Thailand's raucous full moon party - which draws some 10,000 backpackers - has been cancelled this month due to the coronavirus outbreak.

"To prevent the spread of Covid-19, [the organisers] have voted to suspend the party," a local official said.

Thailand currently has 47 confirmed cases of the virus.

The country is expecting to shed around six million of its average 40 million tourists this year because of the outbreak in Asia.

Image source, AFP

French officials have reported two more deaths linked to the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the total number of deaths to six.

France has also registered 92 new confirmed cases, taking the total toll of cases to 377.

Crufts, the UK's most prestigious annual dog show, is under way amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

Take a look at some of the latest pictures from the first day of the show.

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BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Chinese President Xi Jinping has postponed his April visit to Japan, ending weeks of speculation about whether the trip would go ahead or not.

As the two countries struggle to contain Covid-19, a visit next month would have been too much to handle for both sides. Preparations for the visit were hampered by the virus outbreak, even though officials made multiple visits to make it happen.

Mr Xi would have been the first Chinese president to visit Japan as a state guest in more than a decade and was also expected to meet Emperor Naruhito.

Japanese media are seeing the delay as a “setback” for Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, who has recently advocated for improving Chinese-Japanese relations.

Japanese news agency Kyodo reports that the visit might be cancelled altogether amid mounting criticism against Mr Xi in Japan for his handling of human rights and territorial issues.

The number of recorded cases of coronavirus in the Netherlands has more than doubled from 38 to 82, Reuters news agency reports.

The rise in cases comes as the country tries to put in place a plan for some 900 students due to return from skiing holidays in northern Italy.

The group, members of a fraternity in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, travelled to Sestriere in the Italian Alps before the Dutch government changed its travel advice to say all trip to the region should be cancelled unless necessary.

However, Hanneke Mensink, the local health authorities' spokeswoman, told Reuters they had been warned before they left at the weekend.

"We told them our worries, but they decided to go anyway. That is their responsibility."

Image source, AFP

As we reported earlier this week, there have been shortages of hand sanitiser gel in some UK shops, prompting retailers to restrict customers to buying two per day.

But some people have tried to profit from the shortages by selling hand sanitiser and other products at much higher prices online.

A 100ml bottle of Cuticura Total - which kills viruses as well as bacteria - is sold for £1.55 by Boots; but on one website, sellers were offering 40ml of the brand's anti-bacterial gel for £24.99.

The UK's competition watchdog has now warned retailers and traders they could be prosecuted for trying to "exploit" the virus outbreak by selling protective products at inflated prices.

The Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) added it would consider asking the government to introduce price controls if required.

The Six Nations matches between Italy and England have officially been postponed due to the coronavirus, organisers have announced.

The decision was taken to reschedule the matches after the Italian government ruled that all sporting events had to be played behind closed doors as the country tries to halt the spread of the virus.

Italy is the worst-hit European country with more than 3,000 cases.

We reported earlier that the men's, women's and under-20s games, which should have been played in Rome on 13, 14 and 15 March, were expected to be delayed.

Last week's Italy v Ireland matches were also postponed.

However, organisers said they were still intending "to complete all 15 games in all three championships when time allows".

The decision was welcomed as sensible by Wales head coach Wayne Pivac, whose side play England this weekend.

"I think everyone will be disappointed," said Pivac. "But you've got to put the health of the general public first and those decisions will be made at a government level.

"The health risks outweigh the game of rugby (Italy v England) being played at that time."

Read more: England's Six Nations games against Italy postponed

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

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Chinese authorities have posthumously honoured whistleblower Dr Li Wenliang, who had tried to give advance warning about the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, but was reprimanded by local police.

Dr Li is among 34 frontline medical staff posthumously honoured by China’s top health and human resources authorities, state newspaper Global Times reports.

The Chinese government came under intense criticism on social media following Dr Li’s death due to the coronavirus infection last month, with many demanding an apology from local authorities.

• Read more about Dr Li: The Chinese doctor who tried to warn others about coronavirus

Tune into BBC Minute's quick radio round-up of the latest updates on coronavirus - including news from the World Health Organization that rubbing alcohol all over your body will not kill the virus.

You can listen to the full bulletin here.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Image source, Image copyrightCONNOR REED

Connor Reed is believed to be the first British person to contract coronavirus in Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first seen.

Mr Reed, from Llandudno, in north Wales, has now recovered, but says he went through several stages of being unwell.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said his illness began with a common cold and a "normal sniffly nose" before he caught the flu, which left him feeling "quite run down".

After feeling better from the flu, his illness progressed to a "more serious stage" when he caught pneumonia and was taken to hospital.

He said he was "quite worried" at this point, adding: "I just couldn't breathe."

Tom Bateman
BBC Middle East correspondent

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The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem - believed by Christians to be the birthplace of Christ - is being closed as part of efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

It follows four suspected cases among hotel workers in a Bethlehem suburb. Several Greek tourists were reported to have tested positive for the virus after leaving the region.

