Thailand

Asian shares advance following rebound on Wall Street

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares advanced in Asia early Tuesday after Wall Street shook off a weak start and ended with modest gains thanks to another solid showing from big technology companies.

Shares rose in Hong Kong, Sydney and Singapore. Markets in Shanghai and Tokyo were closed for a holiday.

Wall Street shook off a weak start and ended with modest gains Monday, thanks to another solid showing from big technology companies.

Markets drop in Asia on rising China-US tensions over virus

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares skidded in Asia on Monday as investors eyed rising tensions between the Trump administration and China over the origins and handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Facing criticism over his handling of the crisis, President Donald Trump has tried to shift the blame to China. Beijing has repeatedly pushed back on U.S. accusations that the outbreak was China’s fault.

Markets in Hong Kong and India fell about 4% on Monday, and other regional markets also were lower. Trading was halted for holidays in mainland China, Japan and Thailand.

China warns Australia probe may set off backlash

BANGKOK (AP) — China’s ambassador reportedly is warning the Australian government its pursuit of a coronavirus inquiry could set off a boycott by Chinese consumers, who may no longer travel and study in Australia or buy major exports including beef and wine.

Ambassador Cheng Jingye told The Australian Financial Review in an interview published on Monday that Australia’s push for an inquiry was “dangerous” and predicted it would fail to gain traction.

Thailand: Virus warnings for Ramadan as some pandemic shutdowns ease

BANGKOK (AP) — The world inched toward a new phase in the coronavirus crisis on Thursday, as some countries like Vietnam and New Zealand with few new cases moved toward ending their pandemic shutdowns while others like Singapore and Japan were doubling down on measures to prevent a surge in infections.

Like the U.S., many countries are moving from crisis mode to figuring out how to live with the virus by modifying pre-pandemic routines with precautions, more testing and containment of flare-ups, mindful of the potential for future waves of the virus.

Clusters among crew on 2 ships in Taiwan, Japan

BANGKOK (AP) — Japanese officials said Wednesday that 33 crew members on a docked cruise ship tested positive for the coronavirus in one day of testing after the first case from the ship was reported.

The Italian-operated Costa Atlantica has been docked in Nagasaki since late January for repairs and maintenance by Mitsubishi Heavy Industry. The ship carries 623 crew members, including a Japanese translator, but it was empty of passengers during the work.

WHO warns rush to ease virus rules could cause resurgence

BANGKOK (AP) — The World Health Organization said Tuesday that rushing to ease coronavirus restrictions will likely lead to a resurgence of the illness, a warning that comes as governments start rolling out plans to get their economies up and running again.

“This is not the time to be lax. Instead, we need to ready ourselves for a new way of living for the foreseeable future,” said Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the Western Pacific.

Thailand: Shares skid after oil prices dip into negative territory

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares skidded on Tuesday after U.S. oil futures plunged below zero with storage for crude nearly full as demand collapses due to the pandemic.

Shares fell in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai and New York stock futures retreated after the S&P 500 sank 1.8% overnight, giving up some big gains from last week.

In a stunning development, the cost to have a barrel of U.S. crude delivered in May plummeted to negative $37.63. It was at roughly $60 at the start of the year.

Asian shares mixed as oil prices fall back; China cuts rate

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Monday after China cut a key interest rate to help cushion the impact of the pandemic on its economy.

Benchmarks rose Monday in Hong Kong and Shanghai but fell in Tokyo. Oil prices were lower.

A fresh crop of grim economic data is expected this week after a worldwide rally on Friday that pushed the S&P 500 up 2.7%.

Japan reported Monday that its exports fell nearly 12% in March from a year earlier as shipments to its two biggest markets, the U.S. and China, slipped.

Thai economy could lose over $40 billion if virus crisis goes beyond second quarter

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s economy is expected to lose 1.3 trillion baht (nearly $40 billion), almost all of it in the tourist sector, due to the initial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, a banking association said on Tuesday.

“But if the outbreak cannot be controlled within the current quarter, the impact will be bigger,” Predee Daochai, chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, said in a statement.

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