Working from home went from optional to mandatory across Wall Street this week as financial firms reported their first confirmed cases of coronavirus and the outbreak triggered a state of emergency in New York City.
Soybean output for Argentina -- the world's third-largest soy producer and exporter -- is forecast to be at 52 million tons, down 4.6% on February estimates and 6% year on year, in 2019-20 crop year (November-October), on dry conditions in Córdoba and Santa Fe, a Buenos Aires Grains Exchange report said on Thursday.
A Chilean student blinded in both eyes by police rubber bullets became the symbol of this week's protests on the second year of president Sebastián Piñera's mandate but also the thirtieth anniversary of the return of democracy to Chile.
Disney announced on Thursday that it will be closing its theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida out of an abundance of caution as coronavirus concerns mount in the US.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. would restrict all travel from Europe for the next 30 days and use executive orders to offer financial relief to individuals and small businesses in his most extensive steps to date to address the crisis of the coronavirus.
The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic on Wednesday as it spreads in more than 100 countries around the world. WHO defines a pandemic as “the worldwide spread of a new disease.” The determination is based on the geographic spread of a disease, the severity of illnesses it causes, and its effects on society.
Brazilian stocks plunged on Wednesday on fears about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, leading the Sao Paulo stock exchange to suspend trading for the second time this week.
Brazil's Congress overturned a presidential veto on Wednesday in an ongoing battle over appropriations with President Jair Bolsonaro, doubling social assistance for elderly and disabled people that will cost an extra 20 billion reais (US$ 4.2 billion) this year.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that up to 70% of the country's population - some 58 million people - could contract the coronavirus. Mrs Merkel made the stark prediction at a news conference on Wednesday alongside Health Minister Jens Spahn.
Brazilian inflation rose more than expected in February, official figures showed on Wednesday, although the monthly increase was still the lowest for any February in 20 years.