Suncity shuts VIP gaming rooms in Macau after CEO’s arrest -sources

By Farah Master and Eduardo Baptista
HONG KONG - Embattled gambling group Suncity Group Holdings has closed all of its VIP gaming rooms in Macau, the world's largest gambling hub,...

Sydney braces for more Omicron cases but no lockdowns for now

SYDNEY - Australian authorities on Wednesday flagged another probable case of the Omicron variant in Sydney as they braced for more infections after at...

Air travelers to U.S. set to face tougher COVID-19 testing

By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON - The U.S. is moving to require that all air travelers entering the country show a negative COVID-19 test performed within one day...

Singapore’s long-awaited opening flops

EVEN before the new Omicron variant forced the delay of several vaccinated travel lanes, Singapore’s grand reopening was off to a slow start.

Barbados becomes a republic after almost 400 years

BRIDGETOWN — Barbados ditched Britain’s Queen Elizabeth as head of state, forging a new republic on Tuesday with its first-ever president and severing its last remaining colonial bonds nearly 400 years after the first English ships arrived at the Caribbean island.

Moderna CEO says vaccines likely less effective against Omicron – FT

SYDNEY - The head of drugmaker Moderna said COVID-19 vaccines are unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant of the coronavirus as...

Macau gambling group Suncity’s shares plunge after CEO arrested

By Eduardo Baptista
HONG KONG - Shares of Macau gambling group Suncity Group Holdings Ltd slumped 40% in resumed trade on Tuesday after its CEO was arrested...

World Bank works to redirect frozen funds to Afghanistan for humanitarian aid only -sources

By Jonathan Landay and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON - The World Bank is finalizing a proposal to deliver up to $500 million from a frozen Afghanistan aid fund to humanitarian agencies,...

Cyber Monday spending expected to slow as shoppers see fewer deals

By Uday Sampath Kumar
U.S. retailers' online sales likely slowed this Cyber Monday, as fewer discounts and limited choices due to global supply-chain disruptions deterred shoppers, but other...

China factory activity unexpectedly grows as some bottlenecks ease

BEIJING - China's factory activity unexpectedly picked up in November, growing for the first time in three months as the crippling surge in raw...

UN urges Philippines to let Nobel laureate Ressa travel to Norway

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations on Monday urged the Philippines to allow Nobel Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa to travel to Norway next...

Japan to bar foreign visitors as Omicron worries grow globally

TOKYO/SYDNEY — Japan, the world’s third-biggest economy, will close its borders to all foreigners, while Australia’s plans to reopen to skilled migrants were also in doubt as nations scrambled on Monday to rein in the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.