Western Europe
EU nears deal on coronavirus package as Germany puts its foot down
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Prospects for a European Union deal on a package to support its coronavirus-battered economies brightened on Thursday as Germany put its foot down to end opposition from the Netherlands and to reassure Italy that the EU would show it solidarity. FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte addresses the Senate, the upper …
German health institute warns pandemic could overstretch system -paper
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Germany’s health system could face strains similar to those in Italy if the coronavirus outbreak in the country worsens, the head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the federal agency responsible for disease control, told a newspaper. A general view of the almost empty street Kaiserdamm, as the spread of coronavirus disease …
Italy coronavirus death toll surges past 10,000; lockdown extension likely
MILAN (Reuters) – The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy barrelled past 10,000 on Saturday, a figure that made an extension of a national lockdown almost certain. Officials said 889 more people died in the previous 24 hours, the second highest daily tally since the epidemic emerged on Feb. 21, and that …
Central banks deploy record sums to break financial logjam, but may need more
LONDON/BOSTON (Reuters) – Central banks have offered trillions of dollars of support to markets in recent days to keep them from freezing up, as investors worried about the economic damage from the coronavirus and made a chaotic dash for the exits. FILE PHOTO: A trader wears a mask as he works on the floor of …
Worries grow over northern hospitals as Italy’s coronavirus toll grows
MILAN (Reuters) – Italian authorities voiced growing concern on Sunday over how much longer strained health systems could cope with the coronavirus outbreak, as thousands of new cases were recorded over the past 24 hours and several hundred more people died. A banner reads “The longer you stay at home, the sooner we hug”, on …
Special Report: Italy and South Korea virus outbreaks reveal disparity in deaths and tactics
MILAN/SEOUL (Reuters) – In Italy, millions are locked down and more than 1,000 people have died from the coronavirus. In South Korea, hit by the disease at about the same time, only a few thousand are quarantined and 67 people have died. As the virus courses through the world, the story of two outbreaks illustrates …
Stocks gain after emergency BoE cut adds to stimulus hopes
LONDON (Reuters) – European stocks rose on Wednesday after the Bank of England joined other central banks in cutting interest rates, raising hopes for more co-ordinated monetary and fiscal stimulus to counter the economic shock from the coronavirus outbreak. File Photo: A street cleaning operative walks past the London Stock Exchange Group building in the …
Oil jumps 10%, U.S. stocks rebound after market rout
NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – Oil and global equity markets charged back on Tuesday after the prior day’s steep losses as the world’s biggest economies moved to cushion the impact of the coronavirus, but stock gains in Europe failed to hold as investors remained skittish. The price of Brent crude climbed 10% on hopes a supply …
Oil prices rise 4% after biggest one-day fall since 1991
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Oil prices rose by more than $1 on Tuesday after a price war by top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia sparked the biggest daily rout since the 1991 Gulf War, but investors saw little chance of a quick price recovery as the coronavirus cuts demand. FILE PHOTO: Drilling rigs operate at sunset …
Coronavirus kills 237 in Iran, 7,161 infected: Health Ministry
FILE PHOTO: An Iranian man wears a protective face mask, following the coronavirus outbreak, as he walks in Tehran, Iran March 5, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Nazanin Tabatabaee via REUTERS DUBAI (Reuters) – Iran has had 237 deaths from coronavirus and 7,161 infections, Health Ministry spokesman Kianush Jahanpur said on state TV on Monday. …
