LONDON: Britain is looking into the possibility of creating a digital currency that households and businesses could use instead of cash — an initiative the finance minister dubbed “Britcoin”. The use of cash has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic as people try to avoid contact, and several central banks across
MUMBAI, India: Fresh lockdowns and curfews were imposed on tens of millions of people from India to Argentina on Saturday, as Covid-19 infections surged again and vaccine roll-outs were hampered by shortages and scares over side effects. In India, the worst-hit state of Maharashtra was running out of vaccines as
LONDON: Military guns will be fired across Britain and sporting events will fall silent on Saturday as part of worldwide tributes to mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip. Philip, the longest serving royal consort in British history and a constant presence at the queen’s side for
PARIS: Ten years after its launch and two years after it ended, “Game of Thrones” fans have plenty more to look forward to, from TV spinoffs to the long-awaited final books. Waiting for Martin It’s the question that has driven fans of the Iron Throne to despair: when will author
LONDON: Britain’s Prince Philip, a constant presence at Queen Elizabeth II’s side for decades, died on Friday at age 99, Buckingham Palace announced. The death of the Duke of Edinburgh is a profound loss for the 94-year-old monarch, who once described him as her “strength and stay all these years”.
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean blogger said he had crowdfunded almost $100,000 that he was ordered to pay as damages for defaming the prime minister by sharing an article on Facebook. Leong Sze Hian was sued by Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after sharing the piece, which linked Lee to the
NEW DELHI: India’s worst-hit state ramped up its coronavirus restrictions as nationwide the daily infections exceeded 100,000 for the first time on Monday. The country is only the second — after the United States — to record so many new cases in one day. Hopes at the start of the
PARIS: Our weekly roundup of offbeat stories from around the world: Jill the flight attendant Joe Biden was elected to the White House to bring the world a little peace and quiet. But no one told his wife Jill, nor their dog Major. The First Lady is an inveterate prankster,
CAIRO, Egypt: The mummified remains of 22 Egyptian pharaohs, including the most powerful ancient queen, are to be paraded through the streets of Cairo Saturday, in a procession to a new resting place. Under the watchful eyes of security forces, the mummies will be moved seven kilometres (four miles) across
NEW YORK: Three days after testing positive for Covid-19, “everything tasted like cardboard”, recalls 38-year-old Elizabeth Medina, who lost her sense of taste and smell at the start of the pandemic. A year later, she fears she will never get them back. Medina consulted ear, nose and throat doctors and