Blogroll

Streets were deserted in the Indian capital on Monday and office buildings shuttered as a lockdown to halt the spread of the coronavirus began and Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged people to stay at home and save themselves.

Australians began living under strict new lockdown rules on Monday as coronavirus cases topped 1,600 and authorities denied entry to a cruise ship carrying hundreds on board complaining of respiratory illnesses.

SoftBank Group Corp said on Monday it is selling or monetizing up to 4.5 trillion yen ($41 billion) in assets to buy back 2 trillion yen of its shares and reduce debt, sending its stock soaring to its biggest daily gain in nearly 12 years.

Taiwan's government announced 26 new cases of coronavirus on Monday, bringing the total number to 195.

Malaysia's prime minister said on Monday the government may consider extending movement restrictions by up to two weeks, and will announce more economic stimulus to soften the blow from the coronavirus outbreak and weak oil prices.

New Delhi will be under lockdown until March 31, the Indian capital's government announced on Sunday, seeking to keep citizens indoors to prevent the spread of coronavirus and giving police powers to punish violators.

Japan's Toyota Motor Corp on Monday said it would develop a heavy-duty fuel-cell truck with its subsidiary, Hino Motor Co, as it sees hydrogen technology as a zero-emissions alternative to battery power for large commercial vehicles.

The Philippines' health ministry on Monday confirmed eight new deaths because of the coronavirus outbreak and 16 more infections.

Cambodia reported two new coronavirus cases on Monday, bringing the total to 86, health authorities said.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the United States will make a decision at the end of a 15-day period on "which way we want to go", to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Thailand has 122 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 721, a health ministry spokesman said on Monday at a news conference.

Mainland China saw a drop in its daily tally of new coronavirus cases, reversing four straight days of gains, as the capital Beijing ramped up measures to contain the number of infections arriving from abroad.

The government of Shanghai downgraded the city's emergency alert level on Monday from level 1 to level 2 as the coronavirus spread subsides.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday a series of economic measures to address the financial fallout from the spread of the coronavirus in the country, including prohibiting layoffs while also suspending rent payments and credit payments.

China's Shanghai government said on Monday that Gong Zheng would become its acting mayor, according to a statement on its WeChat account.

The coronavirus is invading U.S. jails and prisons, prompting inmate releases, reduced bail requirements and other extraordinary measures as officials rush to avert a potentially disastrous spread of the virus among crowded inmate populations.

South Korea on Monday reported its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since the peak so far on Feb. 29 and the extended downward trend in daily infections has boosted hopes that Asia's largest outbreak outside China may be abating.

The special committee of WeWork's board is preparing for a fight against Japan's SoftBank Group Corp saying that SoftBank should complete its tender offer promised to the office sharing company's employees and shareholders.

The U.S. Justice Department on Sunday said it cracked down on a website that was fraudulently offering to sell vaccines for warding off the deadly coronavirus.

Facebook Inc Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said on Sunday that the social media company has donated its emergency reserve of 720,000 masks to provide health workers with more protective gear.