News Headlines - 26 February 2020

▽As coronavirus looms over Olympics, Japan PM urges two-week curbs on sports events - Reuters

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called on Wednesday for sports and cultural events to be scrapped or curtailed for two weeks, as two more coronavirus deaths heightened concerns the contagion might scupper the summer Tokyo Olympics.
Abe’s call came as Tokyo’s baseball league said it would hold games without spectators until March 15. Two businesses in central Tokyo confirmed infections a day after the government told firms to get staff to work from home or stagger commutes.

▽Toyota says Japan plants may be affected by virus-related supply issues - Reuters

Toyota Motor Corp on Wednesday said that operations at its plants in Japan may be affected by supply chain issues linked to the new coronavirus outbreak in the coming weeks, as the global outbreak gathers pace.
The automaker, which operates 16 vehicle and components sites in Japan, said that it would decide on how to continue operations at its domestic plants from the week of March 9, after keeping output normal through the week of March 2.
Plants may be affected by potential supply disruptions in China as some plants in the epicentre of the virus outbreak remain are unable to produce and transport goods, while some plants remain closed under orders by regional authorities.

▽Hong Kong to give cash gift of $1,200 to residents - BBC News

Hong Kong will hand out cash to adult permanent residents, to help boost spending and ease financial burden.
As part of the annual budget, $10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,280; ￡985) was announced for about seven million people over the age of 18.
The territory's economy has been battered by months of violent political unrest, and more recently suffered from the impact of the coronavirus.

▽Milwaukee Miller shooting: Six killed in Molson Coors brewery rampage

In one of the worst shootings in Wisconsin history, a gunman killed five people - and then himself - during a rampage Wednesday afternoon on the Milwaukee campus of Molson Coors.
The shooter was identified as a 51-year-old man who worked for the company, the home of Miller Brewery for more than a century.
All of the shooting victims died. There were no reports of injuries.
The identities of the victims and the shooter were not released Wednesday. Police did say, however, that the victims' families have been notified.

▽Patient plays violin during her brain surgery - BBC News

A patient at King's College Hospital in London played the violin while surgeons operated on her brain to remove a tumour. Dagmar Turner, 53, played the violin so surgeons could ensure parts of the brain which control hand movements and coordination were not damaged during the millimetre-precise procedure... Her tumour was located in the right frontal lobe of her brain, close to an area that controls the fine movement of her left hand.