Category: Politics
HK seeks to woo visitors with 500,000 free flights
HONG KONG — Hong Kong leader John Lee unveiled on Thursday a promotion campaign that will include 500,000 free flights to lure back visitors, businesses…
Cryptocurrency hacks stole record $3.8 billion in 2022
SEOUL — Last year was the worst on record for cryptocurrency heists, with hackers stealing as much as $3.8 billion, led by attackers linked to…
Australia to replace monarch on banknote with design honoring indigenous culture
SYDNEY — Australia will replace the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on its A$5 banknote with a new design to reflect and honor the history…
US uncovers global sanction evasion network supporting Russia
WASHINGTON — The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on 22 individuals and entities in multiple countries that it accused of being tied to a…
Zara starts charging for clothing returns bought online in Spain
MADRID — Fashion giant Zara has started charging shoppers in Spain for returns of online purchases, the company announced on Wednesday, though store returns remain…
Musk did not need Tesla board to review buyout tweets, directors testify
DANIEL OBERHAUS-FLICKER Tesla Inc’s board had no obligation to review CEO Elon Musk‘s 2018 tweets announcing a bid to take the electric car maker private, which investors allege were fraudulent, two independent directors testified at trial…
US investors have plowed billions into China’s AI sector, report shows
STOCK PHOTO | Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay WASHINGTON – US investors including the investment arms of Intel Corp. and Qualcomm Inc. accounted for nearly a fifth of investments…
Philippines grants US greater access to military bases
MANILA – The Philippines has granted the United States expanded access to its military bases, the countries said on Thursday, amid mounting concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the…
North Korea says US drills have pushed situation to ‘extreme red-line’ -KCNA
SEOUL – North Korea‘s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that drills by the United States and its allies have pushed the situation to an “extreme red-line” and threaten to turn the peninsula into a “huge war…
ECB to raise rates again and face questions about future path
REUTERS FRANKFURT – The European Central Bank is set to raise interest rates again on Thursday and pencil in more hikes for the next few months, with the only open question being how big…
Pakistan moves toward deal-or-default endgame
ISLAMABAD/LONDON — Pakistan’s full-blown economic turmoil, from its biggest ever currency devaluation to a rash of emergency spending cuts, offers the clearest sign yet that…
France protests raise pressure against Macron’s pension reform
PARIS — Huge crowds marched across France on Tuesday to say “non” to President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to make people work longer before retirement, with…
‘Hands off Africa,’ Pope Francis tells rich world
KINSHASA — Pope Francis denounced the “poison of greed” driving conflicts in Africa as he began a visit to Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday,…
US readies $2B-plus Ukraine aid package
WASHINGTON — The United States is readying more than $2 billion worth of military aid for Ukraine that is expected to include longer-range rockets for…
Indonesia attracted 5.47 million foreign visitors in 2022
JAKARTA — Indonesia saw 5.47 million foreign visitors in 2022, more than three times than in the previous year and above the government’s target as…
Macau casinos revenue jumps 82.5% in January after visitor surge
HONG KONG — Macau posted an 82.5% year-on-year rise in gambling revenue to 11.6 billion patacas ($1.4 billion) in January, after the world’s biggest gambling…
Wikipedia Middle East editors ban shows risks for creators
BEIRUT, Jan 26 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) — Rights groups have accused the Saudi Arabian government of “infiltrating” and seeking to control Wikipedia, after the Wikimedia Foundation banned…
South Korea slides toward recession as Jan exports plunge
Image by manu zoli from Pixabay SEOUL — South Korea’s economy inched toward its first recession in three years as data on Wednesday showed its January trade deficit…
New Zealand extends cut in fuel excise duty amid inflation woes
Image by Simon from Pixabay SYDNEY — New Zealand will extend the duration of cuts in fuel excise tax and public transport fares until the end of June, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins…
Boeing delivers last 747, saying goodbye to ‘Queen of the Skies’
Image by Andy Choinski from Pixabay SEATTLE — Boeing bid farewell to the iconic 747, delivering the final plane to Atlas Air on Tuesday afternoon and marking an…