World stocks slide after Trump catches coronavirus
Men walk past an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm in Tokyo Friday, Oct. 2, 2020. U.S. stock futures and Asian shares have fallen after U.S. President Donald Trump said he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus. AP-Yonhap
Global equities dropped Friday after US President Donald Trump revealed that he and his wife have tested positive for Covid-19, sparking fresh political chaos in the world's biggest economy just one month before Americans go to the polls.
The heightened turmoil sent US futures sinking as investors nervously awaited Wall Street's reopening at 1330 GMT, with key non-farm payrolls data slated for publication.
Europe's major bourses dropped sharply at the open before clawing back ground.
Japan's Nikkei closed down 0.7 percent as trading resumed following Thursday's market shutdown caused by a technical fault ― and amid holiday closures in many key Asian hubs.
Oil prices tanked four percent, extending Thursday's heady losses that were also rooted in the market being awash in crude amid timid demand. (AFP)