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Fatema BegumCopyright: Fatema Begum

A Bangladeshi garment worker says a "fashion box" scheme set up by an Edinburgh business will help her feed her family.

Fatema Begum, 30, is one of an estimated two million garment workers in Bangladesh who lost their jobs during the coronavirus crisis.

The mother-of-two who is the sole earner for her family told BBC Scotland she lost her job in April.

"It has been really difficult, my family is dependent on me, but now we are all helpless," she said.

Read interview here

Fatema BegumCopyright: Fatema Begum

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Most share markets in Asia rose on Thursday on hopes that massive global economic stimulus and waning coronavirus infections in a US hotspot will lead to an economic rebound in the second quarter of this year.Australia's S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.81%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was up 0.50% and the Shanghai Composite index rose 0.26%.

But Japan's Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, easing 0.55% in morning trade after the government this week declared a state of emergency for Tokyo and other urban areas related to the spread of the coronavirus."There are signs that infections are peaking, which is leading to the change in market sentiment," Masayuki Kichikawa, from Sumitomo Mitsui Asset Management in Tokyo, told Reuters.The upbeat view for a rebound came as New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said the financial capital of New York City was witnessing a flattening curve of cases as social distancing measures were working.

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A summary now on the economic situation across Asia.

Shares in Asia fell early Wednesday after two straight days of gains. That's being driven by volatile oil prices and continued concern over the spread of the coronavirus.

Japan's Nikkei 225 slipped 0.7%, South Korea's KOSPI fell 0.8% nd Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dipped nearly 0.3%. The early losses in Asia followed declines in the US overnight with the Dow down 0.1%, S&P 500 off 0.2% and the Nasdaq Composite 0.3% lower.

Continued uncertainty on oil production plans by Russia and Opec leader Saudi Arabia has seen volatile trade with global benchmark Brent crude up 2.3% in early Asia at $32.59 per barrel after a 3.6% decline overnight.

A meeting on Thursday between Opec and ally Russia may move to curb production, after a failure to agree on cuts in March sent oil into a tailspin.

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First quarter business sentiment in Japan plunged, the central bank said on Wednesday.

The Bank of Japan's Tankan survey of business views for January to March was the first drop to negative in seven years.

It follows the biggest GDP contraction in more than five years in the fourth quarter (October-December) sparked by a hike in the sales tax on 1 October last year that hit consumer spending.

The survey did not capture the impact of the delay of the 2020 Tokyo summer Olympics now planned in 2021.

The next two-day Bank of Japan monetary policy review is on April 27-28.

The central bank already has negative interest rates, a measure designed to discourage commercial banks form buying short-term government securities and instead lend money to companies and consumers.

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Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Tuesday as investors came to terms with "Black Monday".

Global shares took a battering on Monday as they reacted badly to the threat of an oil price war breaking out.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index dropped more than 3% at the start of Asian trading on Tuesday morning.

Having fallen 5% on Monday, Japanese shares have hit their lowest level since April 2017.

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Asian stock markets traded cautiously on Tuesday as investors came to terms with "Black Monday".

Global shares took a battering on Monday as they reacted badly to the threat of an oil price war breaking out.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index dropped more than 3% at the start of Asian trading on Tuesday morning.

Having fallen 5% on Monday, Japanese shares have hit their lowest level since April 2017.

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Asian stock markets started Monday trading spooked by a major crash in oil prices.

In Japan, the benchmark Nikkei 225 index slumped 5.5% by afternoon trade, in Australia, the ASX 200 dropped nearly 7%, and the Shanghai Composite index in China was down nearly 3%.

Markets have been rattled by the threat of a price war between oil exporting group Opec and its main ally Russia.

Asian investors also reacted to a slump in Chinese export figures released at the weekend.

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China wants workers to quickly return to factories in areas less affected by the coronavirus.

That has led companies and the government to step into the breach and provide free transport back to work.

Millions of workers were furloughed at the end of January to battle the spread of the virus.

So governments and businesses are paying for planes, trains and buses to help them return to work.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday that factories in areas of low risk of infection should reopen.

But workers have been struggling to find transport from traditional holiday visits home which has led local governments and companies to lend a hand.

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Shares in Asia fell on Wednesday in a follow-up to a continued US market drubbing as investors were spooked by a health agency warning to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic.

In the US, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes shed more than 3% overnight, for a fourth-straight session of losses.

In Asia, Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 slipped 1.0%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong edged down 0.73% and China's Shanghai Composite eased 0.60%.

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Shares in Japan fell sharply early Tuesday morning as investors worried about the spread of the coronavirus.

The slump followed a global stock market plunge on Monday with Wall Street and London suffering big drops.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 4.5% when it re-opened following a public holiday on Monday, but has since regained some ground.

Shares in Toyota Motor Corp were down 2.85%, while Uniqlo's parent company Fast Retailing dropped 4%.

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Asian share markets fell and gold rose on Monday as the coronavirus spread wider outside of China with new cases in South Korea, Italy and the Middle East raising concerns of note.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was shut for a public holiday after closing down 0.39% on Friday. The Hang Seng in Hong Kong on Monday dropped 1.55%, while China's Shanghai Composite eased 0.3%.