No Squid Game: South Korea’s real-life debt trap
SEOUL — Many small business owners in South Korea recognize themselves in the cash-strapped characters of the wildly popular Netflix drama Squid Game, who vie...
Bank of Japan discussing phasing out pandemic support as economy reopens — sources
TOKYO — The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is discussing phasing out a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) loan program if infections in the country continue...
Fed cracks down on top officials’ trading in bid to end ethics scandal
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve on Thursday banned individual stock purchases by its top officials and unveiled a broad set of other restrictions on...
Renewable energy jobs grew globally in 2020 despite COVID-19 crisis
BARCELONA — The number of jobs in renewable energy worldwide increased in 2020, despite the huge economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus disease 2019...
The only way is up: corporate chiefs warn on prices
For central bankers wrestling with the question of whether inflationary pressures are transitory, industry chiefs around the world have a clear message: prices are...
Melbourne readies to exit world’s longest COVID-19 lockdown
SYDNEY — Millions in Melbourne are readying to come out of the world’s longest coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on Thursday even as cases hover near record levels, with pubs, restaurants, and cafes rushing to restock supplies before opening their doors.
India races to vaccinate all adults after 1B doses
INDIA has given out 1 billion doses of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines, a key milestone in an inoculation campaign that still faces significant challenges.
Japan princess overcomes money scandal, PTSD to marry college sweetheart
TOKYO — Japan’s Princess Mako will marry a commoner in a subdued ritual on Tuesday after a three-year engagement plagued by scandal and media speculation, which has left the 29-year-old niece of the emperor with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
US FDA authorizes mixing COVID vaccines
THE US FOOD and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna, Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, and said Americans can choose a different shot from their original inoculation as a booster.
ASEAN should rethink non-interference policy, Malaysia FM says
KUALA LUMPUR — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should rethink its decades-long policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states, amid a worsening human rights crisis in Myanmar, Malaysia’s top diplomat said on Thursday.
What lies beneath? Hidden debt fears feed China’s property woes
SHANGHAI/LONDON — Numbers don’t lie, you just need to be looking at the right ones.
California ports, key to US supply chain, among world’s least efficient
LOS ANGELES — Southern California’s Los Angeles and Long Beach ports handle the most ocean cargo of any ports in the United States, but...