SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian stock markets made a cautious start on Thursday following two days of rallies, as investors await the passage and details of a $2 trillion stimulus package in the United States to combat the economic fallout from the coronavirus.

KUALA LUMPUR: The movement control order (MCO), imposed to curb the spread of Covid-19, will be extended until April 14, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in a special address today.

The International Monetary Fund said it expects a global recession this year that will be at least as severe as the downturn during the financial crisis more than a decade ago, followed by a recovery in 2021.

WASHINGTON • The coronavirus pandemic will cause a global recession this year that could be worse than the one triggered by the global financial crisis of 2008 to 2009, but world economic output should recover next year, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said.

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices extended gains for a third session on Wednesday, rising alongside broader financial markets on hopes Washington will soon approve a massive aid package to stem the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

(Reuters) - Investors across a broad range of asset markets breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday, a day after the Federal Reserve rolled out unprecedented measures aimed at boosting liquidity and bolstering investor confidence in the face of a spreading coronavirus pandemic.