Canadian lawmakers hastily approved a North American free trade deal Friday before announcing parliament would be suspended until late April over concerns about the new coronavirus.

The European Central Bank scrambled Friday to ease eurozone jitters a day after president Christine Lagarde spectacularly failed to convince financial markets with big-bang measures against the coronavirus shock.

Switzerland will close its schools in a bid to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, the government said Friday, adding that it would provide billions in aid to hard-hit businesses.

Sudan's economy has sunk into a deep crisis since the overthrow of longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir almost a year ago, risking collapse and social unrest in a country in transition.

Oil prices jumped almost four percent in Asian afternoon trade Friday, reversing earlier losses sparked by the Saudi-Russia price war and fears about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Governments and central banks are throwing policy remedies against the coronavirus pandemic, but markets remain in freefall as the world economy faces its biggest crisis since 2008.

LibanPost has resumed the handling of the “Lebanese Biometric Passport” renewal as well as that of the “Temporary Residence for Syrian Nationals” and has launched the possibility to pay for the “Beirut Municipality Fee” at any of its 100+ offices across the country.

In a statement, the company said the new services aim to prove anew “its commitment to serve all residents and facilitate their daily lives.”

Stock markets in energy-rich Gulf states tumbled Thursday with Saudi shares down more than 4.0 percent following worldwide losses amid fears over the coronavirus pandemic and an oil price war.

Wall Street stocks resumed their downward slide on Wednesday, falling sharply in opening trading amid rising fears the coronavirus outbreak will lead to a recession.

Oil prices tumbled Wednesday after Saudi Arabia and Gulf partner UAE stepped up the price war with plans to flood the global markets while a rally in equities evaporated as investors nervously await a U.S. coronavirus relief plan.