Bloomberg The Bank of Korea (BOK) said on Wednesday it will seek to monitor and stabilise markets, stopping short of following the Federal Reserve in easing policy to respond to the coronavirus epidemic. The BOK said it would consider changes in the policy environment, including the Fed’s 0.5% rate cut and a joint statement from Group of Seven finance chiefs ...

Bloomberg Cracks are starting to appear in rupee’s defences with new coronavirus cases being reported in India. The rupee slid as much as 0.4% to 73.6 per dollar on Wednesday to become the worst performing Asian currency. India has so far reported 28 positive cases, which includes 15 Italian tourists. The currency had stayed relatively stable earlier in the absence ...

Bloomberg Toyota Motor Corp replaced its chief financial officer (CFO) nd a high-ranking foreigner stepped down as part of a management shuffle at the Japanese automotive giant. Kenta Kon, chief officer at the accounting group, will also be CFO, replacing Koji Kobayashi, who will stay on as chief risk officer, Toyota said in a statement. Didier Leroy, who was once ...

Bloomberg US health regulators are watching for potential drug shortages after India restricted the export of some raw pharmaceutical ingredients, a move that could disrupt the industry’s globe-spanning supply chain. India said it would limit export of some common medicines as concerns grow over shortages of chemical ingredients. Many manufacturers of those ingredients in China are shut or making less ...

Bloomberg China’s car sales had the biggest monthly plunge on record as the coronavirus kept shoppers away, intensifying the pressure on automakers already battling an unprecedented slump before the outbreak. Sales fell 80% in February, according to preliminary numbers from the China Passenger Car Association released on Wednesday. Average daily sales improved towards the end of the month compared with ...

Bloomberg While infections in the rest of the world accelerate, the coronavirus epidemic is showing signs of easing at its center — China — with new cases slowing dramatically and recoveries gathering pace. Still, doubt remains over whether the government’s statistics show the full picture. On March 3, China reported 119 new confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the lowest number ...

Bloomberg Thailand’s top provider of jet refueling services said its goal of greener business operations will help cushion the blow from the coronavirus outbreak, which is hurting demand by stalling tourism. The firm, Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services, is building a 586-kilometrepipeline from central to northern Thailand to transport oil products for automobiles and industry. The connection is expected to be ...

Bloomberg On Lake Como in northern Italy, spring normally spells the return of the tourists. The likes of George Clooney descend on waterfront villas, couples wander the cobbled streets and design fairs fill hotel rooms with well-heeled travellers. This year, because of the coronavirus, hoteliers are wondering whether the visitors will come at all. Hotels in the area saw more ...

Bloomberg UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson should look beyond large transport projects to ensure the billions of pounds of planned extra spending boosts the whole UK economy, according to the Resolution Foundation. Johnson’s budget next week is expected to raise capital spending by 20 billion pounds ($26 billion) a year, taking investment to levels last sustained in the 1970s. The ...

Bloomberg A quiet Huawei Technologies Co-led 5G revolution is unfolding at the heart of Europe — in the bucolic Swiss hamlet of Taenikon. Far from President Donald Trump’s campaign to stop the world from using the Chinese company’s technology, cows in this northern Swiss village — with its white-washed cottages and manicured fields — wear Huawei’s 5G-connected neck-straps instead of ...