JAKARTA : Indonesia’s parliament is expected to pass a bill this week that will allow former politicians to head Bank Indonesia (BI), the central bank, and expand its mandate to include supporting economic growth, moves that critics say could weaken its independence. The parliamentary commission overseeing the legislation, called the […]
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HONG KONG : China is working on a more than 1 trillion yuan ($143 billion) support package for its semiconductor industry, three sources said, in a major step towards self sufficiency in chips and to counter U.S. moves aimed at slowing its technological advances. Beijing plans to roll out one […]
James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water will release in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam on December 16, 2022. American filmmaker James Cameron will not be attending the premiere of his highly anticipated film Avatar: The Way of Water in Los Angeles as he has tested positive for […]
DUBAI : Saudi Arabia and China have signed memorandums of understanding on hydrogen energy and the encouragement of direct investment between the two states, state news agency (SPA) said on Thursday, during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh. Xi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman […]
MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin said yesterday that nuclear tensions were rising, though he insisted “we have not gone crazy” and Moscow would not be the first to deploy atomic weapons in the Ukraine conflict. Speaking more than nine months after his forces launched their military operation, Putin warned the […]
LONDON : Former England batsman Gary Ballance has been released from his contract with county side Yorkshire two years early, the club said on Thursday. The 33-year-old Zimbabwe-born player has spent a year on the sidelines while dealing with mental health issues. Yorkshire said Ballance, who had asked to be […]
TOKYO : BYD Co’s Japanese division said on Monday it would start selling its first battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in the country early next year, as the world’s largest EV maker further steps up its plan to either sell or make its cars available across major markets. China’s BYD, in […]
WELLINGTON: The New Zealand government said on Monday it would launch an inquiry into the country’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic so future governments could learn from the experience. A Royal Commission, a public inquiry of the highest level in New Zealand, would look at the overall response, the government […]
THE HAGUE: While Ukraine and the West dream of a tribunal that could put Vladimir Putin in the dock for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, experts warn such a court would face formidable challenges. The EU on Wednesday proposed a “specialised court” backed by the UN to prosecute Russia’s “crime of […]
BEIJING: A patchwork easing of the world’s toughest Covid-19 curbs sowed confusion across China on Monday, spurring hopes for more clarity as officials shift tone on the dangers posed by the coronavirus in the wake of last month’s unprecedented protests. Three years into the pandemic, China’s zero-tolerance measures, from shutting […]