Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd will allow all crew members and frontline employees to wear surgical masks due to concerns over a new coronavirus, and said passengers to and from Wuhan, China, could change or cancel flights for free through March 31.
Technology shares led the S&P 500 marginally higher on Wednesday, as a healthy forecast from IBM helped mitigate worries over the developing coronavirus outbreak.
World stock markets gained back some ground on Wednesday as investors took heart from measures to curb the spread of a flu-like virus from China, while oil prices tumbled on a forecast for a market surplus.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is set to launch a broad review of its policy on Thursday that is likely to see her redefine the ECB's main goal and how to achieve it.
Toyota Motor Corp's labour union plans to seek an average pay rise of 10,100 yen ($91.98) per month in wage negotiations this year, public broadcaster NHK reported on Thursday, 600 yen less than the increase granted last year.
The initial trade deal between Washington and Beijing is unlikely to provide a significant boost to the U.S. economy and will only reduce the downside risk or at best help activity moderately, a Reuters poll showed.
British employers offered their staff a median annual pay settlement of 2.2% in the three months to December, down from 2.6% in the three months to November, industry data showed on Thursday.
Britain's regulators should have a formal role after Brexit to keep the financial sector globally competitive and less prone to "gold-plating" international norms, an industry think tank said on Thursday.
Australia's Westpac Banking Corp on Thursday named a former Barclays boss as chairman, entrusting veteran banker John McFarlane to help steer it through the fallout of a massive money-laundering scandal.
Oil prices fell to their lowest in seven weeks on Thursday on concerns that the spread of a newly identified respiratory virus from China may lower fuel demand at the same time a report showed oil inventories in the United States rose last week.
Asian shares and U.S. stocks fell on Thursday as investors remained anxious about the spread of a new flu-like virus in China just as millions prepared to travel for the Lunar New Year.
The safe-haven Japanese yen was firm and the Chinese yuan fragile on Thursday as traders kept a wary eye on the spread of a virus in China, while the ailing Australian dollar jumped after a surprise drop in unemployment.
Bankrupt California power producer PG&E Corp said on Wednesday it had reached a deal on its restructuring with creditors, who were pushing for a rival plan.
Amazon.com Inc on Wednesday said it filed a motion to pause the U.S. Department of Defense and Microsoft Corp from carrying out an up to $10 billion cloud computing deal until a court rules on its protest of the contract award.
Malaysia's top sugar refiner said it will increase purchases of the commodity from India, which according to two sources is part of efforts to placate New Delhi amid an ongoing spat over palm oil.