Global coronavirus deaths cross 160,000: What's happening around the world and more

Reported cases of the coronavirus crossed 2.07 million globally and more than 138,400 people have died, according to a Reuters tally as of 1400 GMT on Thursday.

DEATHS AND INFECTIONS

AMERICAS

1. US President Donald Trump plans to announce new guidelines to reopen the economy on Thursday, despite concerns from health experts, governors and business leaders about a resurgence in cases without more testing and protocols in place.
2. US defense secretary said he believed China's leaders have been misleading and opaque about the outbreak and does not trust that they are being truthful even now.
3. Mexico's government said its health experts have recommended the country extend its current measures until May 30.
4. Mexico could force the closure of companies in non-essential sectors if they refuse to suspend operations during a state of emergency.
5. Haiti will reopen its key textile industry next week.
6. A two-month-old baby born to Warao indigenous refugees from Venezuela has tested positive, the mayor's office in the Brazilian city of Manaus said.

EUROPE

1. Europe is in the eye of the storm, with the number of cases nearing a million, and should move with extreme caution when considering easing lockdowns, the WHO's regional director said.
2. Spain's national death toll exceeded 19,000, but figures from the region of Catalonia indicated the real total could be several thousand higher.
3. Britain's outbreak is starting to peak but it is too early to lift the lockdown, its health minister said.
4. Austria plans to test every retirement home resident as it expands efforts to measure the pandemic's spread.
5. Hungary is extending lockdown measures by one week from Saturday.
6. The Swiss government will start a gradual relaxation of restrictions from April 27.
7. A study of Dutch blood donors found that around 3% have developed antibodies against the virus, an indication of what percentage of the population may have already had the disease.

ASIA-PACIFIC

1. China reported fewer imported cases on Thursday, but said locally transmitted infections rose, with the capital Beijing seeing new local cases for the first time in more than three weeks.
2. Japan's prime minister expanded a state of emergency to include the entire country and said the government was considering cash payouts for all.
3. South Korea's ruling party won an absolute majority in parliamentary elections in a landslide victory propelled by successes in the country's efforts to contain the virus.
4. India charged a Muslim leader with culpable homicide not amounting to murder for holding a gathering last month that authorities say led to a big jump in infections.
5. Malaysia approved the use of antigen rapid test kits from South Korea, as it looks to increase its testing among high-risk groups and in places where clusters are detected.
6. Indonesia expects the number of cases to peak between May and June with around 95,000 infections, a government adviser said.
7. Australia will retain curbs on public movement for at least four more weeks, its prime minister said, dashing speculation the sustained low growth in new cases could spur a quicker return to normal.
8. China said the WHO has said there is no evidence that the virus was made in a lab, after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Beijing "needs to come clean" on what they know.

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

1. Iran's official death toll reached 4,869 on Thursday but a parliamentary report said the actual number could be much higher.
2. Oman locked down a textile market in a town popular with tourists as the country reported more than 100 new infections to take its count above 1,000.
3. Six Gulf Arab states approved Kuwait's proposal for a common network for food supply safety.
4. The Kingdom of Eswatini recorded its first death on Thursday.
5. South Africa will allow mines to operate at a capacity of 50% during a nationwide lockdown.

ECONOMIC FALLOUT

1. Europe led world stock markets higher as tentative moves to reopen parts of the some of its larger economies and a bounce in oil offset some truly dismal global economic data.
2. Hedge fund Elliott Management said global stocks could ultimately lose half of their value from February's high, according to a letter sent to clients.
3. The United States opposes creation of liquidity through issuance of the IMF's Special Drawing Rights as part of the response to the pandemic, U.S. treasury secretary said.
4. The Federal Reserve's program to back emergency government loans to small businesses is "fully operational," the central bank said.
5. Britain's economy looks set for a record contraction after figures showed retail spending plunged by more than a quarter and one in four firms stopped trading temporarily.
6. The Philippine central bank cut its benchmark interest rate for the third time this year, bringing it to a record low of 2.75%.
7. China has not seen large-scale exodus of foreign capital amid the outbreak, the commerce ministry said.
8. Mexico's president said the government would provide an additional one million loans to small businesses.
9. Russia is set to spend more than 2 trillion roubles ($26.96 billion) on its anti-crisis programme.