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| - Tokyo stocks opened lower on Thursday after a choppy session in New York amid lingering worries about the spread of the new coronavirus. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slid 0.47 percent or 109.31 points to 23,270.09 in early trade, while the broader Topix index was down 0.48 percent or 8.14 points at 1,691.81. "After US shares ended mixed with no fresh reason to buy, Japanese shares are seen dominated by sell orders," Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, said in a commentary. The dollar fetched 108.98 yen in early Asian trade, against 109.04 yen in New York. The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned all governments to "take action" over the deadly SARS-like virus. Hundreds of foreigners have been evacuated from the epicentre of the outbreak, including more than 400 Japanese. The contagion has spread to more than a dozen countries, with Finland and the United Arab Emirates becoming the latest to report their first cases. The WHO has called an urgent meeting for Thursday over whether the viral epidemic should be declared a global health emergency -- a designation that could lead to increased international coordination. "Investors will likely refrain from actively buying as risks of the new virus spreading have not wound down," Okasan Online Securities said in a note. In Tokyo, blue-chip exporters fell across the board, with Canon dropping 3.77 percent to 2,921.5 yen, Sony slipping 0.96 percent 7,760 yen, Toyota sliding 0.97 percent to 7,691 yen and chip-testing equipment maker Advantest losing 3.63 percent to 5,840 yen. In New York, the Dow ended up less than 0.1 percent at 28,734.45, while the broader S&P 500 ended down 0.1 percent and the tech-rich Nasdaq ended up 0.1 percent. kh/sah/jah
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