Investors are reeling after virus fears wiped nearly $3 trillion off the combined market value of S&P 500 companies this week, with the index confirming its fastest correction in history.

A sea-loving Australian couple who spent years dreaming of living in a house boat have showed off the fruits of their labour in the form of a one bedroom home.

U.S. stocks opened higher on Friday, in what is still the market's worst month in three decades, as intervention by U.S. policymakers finally seemed to stem the bleeding on Wall Street.

The Australian share market has lost 8.5 per cent or $122billion in the open minutes of trade. The benchmark S&P/ASX200 has now lost 38 per cent or $790billion since peaking on February 20.

Due to the growing severity of the coronavirus outbreak, many have opted to self-quarantine as a means of preventing the virus' spread.

Wednesday will mark the beginning of Norway's whaling season. Ships will target minke whales living along the country's fjord-lined coastline. Demand for whale meat in the country has declined.

Julia Roberts appeared to take Garcetti's advice to heart when she braved the open air on Friday for a CVS shopping trip in Malibu. Roberts had a mask over her face and wore a pair of gloves.

Donald Trump announced the government will pay for coronavirus treatments for those without insurance by using funds from the $2.2 trillion economic aid package the president signed into law last week. 

In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Joshua Jackson is expecting his first child with wife Jodie Turner-Smith.

Chris Martin braved the open air on Tuesday sans recommended facial mask, while enjoying a socially distanced bike ride around his Malibu neighborhood.

The American-based PGA Tour has outlined plans to resume a full schedule in mid-June, starting in Texas, in a bewildering decision that appears to go against all the prevailing wisdom.

David Charvet has been enjoying a loved up lockdown with his fitness model girlfriend Oksana Rykova, 26.

Ashton Kutcher braved the open air to pick-up some well deserved takeout for his family at Black Market Liquor Bar in Studio City. Kutcher sported an N95 face mask and black disposable gloves.

AMANDA PLATELL: Ant has treated you appallingly. But every tweet you post keeps you nailed to the cross of this broken marriage. You have to break away.

PLATELL'S PEOPLE: Students had cancelled the event because of Ms Rudd's links to the Windrush scandal, in which Britons of Caribbean heritage were wrongly deported.

AMANDA PLATELL: One week ago, Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, 13, was at home with his mum, six brothers and sisters, doing what we're all doing, watching TV, isolating at home.

ANDREW PIERCE: If Chuka Umunna lost in Streatham, which he represented since 2010, he would have been paid £33,500 redundancy with the first £30k tax-free.

Despite being repeatedly tipped as a 'prime minister-in-waiting' since entering the House of Commons less than five years ago, Rishi Sunak has always been better known in India than Britain.

ANDREW PIERCE: Sunak's bold measures to tackle the economic devastation threatened by the coronavirus has found him allies in unexpected places.

ANDREW PIERCE: Most politicians need a brass neck to survive in the Westminster jungle. But former Labour energy minister Lord Truscott is in a league of his own.

Geraint Thomas and Team Ineos had every reason to be satisfied as they reached the first rest day of the Tour de France in an enviable position. He is in second place in the general classification.

Tour de France organisers are looking to launch a women's equivalent of the most prestigious race in men's cycling, they said on Friday.

MATT LAWTON IN PAU: The sight of Julian Alaphilippe rising out of his saddle and powering up the steep ramp that came at the end of this individual time trial is sure to trouble Geraint Thomas .

MATT LAWTON IN VAL THORENS: The 22-year-old Colombian held on to the yellow jersey in stage 20, and is set to be crowned the youngest Tour winner in 110 years.

MATT LAWTON IN PARIS: Brailsford believes Bernal is capable of maintaining the team's dominance of the Tour de France for years to come. At 22, he is the youngest man to win in Paris since 1909.

The 34-year-old suffered multiple broken bones after he collided with a wall during this year's event, but is ahead in his recovery and is targeting next year's race as a potential return date.

Chris Froome has revealed that he does not remember any part of the horrific crash that almost cost him his life during a training ride in May.

Tour de France organisers put a spring in the step of the climbers after unveiling the 2020 route featuring a mountain stage on the second day and one time trial on the eve of the final Champs Elysees parade.

Team INEOS has announced they are pulling out of all racing until the Volta a Catalunya on March 23.

The Tour has not been cancelled since 1946 when France was recovering from the War but has now been cancelled is in its 107th year after France's lockdown extension.

It's not every day an international luxury car company holds the global launch of its latest model in Britain — and brings over its top brass to do the honours.

In its quest to become more Motoring upwardly mobile and cool, Vauxhall has unveiled its new small, but perfectly formed, upmarket urban runaround called . . . Adam.

Sultry pop star Lana del Rey took the wraps off Jaguar's flashy new F-Type sports car, pictured right, as a string of new British vehicles stole the Paris Motor Show from under the noses of the French this week.

It accelerates from rest to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and will cost around £77,000 when in showrooms early next year (for delivery in summer).

Production of the third generation Octavia started this month at the Mlada Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic, ahead of its March launch in Britain.

It will be in showrooms this spring, priced at £160,000, following its global unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show on January 14. Bentley describes it as its ' performance flagship convertible'.

Major car makers including Vauxhall, Nissan, Citroen and Volvo will exhibit a range of their latest and yet to launch vehicles as well as providing test drives at the Future Drive Motor Show.

With a longer range, lots of extra space and a heavier steer, the Nissan LEAF might be small but it drives like one of the big boys - and that's no bad thing.

Ray Massey test out the sexy new Jaguar F-type sports car, which has a top speed of 186mph and will accelerate to 60mph in just 4.2 seconds.

The French maker promises up to 61.8 mpg from the car, which was unveiled at the recent Geneva Motor Show.

That rare shaft of sunshine this week was enough for British supercar-maker Aston Martin to launch a blistering £200,000 flagship soft-top, a highlight of its centenary year.

As the new year plates arrive, car sales look set to flourish as people are enjoying PPI claim payouts and cheap credit.

Melanie Sykes, who is the new presenter of BT Sport's MotoGP TV coverage, has opted for the nippy Fiat 500 super-mini convertible.

Land Rover is to create a baby version of its perennial Discovery. And more than a year ahead of its official UK launch, a disguised version of the Discovery Sport has been spotted on a British road, done out in somewhat offputting paint and trim.

Ray Massey tests the Hyundai iX35 Premium 1.7 CRDI 2WD Manual, a car with kerb appeal

Wimbledon top seed Novak Djokovic was in car mode this week to help Peugeot take the wraps off it new 508 model

Vauxhall has just released details of the new, fifth-generation Corsa super-mini, set for its official launch at the Paris Motor Show in October

Priced from £32,395 to £42,995, the baby 'Disco' goes on sale in January alongside the existing full-size sevenseater Discovery.

The car is largely based on the concept car revealed a year ago and both the five and seven-seat versions are designed for greater flexibility.

Land Rover Discovery Sport has also received 1,200 orders in three weeks. Chief executive Dr Ralf Speth said the cars are 'at the very heart of Britain's manufacturing renaissance'.