October, 2022

• 25 October

  Covid variants: How worried should we be?

  

  Lisa Jarvis Some rather alarming headlines recently circulated about the newest members of the omicron family. “Nightmare Covid variant,” read one. “The most immune-evasive Covid variants yet.” Or, as one would-be pandemic influencer said in a tweet shared thousands of times: “MOTHER OF GOD… #COVID variants worse than CDC has been admitting.” Apparently, it’s spooky season for Covid variants. Or ...

  Read More »
• 25 October

  Nato’s nuclear war games are a risk it needs to take

  

  James Stavridis This week, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization started a round of exercises of its nuclear capabilities in Western Europe, centered in Belgium and the UK. This comes at a particularly fraught moment in Nato-Russian relations, to say the least, given President Vladimir Putin’s frequent rattling of the nuclear saber over the past six months. Russia is “not bluffing” ...

  Read More »
• 25 October

  Singapore Airlines not to fire pregnant flight attendants

  

  Singapore Airlines Ltd said pregnant cabin crew can remain employees, reversing a longstanding and much-criticised rule that they leave the airline. Responding to a Straits Times article, Singapore Air said pregnant cabin crew “may choose to work in a temporary ground attachment” and can resume flying duties after maternity leave. Before the new rules, which took effect on July 15, ...

  Read More »
• 25 October

  Qantas Airways was 11 weeks from collapse at worst of pandemic: CEO

  

  Qantas Airways Ltd came within 11 weeks of financial collapse at the height of the pandemic when travel came to a standstill and the airline continued to haemorrhage cash, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alan Joyce said. At a lunchtime speech in Sydney on Monday, Joyce said that in early 2020 he was receiving weekly reports from his finance team that ...

  Read More »
• 25 October

  Philippines shuts No 2 airport after Korean Air plane overshoots runway

  

  The second-biggest airport in the Philippines has been closed after a Korean Air Lines Co. plane overshot the runway when trying to land in poor weather. While no one was injured in the incident that occurred, and the 162 passengers on board were safely evacuated, the runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport has been closed to allow the badly damaged ...

  Read More »
• 25 October

  US holiday air travel to be more turbulent than summer’s frenzy

  

  The US travel industry expects this holiday season to be busy enough to make last summer’s turmoil seem orderly. Airport officials and industry analysts say passenger traffic for the November 24 Thanksgiving holiday through New Year’s is set to reach or exceed 2019 levels, when 93 million people packed US flights. This summer, the desire to resume vacationing and visiting ...

  Read More »
• 24 October

  US allies fear Trump whiplash, eye midterms for political clues

  

  America’s closest allies are nervously watching US midterm elections for any signals that voters could return Donald Trump to the White House in two years, with foreign officials fanning out to battleground states for meetings to collect information that might help avoid a 2016-like shock. Officials from Europe and Asia are flying from their home countries to augment the traditional ...

  Read More »
• 24 October

  Korean border tensions heat up with warning shots near sea line

  

  The two Koreas fired warning shots at each near a nautical border after Seoul said a merchant vessel from its neighbor crossed the line, adding to a recent series of provocations along one of the world’s most militarized boundaries. South Korea’s military said it fired warning shots after the North Korean vessel violated the western sea border at 3:42 a.m. ...

  Read More »
• 24 October

  Credit Suisse to pay $234m to settle tax fraud case

  

  Credit Suisse Group AG agreed to pay $234 million to settle a French criminal probe into allegations the bank helped clients stash undeclared funds. The deal brings to an end the investigation into suspicions of laundering of tax fraud proceeds, top financial prosecutor Jean-Francois Bohnert said in court on Monday. Under the terms of the agreement, the Swiss bank makes ...

  Read More »
• 24 October

  Credit strains prompt Seoul to revive $1.1 billion bond fund

  

  South Korea is redoubling efforts to shore up the local credit market as yields surge to decade highs and default risks spread, extending efforts to support markets after the country already stepped in earlier this year to slow a tumbling won. Authorities will swiftly resume buying corporate debt via a 1.6 trillion won ($1.1 billion) bond stabilisation fund established at ...

  Read More »