A member of the Ugandan Olympics team who tested positive for the coronavirus upon arrival in Japan had the Delta variant, Kyodo News said on Friday, adding to concerns that the Games may result in a new wave of infections. (Reporting by Tokyo Newsroom)

The virus that causes COVID-19 could have started spreading in China as early as October 2019, two months before the first case was identified in the central city of Wuhan, a new study showed on Friday.

Ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing's planned $4 billion New York debut will supercharge Chinese listings in the United States on the back of an all-time high in the first half the year, despite political sparring between the two countries.

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said in a national address on Thursday that a recently passed law making bitcoin legal tender will take effect on Sept. 7, noting that its use will be optional.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that Japan will give 1 million additional doses of AstraZeneca PLC COVID-19 vaccine each to Taiwan and Vietnam.

Hawaii will from July 8 drop a requirement for pre-travel coronavirus testing and quarantine upon arrival for domestic travelers who have been fully vaccinated in the United States, Governor David Ige said on Thursday.

Japanese shares rose on Friday, led by cyclical and technology stocks, as markets tracked a strong finish on Wall Street, although the gains were capped by a cautious outlook of U.S. equities and worries around the domestic economy's recovery.

Two leading U.S. senators have called on President Joe Biden to use powers under a bill they authored to impose sanctions on those responsible for forcing the closure of Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper, suggesting foreign banks were among those implicated.

* New health alerts for venues scattered across Sydney (Adds lockdown details, Queensland premier comments)

El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said in a national address on Thursday that a recently passed law making bitcoin legal tender will take effect on Sept. 7.