The Palestinian Authority has ordered the closure all churches, mosques and the cancellation of all hotel reservations “to prevent the entry of foreign tourists into Bethlehem”.

The Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank is heavily dependent on tourism for its income.

Meanwhile, Israel has extended a broad set of travel restrictions and ordered thousands more people into home quarantine, with 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country.

Non-Israeli citizens who have been in France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain or Austria in the last 14 days are being denied entry to Israel, in addition to travellers from several Asian countries.

While Israelis who have travelled to those countries in the last fortnight, or who have potentially been in contact with confirmed cases, must isolate themselves at home for 14 days.

The Population Authority estimates around 60,000-70,000 Israelis are in quarantine following the new instructions.

Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical adviser to the UK government, gave evidence to the parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee this morning about plans to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

You can watch the full session here.

Andrew Harding
BBC News, Johannesburg

Until now, the coronavirus had only trickled into a handful of countries on the northern and western edges of the African continent.

But a few hours ago, South Africa confirmed its first case of Covid-19: a 38-year-old man, who’d travelled to Italy with his wife, and had flown home on Sunday in a group of 10 people.

On Tuesday, suffering from a headache, a cough and sore throat, the man consulted a private doctor.

The South African authorities say they’ve sent a tracer team to the eastern province of KwaZulu Natal, to identify people who might have been in contact with the man, and the doctor who first treated him. Both have been in self-isolation since Tuesday.

For weeks, Africa has been braced for the virus to spread here. That delay has given governments valuable extra time to build up their testing and treatment capabilities.

But there are particular concerns that in South Africa – home to the world’s largest HIV epidemic – the immune systems of millions of people have already been weakened, leaving them, potentially, more vulnerable to this new virus.

“We have been informed that one of our employees at 8 Canada Square has been diagnosed with Covid-19. This colleague is under medical supervision and has self-isolated. We are working closely with the health authorities," the statement says.

"We are deep-cleaning the floor where our colleague worked and shared areas of the building. Colleagues on that floor, and others who came into contact with him, have been advised to work at home. Based on medical and official advice the building remains open and operates as normal. Our first priority and concern is the health of our employees and customers – and we are encouraging our colleagues to monitor their health carefully and stay at home or call a doctor if they feel unwell.”

The UK government has advised the English Premier League to "step up its contingency planning" for coronavirus, in an email sent to football club bosses and seen by the BBC.

The guidance explains that although the current position is "business as usual", if the situation worsens they should consider "all the available options for completing the season".

Playing fixtures behind closed doors is the main contingency plan being considered by the Premier League, although at present matches will go ahead as planned.

Read more here.

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The UK government’s chief medical adviser has updated members of Parliament on the latest coronavirus developments.

Prof Chris Whitty told them it was "highly likely" the disease was being transmitted between people within the UK - and that measures to slow the spread of the virus could involve "changes to society".

You can read more here.

Iraq's health ministry has announced its first two confirmed deaths related to the coronavirus disease.

A woman with a compromised immune system and a 65-year-old man who suffered from chronic diseases died on Wednesday in the capital, Baghdad.

There were also conflicting reports about a 70-year-old cleric who died in Sulaimaniya, in the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdish officials said the death was the result of the Covid-19 virus, but the health ministry said that was not confirmed.

Read more here.

Image source, Reuters

India reported one new case of coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total in the country to 30, according to government officials quoted in local media.

The numbers include 16 Italian tourists who were travelling around the country as part of a tour group.

The group’s bus driver also tested positive along with an Italian couple who had visited six Indian cities.

A 69-year-old Italian man in the group, who was first to be diagnosed, is reportedly under respiratory support, external at a hospital in the northern city of Jaipur, according to local media.

The country has screened some 600,000 people for the virus at airports and seaports. It has also put around 27,000 people “under surveillance” across the country.

On Wednesday, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that India was “reviewing the situation daily” and that it was prepared to handle an outbreak.

He added that all international passengers coming into the country would need to be screened, and that those travelling from or having visited Italy or South Korea would need to show that they had tested negative for the virus.

In the capital Delhi, an Indian citizen who had recently visited Italy tested positive for the virus on Monday.

Both public and private schools - up to 5th grade - in Delhi will remain shut until 31 March, starting from Friday, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters.

The Italian government is considering giving parents vouchers to help pay for childcare or extraordinary paid time off work after it decided to close all schools and universities until mid-March because of coronavirus, Italian news agency Ansa reports, external.

HSBC has sent home staff from one of the floors of its Canary Wharf offices.

Employees at the bank who research and write about companies have been told to work from home.

The story first appeared in Financial News., external

A staff member who returned from travelling in Asia was diagnosed with the Covid-19 virus over the weekend.

The research floor is now being "deep cleaned" by a specialist professional services team.

Up to a fifth of the workforce may be off sick during the peak of a coronavirus epidemic in the UK, the government says in its latest plans., external