TOKYO, June 19 — Japan's government raised its economic assessment in June for the first time since 2018 as a sharp deterioration caused by the new coronavirus outbreak had nearly come to an end.

TOKYO, June 19 — Japan lifted all coronavirus-related curbs on domestic travel on Friday, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe calling on people to go sightseeing or attend concerts and other events to help the nation's economy bounce back from a pandemic recession.

NAIROBI, June 19 — Tiny Kenyan start-up Gumzo is a minnow on the booming teleconferencing scene but its creators hope the platform will help companies spend more of their cash in Africa rather than on foreign technology companies.

A person's blood type and other genetic factors may be linked with severity of coronavirus infection, according to European researchers looking for further clues about why Covid-19 hits some so much harder than others.

BANGKOK, June 18 — Thailand could allow inbound international travel to resume next month for business purposes, the aviation regulator said on Thursday, as the country seeks to revive an economy hit badly by the impacts of the coronavirus and global travel curbs.

MANCHESTER, June 18 — Premier League players, including champions Manchester City, took a knee before kickoff in support of the "Black Lives Matter" movement as the English season restarted on Wednesday.

BANGKOK, June 18 — Domestic car sales in Thailand may drop by 30-50 per cent this year from last year's 1 million vehicles as the coronavirus hit demand, the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said on Thursday.

BEIJING, June 18 — China's capital has mandated coronavirus tests for hundreds of thousands of people as it widens measures against a new outbreak of the disease that has sent anxious residents flooding to clinics for voluntary tests, putting a strain on the system.

HONG KONG, June 18 — Hong Kong's loss-making Disneyland theme park reopened on Thursday to a limited number of local visitors and with enhanced health measures after the coronavirus outbreak forced it to close in late January.

TOKYO, June 18 — A majority of Japanese firms said they have taken steps - from layoffs to pay cuts - to cope with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic on the world's third-largest economy, according to a Reuters monthly poll.

TOKYO, June 17 - Japanese researchers confirmed the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater plants, a finding that could serve as a signal for future outbreaks.

BEIJING, June 17 — Beijing officials reported several new Covid-19 cases for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, extending an outbreak that has forced the Chinese capital's authorities to reinstate strict defences against the coronavirus.

TOKYO, June 11 — Organisers of the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 said Wednesday they have agreed with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to hold a "simplified" games next summer to ensure safety from the coronavirus and reduce the financial impact of the one-year delay.

GENEVA, June 9 — New coronavirus cases had their biggest daily increase ever as the pandemic worsens globally and has yet to peak in central America, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said yesterday, urging countries to press on with efforts to contains the virus.

TOKYO, June 5 — Japan is considering simplifying the format of next year's Tokyo Olympics as part of efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, government sources said Thursday.

NEW YORK, June 4 — Stronger appetite for riskier assets is set to lift Asian equities today, as government stimulus expectations support investor confidence in economic recovery from the coronavirus.

NEW DELHI, June 3 — India's coronavirus infections crossed 200,000, official figures showed today, and a peak could still be weeks away in the world's second-most populous country, where the economy has begun re-opening after a lockdown imposed in March.

ROME, June 3 — Italy is lifting the next part of coronavirus-related restrictions on Wednesday, which will allow residents to move freely across the country, and citizens of the Schengen countries and the UK to come to Italy as tourists, reported Sputnik news agency.

WASHINGTON, June 3 — Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of U.S.

SINGAPORE, June 2 — With temperatures checked, masks fitted, and hand sanitisers at the ready, many Singapore children returned to school today after a novel coronavirus lockdown of nearly two months.