Asian stocks mixed as economic toll of virus worsens

People walk past an electronic board showing Hong Kong share index outside a local bank in Hong Kong on April 2, 2020. - AP

BEIJING (AP): Asian stocks were mixed Thursday (April 2) after a White House warning that as many as 240,000 Americans might die of the coronavirus sent Wall Street tumbling and signs of the outbreak's global economic cost increased.

Benchmarks in Tokyo and Sydney declined but losses were smaller than Wall Street's 4.4% overnight fall. Shanghai opened down but gained 1% while Seoul advanced 2.4%.