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HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets opened in freefall on Friday, extending a global rout that saw bourses experience their worst day in decades on fears of a recession caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo’s benchmark Nikkei index nosedived more than seven percent shortly after the open, with markets around the region plummeting after a historically bad trading day in the US and Europe. The Nikkei 225 index dropped 7.12 percent or 1,322.15 points […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday the league shut-down because of the coronavirus pandemic is likely to last “at least 30 days”. That would see the league shuttered through what would have been about the last month of its regular season. “What we determined today is that this hiatus will be, most likely, at least 30 days,” Silver said on TNT’s “Inside The NBA” program. The NBA suspended play […]
LISBON, Portugal (AFP) — Portugal will close all schools from Monday until at just before Easter to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced. The move will affect more than 1.6 million children and teenagers and remain in force until April 9. Costa also announced a slew of “temporary” measures, including the closure of nightclubs and limiting visitors to retirement homes. Portugal has so far registered 78 cases of COVID-19 […]
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — Thirteen people were injured when two passenger trains collided Thursday in the Egyptian capital, the health ministry said, triggering a brief suspension in nationwide rail services. It said the casualties of the crash involving passengers from Upper Egypt were ferried to Cairo hospitals. The signals tower was not functioning because of bad weather conditions, the rail services said, leading to one train crashing into the other which was stationary. Rail authorities […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — Belgium will close schools, cancel all cultural events and shutter bars and restaurants to stave off the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Thursday. Announced by Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes after a meeting of the national security council, the measures will come into force at midnight on Saturday (2300 GMT on Friday). “This is not a lockdown,” Wilmes said. “We want to avoid situations like Italy. These measures […]
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases in Qatar jumped by 238 to 262 on Wednesday, the health ministry said, warning that they were likely a result of community transmission. Qatar, which now has the most cases in the Gulf, has not reported any fatalities but has closed universities and schools, canceled many public events including the MotoGP and banned travelers from 14 countries entering the country. “The Ministry of Public […]
SHANGHAI, China (AFP) — High-profile fixtures of Shanghai’s skyline began to re-open Thursday on a limited basis in a sign of confidence that the coronavirus was being tamed in the Chinese financial center. The 632-meter (2,073-foot) Shanghai Tower — the world’s second-tallest building — and the futuristic Oriental Pearl Tower Radio and Television Tower were among skyscrapers to announce viewing platforms and other public areas had opened again, subject to various restrictions. The Shanghai Museum […]
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Australia on Thursday unveiled a massive US$11 billion spending plan designed to curb the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic and avert the country’s first recession in 29 years. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the nearly Aus$18 billion package — equivalent to just under one percent of GDP — which will primarily be targeted at businesses. “This plan is about keeping Australians in jobs. This plan is about keeping a business […]
MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Juventus and Italy defender Daniele Rugani told fans ‘don’t worry, I’m fine’ on Wednesday after becoming the first Serie A footballer to test positive for the new coronavirus. The 25-year-old “is currently asymptomatic,” the Italian champions said, but the Turin-based club are “currently activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including those who have had contact with him.” “I want to reassure all those who are worried about me, I’m […]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Two more staff from the Haas Formula One team have been isolated while they are tested for the new coronavirus, taking the total to four, team officials said Thursday. McLaren also has a staff member in isolation at a hotel pending test results. Both teams are in Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, whose first practice sessions are on Friday. “It’s four in total, one engineer and three mechanics,” team […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea reported fewer than 120 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, but authorities warned that a new cluster in Seoul could see the infection spread in the capital. Around 100 people linked to a call center in the city have tested positive for the virus in recent days. “This could lead to a ‘super spread’ in the metropolitan area, where half of the entire population are concentrated,” Prime Minister Chung […]
by Sebastian Smith WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days in a “tough” new effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic that has sparked a run on the stock market and is rapidly multiplying. The ban will not include travelers from the United Kingdom, which recently left the European Union, Trump said. In a primetime address from the […]
