Asia

Japan government faces questions over coronavirus, Tokyo cancels events

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

TOKYO- Japan faced growing questions about whether it was doing enough to stop the spread of the coronavirus on Friday, as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government said it would cancel or postpone major indoor events it has sponsored for the next three weeks. More than 400 Japanese and foreign

Europe

First Italian dies of coronavirus as outbreak flares in north

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

MILAN- An elderly man in the northern city of Padua has died after being infected with the coronavirus, becoming the first Italian victim of the disease, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday. Health authorities announced earlier in the day 15 cases of the virus in the wealthy northern region of Lombardy and two in […]

Finance

Coronavirus’ impact on China’s economy short-term, limited – state media

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

SHANGHAI- A senior Chinese central banker said that coronavirus’ impact on China’s economy is short-term and limited, and the country is fully confident that it will win the war against the epidemic, state media reported on Saturday. Chen Yulu, deputy governor of the People’s Bank of China, said that China has ample policy tools to […]

Asia

Coronavirus spreads in China prisons, Korean church as fears weigh on global markets

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

BEIJING/SEOUL- The coronavirus has infected hundreds of people in Chinese prisons, authorities said, as cases climbed outside the epicentre in Hubei province, including 100 more in South Korea and a worsening outbreak in Italy where officials announced the country’s first death. A total of 234 infections among Chinese prisoners outside Hubei ended 16 straight days

Business

Oil slides 1% on renewed fears over toll from coronavirus

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

BENGALURU- Oil prices fell about 1% on Friday on renewed concerns about crude demand being pinched by the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak, while OPEC and allied producers appeared to be in no rush to curb output. The latest signs of infections outside the Hubei province epicentre in China spurred a selloff across financial […]

Finance

BOE’s Tenreyro says coronavirus hit to global growth could be large

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

NEW YORK- The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on global growth “may be large” given China’s role in the world economy, and may stress financial markets just as tensions over a U.S.-China trade war did in 2019, Bank of England policymaker Silvana Tenreyro said on Friday. Though trade tensions have ebbed, “a new risk to […]

Finance

Stocks slip as coronavirus fears spur safe-haven buying

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

NEW YORK – Global equity markets slumped on Friday as the fast-spreading coronavirus drove investors into safe havens, with gold hitting a fresh seven-year high and the yield on the 30-year U.S. Treasury bond sliding to an all-time low. The virus spread to hundreds of people in Chinese prisons, contributing to a jump in reported […]

Tech

Big tech pulls out of San Francisco conferences on coronavirus concerns

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

Verizon Communications Inc has pulled out of the RSA cybersecurity conference due to coronavirus-related concerns, the organizer said on Friday. RSA also said that AT&T Cybersecurity will not participate in the conference, taking the total number of companies that have pulled out to fourteen. These include six from China, seven from the United States and […]

UK

Flight with Briton evacuees from coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan takes off

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

On Friday, the British Foreign Office announced that the evacuation flight for British nationals who were on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship took off from Japan. The coronavirus outbreak rendered 32 British and other European passengers stranded in Japan. The evacuation flight carries these 32 individuals along with the British government and medical staff, […]

Tech

Moscow begins use of facial recognition technology for coronavirus quarantine

Editorial Bureau February 22, 2020

MOSCOW – Moscow is using facial recognition technology to ensure people ordered to remain at home or at their hotels under coronavirus quarantine do so, the mayor of the Russian capital said on Friday. Russia has temporarily barred Chinese nationals from entering the country to curb the spread of the virus, but has welcomed Russians […]