Catheters, medical and sporting gloves, tires, condoms and some 50,000 other products depend on the more than 15 million tons of natural rubber produced every year, a researcher at Ohio State studying natural rubber production, said.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The dollar held near a two-month high against a basket of major currencies while the Australian dollar and the yuan were under pressure on Thursday as investors tried to shield themselves from assets that could be hit by China’s virus epidemic.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stocks slipped while gold and bonds were in demand on Thursday as worries about the spread of a new virus from China sent investors heading for safety.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Thursday as the death toll from the new virus in China climbed to 170 and more airlines canceled flights to the country’s major cities, while rising U.S. crude inventories added to the negative tone.

TOKYO/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Riskier currencies steadied on Wednesday and demand for safe-havens ebbed, as investors waited for more news on the likely economic damage from a virus outbreak spreading from China.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Growth in China’s sprawling manufacturing sector likely stalled in January after two months of modest gains, with an outbreak of a new virus adding to risks facing the already struggling economy, a Reuters poll showed.