
One of Britain's biggest airlines, Flybe, collapsed on Thursday with all its flights grounded, the company said, as the coronavirus epidemic takes a heavy toll on airlines around the world.

The spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus or COVID-19 has sent ripples of panic all across the globe. What was thought to be a localized threat in China has quickly grown into an epidemic that has spread into Italy, Iran and South Korea.

Latin American stocks and currencies weakened on Thursday, with Brazil's real slipping to yet another record low, as the rapid spread of the coronavirus sapped risk appetite and investors worried about the scale of the economic fallout.

IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva on Wednesday called for an all-out, “no regrets” response to the new coronavirus epidemic which poses a “serious threat” to the global economy.

The death toll in the United States from the novel coronavirus rose to 11 on Wednesday, as lawmakers in Congress agreed to provide more than US$8 billion to fight the rapidly spreading disease.

Argentina and Chile both said on Tuesday they had confirmed their first case of the novel coronavirus in patients who recently returned from travels. A 43-year-old infected Argentine man had returned from Italy on March 1, while a 33-year-old Chilean man had spent a month in southeast Asia.

China will use a Roche Holding AG arthritis drug to treat some coronavirus patients in severe conditions, health authorities said on Wednesday, as the country seeks to build up treatment regiments to help the infected recover.

United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told lawmakers on Tuesday that he supported the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut rates in a bid to support the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Federal Reserve on Tuesday cut interest rates amid concern about the potential economic toll of the coronavirus outbreak. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which sets Fed interest rates, announced it would cut its baseline rate range by 0.5 percentage points to a 1 to 1.25 percent spread.

Italy and Spain are adopting drastic measures regarding soccer matches because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. The Coppa Italia semi-final second leg match between Juventus and AC Milan in Turin on Wednesday has been postponed indefinitely because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, the ANSA news agency and other Italian media said on Tuesday.