The global economy had a rocky year in 2022. As the worst of COVID-19’s effects on public health receded, the war in Ukraine and China’s tough “zero COVID” curbs injected new chaos into global supply chains. Food and energy prices soared as inflation in many economies hit four-decade highs. After a tumultuous year, the global economy heads into 2023 in choppy waters. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine continues to roil food and energy markets, while rising interest rates threaten to smother the still-fragile post-pandemic recovery. On the positive side of the ledger, China’s reopening after three years of…
Author: National Tone
Kim Jong Un’s remarks may mean he will continue to conduct tests and expand military capabilities in the coming year.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unveiled new goals for his country’s military on the second day of a key meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party, which hint at another year of intensive weapons tests and regional tension, state media has reported. On day two of the meeting on Wednesday, Kim reviewed the “newly created challenging situation” on the Korean Peninsula and the broader political landscapes, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Kim also set the direction…
The New York Knicks‘ RJ Barrett is out for the remainder of Tuesday’s game vs. the Dallas Mavericks with a right index finger laceration and will not return, per the team. .acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container width: 340px; margin: 0 auto; The Canadian appeared to hurt his finger just two minutes into the first quarter after driving to the basket before making a pass to Quentin Grimes. New York was already shorthanded ball handlers against Dallas, as Jalen Brunson was ruled out of Tuesday’s contest with a sore right hip. Barrett is currently the second-leading scorer for the Knicks, averaging 20.3 points per…
A United States judge has denied a request to sanction Kari Lake, the Republican candidate in Arizona’s gubernatorial race, over allegations she made questioning the legitimacy of the state election. But on Tuesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson did rule that Lake would be responsible for paying over $33,000 to her rival, Democrat Katie Hobbs, for expenses incurred through expert witnesses and ballot inspections. The decision comes days after Thompson threw out a lawsuit that Lake filed to contest her narrow defeat in November’s race for governor. Hobbs prevailed in that election by about 17,000 votes, in a…
The UN Security Council on Tuesday called for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women and girls in Afghanistan, denouncing a ban by the Taliban-led administration on women attending universities or working for humanitarian aid groups. In a statement agreed by consensus, the 15-member council said the ban on women and girls attending high school and universities in Afghanistan “represents an increasing erosion for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The council added that the ban “would have a significant and immediate impact for humanitarian operations in country”, including those of the United Nations. On Saturday, Afghanistan’s…
George Santos, elected to the US House of Representatives from New York, made false claims about his education and work history.Republican George Santos was elected last month to represent the state of New York in the United States House of Representatives, pitching voters an uplifting personal story that read to many like the embodiment of the American dream. But before being sworn in to his first term, Santos came under scrutiny for allegedly fabricating key elements of his life history. Those details include his education and employment background, his family’s Jewish heritage and a claim that he worked with four…
Emergency crews are ramping up snow-clearing and rescue operations after what has been called the “blizzard of the century” blanketed western New York state, where local officials say an already “heartbreaking” death toll is expected to rise. Byron Brown, the mayor of Buffalo, said on Tuesday that another seven storm-related deaths were recorded, bringing the total in New York’s second largest city to 27. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family members,” Brown wrote on Twitter, adding that police expect the figure to increase. The fierce winter storm pummeled large swathes of the United States over the busy…
Comfort Zone was made to work very hard to justify odds-on favouritism in the Coral Finale Juvenile Hurdle at Chepstow for Joseph O’Brien and Jonjo O’Neill Jr.Paying a handsome compliment to the Willie Mullins-trained Lossiemouth, the current Triumph Hurdle favourite who had him back in third last time out, O’Brien’s charge was a rare winner of the Grade Two event for Ireland. Comfort Zone travelled through the race like much the best horse and until the run to the final flight, those who had backed him at 10-11 will have been feeling confident. Image: Lossiemouth is the current Triumph Hurdle…
“Partners. Allies. Friends.” That is how British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly announced on Twitter that the British government was committing 80 million British pounds ($96m) in funding for Kenya. The funds have been allocated to “give the people of Nairobi an accessible and efficient railway system”, Cleverly said during his recent trip to the country. Now historically, the words “Britain, Kenya, Nairobi and railways”, taken together, do not necessarily evoke memories of partnership and friendship. Quite the opposite. The building of a railway in East Africa that came to be known as the Lunatic Line in the 1890s, right at…
Death and devastation are not the only calling cards COVID-19 will be remembered by. The pandemic has also drastically widened inequalities across the globe over the past three years. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, 131 billionaires more than doubled their net worth during the pandemic. The world’s richest person, Louis Vuitton chief Bernard Arnault, was worth $159bn on December 27, 2022, up by around $60bn compared with early 2020. Elon Musk, the planet’s second-wealthiest man, boasted a $139bn fortune — it was less than $50bn before the pandemic. And India’s Gautam Adani, third on the index, has seen his…