from the coronavirus. The dollar also eased somewhat after a lengthy rally fuelled by traders cashing out of their investments, while the embattled oil market extended Thursday’s gains. With the deadly pandemic showing no sign of […]

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