China finds new virus subtype as daily cases exceed 13,000
CHINA added more than 13,000 new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections with state media reporting a case infected with a new subtype of the omicron variant.
Sri Lanka throttles social media, protests amid increasing unrest
SRI LANKAN President Gotabaya Rajapaksa barred gatherings and ordered internet service providers to restrict social media access, tightening curbs amid demonstrations calling for his ouster over soaring living costs and a foreign exchange crisis.
Hong Kong govt ‘strongly opposes’ UK, US report on city’s diminishing freedoms
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s government said on Friday it rejected “unfounded and ridiculous” allegations made in policy reports from Britain and the United...
Don’t throw Russia out of G20, aid group says, with eye on food crisis
WASHINGTON — Excluding Russia from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies and other international institutions could slow efforts to address a worsening global...
US warned firms about Russia’s Kaspersky software day after invasion — sources
The US government began privately warning some American companies the day after Russia invaded Ukraine that Moscow could manipulate software designed by Russian cybersecurity...
US weighs largest ever draw from emergency oil reserve
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is considering releasing up to 180 million barrels of oil over several months from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), four US sources said on Wednesday, as the White House tries to lower fuel prices.
Russia sanctions threaten to chip away at dollar dominance — IMF official
FINANCIAL SANCTIONS imposed on Russia threaten to gradually dilute the dominance of the US dollar and could result in a more fragmented international monetary system, Gita Gopinath, IMF’s First Deputy Managing Director, told The Financial Times.
Fuel hikes anger food delivery drivers and truckers across Asia
SKY-HIGH fuel prices are sparking waves of anger and frustration throughout the ranks of truckers and food delivery drivers in Asia, causing concerns over potential disruptions that could add to supply-chain risks.
S. Koreans flock overseas for ‘revenge travel’ as COVID rules ease
SEOUL — After spending two years being socially distanced in his home country of South Korea, Kim Hoe-jun booked a last-minute flight to Hawaii, where he had enjoyed his honeymoon six years ago, giving in to his craving for overseas travel.
Australian businesses commit to $38B new UK investment, Britain says
LONDON — Australian businesses have committed to investing 28.5 billion pounds ($37.5 billion) in sectors such as infrastructure and clean energy in Britain, the British government said following a UK-Australia investment roundtable.
Sanctioned or not, Russians abroad find their money is ‘toxic’
LONDON/ZURICH/NEW YORK — Yevgeny Chichvarkin, a telecoms tycoon who fled Russia in 2008 and became a high-profile London restaurateur, has long been a vocal supporter of Ukraine.
Intel CEO earned 1,711 times more than average company worker in 2021
Intel Corp. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Pat Gelsinger earned 1,711 times as much as the average worker at the US chipmaker in just 11...