Bloomberg Vietnam Airlines will temporarily suspend all of its South Korea flights beginning March 5 over concerns about the novel coronavirus outbreak, the national carrier said in a statement posted on its website. As of March 1, Vietnam Airlines flights from South Korea to Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport and Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City ...

DUBAI / WAM The United Arab Emirates has facilitated a mission by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deliver medical supplies and equipment to Iran in a bid to help contain the new coronavirus (Covid19), in the neighbouring country. The UAE Air Force deployed an aircraft that carried 7.5 tonnes of cargo from Dubai to Iran on Monday afternoon. Dubai’s ...

Bloomberg Global central banks promised to act as needed to stabilise markets rattled by the coronavirus as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warned the world economy faces its “greatest danger” since the financial crisis more than a decade ago. In an emergency statement, Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said the Bank of Japan will “strive to provide ample liquidity ...

ABU DHABI / WAM The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the signing of the US-Taliban peace agreement, expressing hope that it represents a step towards achieving peace and security throughout Afghanistan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement on Monday that the UAE hopes that the four-point agreement will be a starting point for stability ...

Bloomberg Oil rebounded from its worst week since 2008 as the world’s central banks sought to stabilise financial markets, while hopes grew that Opec+ will deepen output cuts following the coronavirus outbreak. Futures rose as much as 4.4% in New York, after sinking 16% last week. Russia, which is due to meet other Opec+ members in Vienna this week, is ...

Bloomberg The worst stock rout since the global financial crisis showed signs of easing on Monday amid optimism that central banks will help cushion markets from the impact of the coronavirus. Crude oil rebounded. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index jumped, with 17 of 19 industry sectors in the green, and futures for all three main American indexes advanced in the ...

Bloomberg China’s biggest stock rally in months signals investors are counting on Beijing to loosen the purse strings after data showed a collapse in economic activity. Old-economy stocks led the charge on Monday, helping the CSI 300 Index close 3.3% higher for its biggest gain since May last year. A gauge of industrial shares rose 5.5%, the best day since ...

Bloomberg The Federal Reserve is now prepared to reduce interest rates this month even though it recognizes monetary policy cannot completely shelter a US economy increasingly threatened by the coronavirus. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell opened the door to a rate-cut at the Fed’s March 17-18 meeting by issuing a rare statement pledging to “act as appropriate” to support the economy. ...

Bloomberg China’s financial regulators will allow the nation’s lenders to delay recognising bad loans from smaller businesses reeling from the deadly coronavirus outbreak, giving temporary reprieve to trillions of yuan of debt. Qualified small- and medium-sized businesses nationwide with principal or interest due between January 25 and June 30 can apply for a delay to the end of the second ...

Bloomberg Global central bankers from Japan to the UK pledged action aimed at stabilising financial markets rattled by the spreading coronavirus as pressure builds on them to ease monetary policy to safeguard their economies. In an emergency statement on Monday, the Bank of Japan (BOJ) said it would “strive to provide ample liquidity and ensure stability in financial markets.” The ...