G20 finance chiefs say inflation, geopolitical risks threaten recovery — draft communique
Finance leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) major economies view inflation and geopolitical risks as threats to a global recovery from the coronavirus...
Age before apps revolt galvanizes Europe’s elderly savers
MADRID — Aggravated by fiddly financial apps, retired urologist Carlos San Juan got more than he bargained for when he began a campaign for...
How a Saudi woman’s iPhone revealed hacking around the world
WASHINGTON — A single activist helped turn the tide against NSO Group, one of the world’s most sophisticated spyware companies now facing a cascade...
Singapore launches vaccinated travel lane with the Philippines
SINGAPORE will ease COVID travel testing rules and launch new vaccinated travel lanes (VTL) with the Philippines and Israel as it woos more tourists and seeks to reclaim its status of one of Asia’s major travel hubs. Shares of the city-state’s aviation-related stocks rose.
Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine is growing, not shrinking, warns West
MOSCOW/KYIV — There is a growing Russian military presence at Ukraine’s borders, Western countries warned on Wednesday, as Estonia said battle groups were moving ahead of a likely attack to occupy “key terrain,” contradicting Moscow’s insistence of a pullback.
Taiwan to boost protection for its semiconductor secrets
TAIPEI — Taiwan’s government proposed on Thursday a new law to prevent China from stealing its chip technology, amid rising concern in Taipei that Beijing is stepping up its economic espionage.
Rare baby ghost shark discovery delights New Zealand scientists
SYDNEY — While typically heard in an omnipresent children’s song, the phrase baby shark has delighted New Zealand scientists after the rare discovery of a juvenile ghost shark during a survey off the east coast of the country’s South Island.
UK pledges $34M to enhance security in Indo-Pacific
SYDNEY — Britain committed 25 million pounds ($34 million) to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific as part of a pact with Australia, and leaders of both countries expressed “grave concerns” about China’s policies in its far western region of Xinjiang.
US sanctions on Russian banks are the West’s most potent economic threat
LONDON — For NATO members, the most powerful measure against Russia were it to invade Ukraine would be US sanctions cutting off Russian state banks from the dollar according to Russian executives, bankers, and former senior US sanctions officials.
US retail sales race to record high; economy shows strength ahead of rate hikes
WASHINGTON — US retail sales increased by the most in 10 months in January, lifting the level of sales to a record high amid a surge in purchases of motor vehicles and other goods, but higher prices could limit the boost to economic growth this quarter.
Lower testing rates likely reason for falling COVID-19 case reports — WHO
A drop in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing rates is likely contributing to a decline in reported cases even as deaths are rising, the World Health...
Short AstraZeneca shelf life complicates COVID vaccine rollout to world’s poorest
BRUSSELS/LONDON — The relatively short shelf life of AstraZeneca Plc’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is complicating the rollout to the world’s poorest nations, according to...