MANILA -- The Philippine central bank on Thursday decided to cut the interest rate by 50 basis points to 3.25 percent, effective on Friday, in an effort to buttress the Philippine economy amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) or the central bank of the Philippines, said the rate cut is based on the fact that the country's inflation expectations remain within the target range of the government. (Philippines-Rate Cut)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia on Thursday announced 110 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 900, said the Health Ministry.

Of the new cases, 63 had been traced to a large scale religious event held in the capital of Kuala Lumpur from late February to early March, Health Minister Adham Baba said in a statement. (Malaysia-COVID-19-Cases)

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TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan (BOJ) bought 1.3 trillion yen (11.91 billion U.S. dollars) worth of government bonds on Thursday in an emergency market operation aimed at curbing the rise of long-term yields.

According to the BOJ, the emergency move amid recent volatility was intended to stabilize the debt market.

The central bank has been guiding the yield on 10-year government bonds at around zero percent as part of its ultra loose monetary policy. (Japan-BOJ-Bond Buying)

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CANBERRA -- Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has closed the nation's borders to foreign visitors as COVID-19 is spreading globally.

Travelers who are not residents or citizens of Australia or a direct family member will be banned from entering the country from 9:00 p.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) on Friday (1000 GMT), said Morrison at a press conference on Thursday afternoon. (Australia-COVID-19-Travel Ban)

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KUALA LUMPUR -- The Chinese embassy and Chinese companies in Malaysia on Thursday donated the first batch of medical supplies to Malaysian hospitals in solidarity on the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak.

The medical materials, including 5,000 face masks and 10,000 surgical masks, were delivered to Malaysia's Sungai Buloh hospital, one of the designated facilities to treat COVID-19 patients. (Malaysia-China-Donation) Enditem

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