Asian investors struggled to match their Wall Street counterparts Wednesday, with markets drifting as spiking infection rates, new containment measures and still no US stimulus fuel concerns about economic recovery.

Businesses cannot force employees to work from home and for those that do, they must cover the costs incurred, according to a draft bill approved Tuesday by Spain's government.

Lufthansa said Monday it will slash more jobs on top of 22,000 previously announced cuts and put more planes out of service with current losses running at some 500 million euros ($590 million) a month.

World equity markets tanked Monday, losing around three percent as investors fretted over mounting fears of a second wave of coronavirus and a lack of fresh central bank stimulus, dealers said.

President Donald Trump on Monday threw into doubt a deal to restructure ownership of the popular video app TikTok, vowing to block any deal that allows its Chinese parent firm to retain any control.

Most Asian markets fell Monday following another disappointing performance on Wall Street with investors growing concerned about an uptick in infections in Europe and the US, as well as the lack of movement in Washington on a new stimulus.

After months of big gains around the world, fuelled by government stimulus and central bank largesse, equities are beginning to wobble, with analysts warning traders were taking profits as they consider the rally may have been overblown.

France remains opposed to a free trade deal in its current proposed form between the EU and South American countries due to "major" concerns about deforestation in the region, the government said on Friday.

Google Friday removed one of India's biggest digital payment apps from its online store for breaching gambling rules, a day before the start of the lucrative Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Friday that there are still too few women in top jobs, and that the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the problem.

After Friday's first round of eliminations, here are penpics of the five candidates still in the running to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization.

Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh (Egypt), Jesus Seade (Mexico) and Tudor Ulianovschi (Moldova) were all eliminated from the race to replace Brazilian career diplomat Roberto Azevedo, who stepped down at the end of August.