World coronavirus dispatch: US unemployment rises, job cuts at airlines

From the US' plan to ban domestic flights to layoffs at aviation firms and Russia's extended restrictions and fresh wave of coronavirus cases in China - read these in today's international dispatch.

The coronavirus situation seems to have battered the US, with the number of infections in that country crossing the 200,000-mark rather quickly. Piling on to its worries is growing joblessness. New data show that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits more than doubled to 6 million – a new record.

Let’s look at the global statistics:

Total confirmed cases: 962,977

Change over the previous day: 88,896

Total deaths: 49,180

Total recovered: 202,728

Nations hit with most cases: US (216,768), Italy (110,574), Spain (110,238), China (82,431), and Germany (80,641).

Source: Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Research Center

US may ban domestic flights

US President Donald Trump has said he is looking “very strongly” at banning domestic air travel to curb the spread of coronavirus but added that he is conscious that it will damage the US airline industry. He will announce his recommendations soon. Read more here.

Credit crisis in emerging markets

Investors are bracing for an emerging market credit crisis as the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic hits vulnerable countries. Commodity prices have plunged and demand has frozen, and currencies are tumbling against the dollar. This has particularly hit emerging markets in Africa, Asia and South America.