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An 80-year old man became the fourth patient in Hong Kong to die due to the coronavirus, a Nethersole Eastern Hospital spokeswoman said on Friday.

South Korea reported more recoveries from the coronavirus than new infections on Friday for the first time since its outbreak emerged in January, as a downward trend in daily cases raised hopes that Asia's biggest epidemic outside China may be slowing.

China's city of Yichang in central Hubei province will loosen travel curbs adopted to rein in a coronavirus outbreak, allowing people to move in and out, the government said on Friday, in a statement on its website.

Thailand reported five new coronavirus cases on Friday, the country's public health ministry said.

SoftBank Group Corp said on Friday it will buy back up to 7% of its own shares for as much as 500 billion yen ($4.8 billion) - a decision that comes after activist investor Elliott Management pressed for $20 billion in stock buybacks.

Global markets suffered record falls on Thursday as alarm over the coronavirus intensified and governments from Ireland to Italy unveiled measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide.

Global markets suffered record falls on Thursday as alarm over the coronavirus intensified, and governments from Ireland to Fiji unveiled new measures to try to slow the spread of a disease that has infected more than 127,000 people worldwide.

The entry of commercial lab companies Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings and Quest Diagnostics Inc to help identify cases of the new coronavirus does not seem to be easing the burden of testing in the United States.

Governments and central banks readied more emergency measures to tackle the economic impacts of the coronavirus on Friday as Asian markets suffered their worst weekly crashes since the 2008 financial crisis.

Mainland China had eight new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections on Thursday, the country's National Health Commission said on Friday, down from 15 cases a day earlier.

Concerns over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States forced cancellations, closings and postponements throughout sports, entertainment and education on Thursday.

A dog held in quarantine in Hong Kong on suspicion of having the coronavirus has tested negative, the government said late on Thursday, easing fears over the possibility of human-to-animal transmission.

Bitcoin plummeted on Thursday amid wild volatility in cryptocurrency markets, with traders citing a sell-off across assets as fears of the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic take hold.

Pacific islands are imposing strict lock-down measures to combat the coronavirus, denying access to supply vessels and prohibiting human-to-human contact during aircraft refueling, amid fears their small healthcare systems could be over-run.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters on Thursday that lawmakers and the White House have neared agreement on a legislative response to the coronavirus outbreak and said she hopes to make an announcement on Friday.

U.S. lawmakers and the White House neared agreement on a coronavirus economic aid package, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday, adding she hoped to announce a deal on Friday.

U.S. hospitals, bracing for a surge in demand as more Americans are infected with the novel coronavirus, plan to use tents, conference rooms and cafeterias to house overflow patients.

In Texas, a photographer worries about paying his bills. In Pennsylvania, an aspiring dancer struggles with a canceled audition. In suburban Los Angeles, a mother wonders whether anyone will show up for her son's bar mitzvah.

New York State will ban gatherings of more than 500 people beginning on Friday at 5 p.m. (2100 GMT) , to slow the spread of the new coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Thursday.

SoftBank Group Corp on Friday said it will buy back up to 7 percent of its own shares for as much as 500 billion yen ($4.77 billion).