The trial opened in Turkey on Friday of seven suspects over the audacious escape of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn from Japan to Lebanon via Istanbul in December, local media reported.

Tokyo prosecutors said Friday they have filed a request for the extradition of two Americans arrested in the U.S. for allegedly helping Carlos Ghosn, the former chairman of Nissan, flee Japan while he was out on bail.

"We express our deepest gratitude for the cooperation the U.S. authorities have shown to our request," the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office said in a statement.

A string of top retail shops in Lebanon announced temporary closures on Thursday after the country's currency lost five sixths of its value, triggering sharp price hikes.

Equities rose Thursday following a record lead from Wall Street, with investors cheered by hopes for a coronavirus vaccine and positive economic data offsetting fresh lockdowns.

Markets mostly rose in Asia on Wednesday as investors looked past spiking coronavirus infections and warnings of a US surge in the disease, with eyes on the economic recovery as countries press ahead with the easing of lockdowns.

Saudis braced Wednesday for a tripling in value added tax, another unpopular austerity measure after the twin shocks of coronavirus and an oil price slump triggered the kingdom's worst economic decline in decades.

Britain's economy has suffered its biggest quarterly contraction for more than 40 years as the coronavirus pandemic slashed activity, revised official data showed Tuesday.

Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell will take a vast second-quarter charge of up to $22 billion (19.6 billion euros) due to coronavirus and collapsing oil prices, it announced Tuesday.

Asian equity markets fell Monday after a surge in coronavirus infections in several countries, including the US, prompted officials to reimpose containment measures that have fanned worries about the economic recovery.

Boeing's 737 MAX plane could take its first test flight from Monday, a crucial step for the survival of the company's star model that has been grounded for 14 months.