105 new cases of Wuhan coronavirus confirmed in Hubei - Global Times

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

Citing the latest update on the coronavirus situation in China, Global Times reported that 105 new cases of Wuhan coronavirus were confirmed in Hubei, a province in Central China. Wuhan is Hubei’s capital.

Further Details:

The National Museum of China in Beijing will close from Saturday to avoid the spread of the virus.

Starting from 10 am Friday (local time), Huangshi, another city in Hubei Province, would suspend ferry and bus operation, close the Yangtze river bridge and stop passenger traffic.

Separately, the South Korean news agency, Yonhap, reported the second case of the coronavirus following the confirmation from the government.

Total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China at 830 as of Jan 23 - State media
Latest on coronavirus: Wuhan medical staff being infected at faster pace, Japan marked second case

A sense of caution prevails in Asia this Friday amid rising China coronavirus concerns, as the yen looks to regain the bid tone amid mixed Asian equities and holiday-thinned light trading. Chinese traders are out for a week, celebrating Lunar New Year.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

EUR/USD remains offered below 1.1600, seems vulnerable near multi-month low

The EUR/USD pair struggles to capitalize on the overnight bounce from the 1.1530 region, or the lowest level since November 2025, and lower for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. Spot prices slide back below the 1.1600 mark during the Asian session and seem vulnerable to slide further.

GBP/USD weakens to near 1.3300 as geopolitical risks bolster US Dollar

The GBP/USD pair attracts some sellers to around 1.3310 during the early European session on Wednesday. Escalating conflict in the Middle East triggers a "flight to safety," supporting the US Dollar against the Pound Sterling. Traders will take more cues from the US ADP Employment and ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index reports, which are due later on Wednesday.

Gold sticks to intraday gains above $5,150; upside seems limited amid bullish USD

Gold preserves its modest intraday gains through the Asian session on Wednesday and currently trades just above the $5,150 level, up around 1.30% for the day. Investors remain concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East and its impact on the global economy amid an already uncertain environment.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple struggle for direction as consolidation persists

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple prices trade with a cautious tone at the time of writing on Wednesday as upside momentum continues to fade across the broader crypto market. BTC remains within a parallel channel, ETH struggles below key resistance, while XRP remains fragile within a descending channel. These top three cryptocurrencies by market capitalization continue to struggle to establish a directional bias amid the consolidation phase.

When rates start driving the bus through a war zone

The volatility regime itself is also changing character. EM carry trades thrive in calm markets. They suffocate in environments that resemble Buckaroo Banzai trading conditions, where headlines move faster than models. That is exactly the world investors are now trying to recalibrate to. Euro rate volatility had been remarkably subdued even while equities were wobbling. That stability is now being questioned, and once volatility leaks into rates it rarely stays contained. Indeed, carry trades love calm seas. War turns the ocean into white water.

Ripple falters amid sell-off jitters and negative funding rates

Ripple (XRP) has come under pressure, drifting lower to $1.35 at the time of writing on Tuesday. The over 2% correction looks poised to erase the previous day’s gains, which lifted the remittance token to $1.42.