Global News

[ad_1] Early in 2020, on the same day that a frightening new illness officially got the name Covid-19, a team of scientists from the United States and China released critical data showing how quickly the virus was spreading, and who was dying. The study was cited in health warnings around the world and appeared to be a model of international collaboration in a moment of crisis. Within days, though, the researchers quietly withdrew the paper, which was replaced online by a message telling scientists not to cite it. A few observers took note of the peculiar move, but the whole episode quickly faded amid the frenzy of the coronavirus pandemic. What is now clear is that the study was not removed because of faulty research. Instead, it was withdrawn at the direction of Chinese health officials amid a crackdown on science. That effort kicked up a cloud of dust around the dates of early Covid cases, like those reported in the study. “It was so hard to get any information out of China,”

[ad_1] Why tech workers are getting laid off What's driving tech layoffs amid low unemployment 05:31 Amazon will require its corporate employees to return to the office at least three days a week. CEO Andy Jassy announced the policy Friday in a memo to staff . The new policy, which goes in effect May 1, marks a shift from Amazon's current policy of letting leaders determine how their teams work. Many companies have been calling their employees back to the office after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to operate virtually. Last month, Starbucks told its corporate employees to plan to

[ad_1] A political battle is brewing on Capitol Hill with potentially dire economic consequences looming after the U.S. hit the debt limit on Thursday. Lawmakers must reach an agreement to either raise or suspend the debt limit to avoid a credit default, which would mean the government couldn't pay its bills and would default on its debt obligations for the first time ever. Raising the debt limit would increase the amount the U.S. can borrow to meet its spending obligations. Suspending the debt limit means Congress freezes it until a specific date and then, as the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget puts it, "sets an automatic catch-up," so that when that date arrives, the debt ceiling is raised to meet the current level of spending. For instance, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 suspended the debt limit until July 31, 2021, and provided a "catch-up" that raised the debt limit by $6.5 trillion. The Treasury Department on Thursday started u

[ad_1] Comment on this story Comment StarSolid StarSolid StarSolid StarOutline ( 3 stars ) “Air,” Ben Affleck’s funny, moving and surprisingly meaningful tale of how Nike came to create Air Jordan basketball shoes, might have been a real snore. We all know how the story ends, and do we really need a movie that perpetuates yet another David-and-Goliath myth about a world-dominating corporation? Apparently, the answer is yes: Working from a well-judged script by first-time screenwriter Alex Convery and enlisting a superb cast of appealing ensemble players, Affleck has created something that Hollywood has seemed incapable of making in recent years: a smart, entertaining movie that, for all its foregone conclusions and familiar beats, unfolds with the offhand confidence of the most casually impressive layup. The key to any story, especially one the audience already thinks it knows, is choosing the right donkey — the person who will not only lead us through the plot but make us care. E

[ad_1] Comment on this story Comment SEOUL — The 25 million residents of Seoul were — loudly — jolted out of their indifference to the North Korean nuclear threat when air raid sirens blasted out across the South Korean capital around 6:32 a.m. local time Wednesday, warning of a North Korean missile launch. It turned out to be a false alarm — North Korea had fired what it called a space-launch vehicle at around 6:29 a.m. local time from its west coast and over South Korea’s westernmost Baengnyeongdo Island, according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. But the projectile landed in South Korea’s western waters after an “abnormal flight” and before it could launch any object into orbit, according to officials in Seoul and Tokyo. The air raid sirens and the warning for citizens to prepare for potential evacuation turned out to be a “false alert,” the Ministry of Interior and Safety said. Japan also issued an alert in on the southern island of Okinawa for residents to “take shelte

[ad_1] “Peter Pan & Wendy” is a case study in one of the agonies of growing up: the realization that some of the entertainment that tickled us as youngsters — as in the many troubling scenes in Walt Disney’s 1953 animated adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan novel, including the ditty “What Made the Red Man Red?” — have aged as gracefully as its lead character. The filmmaker David Lowery has opted to update it with his own pixie dust: save what’s good, scuttle the rest, and add plenty of spit and polish for a 21st-century shine. Seventy years ago, when Peter Pan whisked Wendy and her siblings to Neverland so she could mother his Lost Boys, he treated her like dirt and she swooned over his heroics. Now, Wendy (a compelling Ever Anderson) decks Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) and seizes the helm of her own story. “I don’t even know if I want to be a mother!” she protests. Lowery is a wise choice for a salvage attempt. He’s gifted at exploring the haunted corners of familiar tales

[ad_1] Dusan Vlahovic's rumoured move to Chelsea looks to be off.  sportinfoto/DeFodi Images via Getty Images The summer transfer window is now open in Europe , and there's plenty of gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals ! TOP STORY: Vlahovic-to-Chelsea deal collapses Chelsea will not proceed with a swap deal for Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic as the Italian club wants €40 million and Romelu Lukaku , per Fabrizio Romano . Editor's Picks 2 Related Romano reports that Lukaku has already agreed terms with Juventus with a three-year deal but it remains in jeopardy with terms between two clubs yet to be agreed. The West London club are reportedly eager to part ways with Lukaku, who is not part of Mauricio Pochettino's plans. The Belgium international spent last season on loan at Internazionale and has garnered little interest outside of Juventus. Chelsea, meanwhile, have been hea