US intel chiefs say China likely to press Taiwan and seek to undercut US | CNN Politics

US intel chiefs say China likely to press Taiwan and seek to undercut US | CNN Politics

CNN  —  US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told Congress Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to press Taiwan and try to undercut US influence in the coming years as he begins a third term as president. While Beijing has stepped up its public criticism of the US, Haines told the Senate … Read more

New Zealand Education Minister Chris Hipkins bids to replace Jacinda Ardern as PM | CNN

New Zealand Education Minister Chris Hipkins bids to replace Jacinda Ardern as PM | CNN

CNN  —  Chris Hipkins, New Zealand’s education minister, is bidding to replace Jacinda Ardern as prime minister, after her shock resignation announcement earlier this week. Hipkins emerged as the only candidate to be nominated for the leadership of the ruling Labour party on Saturday morning. The Labour Party caucus is due to meet on Sunday … Read more

Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to same level as seasonal flu | CNN

Japan considers downgrading Covid-19 to same level as seasonal flu | CNN

Tokyo CNN  —  Japan will consider downgrading Covid-19 to the same category as seasonal influenza this spring, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced Friday. Kishida said he had instructed Health Ministry officials to discuss the move and his administration would also review rules on face masks and other pandemic measures. “In order to further advance the … Read more

Investment MoUs worth Rs 88,420 crore in Maharashtra inked in Davos so far

Investment MoUs worth Rs 88,420 crore in Maharashtra inked in Davos so far

Agreements for investment commitments worth Rs 88,420 crore in Maharashtra have been signed so far at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos in Switzerland, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said on Tuesday. Investment agreements worth Rs 42,520 crore were signed on Tuesday, the second day of the meeting in the Swiss … Read more

China will end Covid restrictions and quarantining for international travelers | CNN Business

China will end Covid restrictions and quarantining for international travelers | CNN Business

New York CNN  —  China will drop quarantine requirements for all passengers arriving from outside of the country’s borders starting on January 8, 2023, its top health authority announced Monday. The country will also scrap all other restrictive Covid measures for travelers, including quarantines for positive patients and contact tracing. Authorities said the new policy … Read more

India on alert for new variants as Covid wave sweeps China | CNN

India on alert for new variants as Covid wave sweeps China | CNN

New Delhi CNN  —  India’s health minister has advised the public to take precautions against Covid-19, including getting vaccinated and wearing masks, as the country remains on alert for potential new variants that could emerge from the wave of infections sweeping neighboring China. Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday told Parliament that India would begin … Read more

Opinion: Life in zero-Covid China is becoming intolerable | CNN

Opinion: Life in zero-Covid China is becoming intolerable | CNN

Editor’s Note: Matthew Bossons is managing editor of the Shanghai-based online publication Radii. He has lived in China since 2014. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN. Shanghai CNN  —  In the lead-up to China’s Communist Party Congress last month, watercooler chatter in many offices here focused on … Read more

Under Xi Jinping, zero-Covid is accelerating China’s surveillance state | CNN

Under Xi Jinping, zero-Covid is accelerating China’s surveillance state | CNN

Hong Kong CNN  —  As a new, deadly virus overtook the central city of Wuhan and spread throughout China in early 2020, the country’s ruling Communist Party and its leader Xi Jinping were faced with a crisis on a scale not seen in decades. In Wuhan, there was chaos. The city shut itself off from … Read more

‘O’zapft is!’: Germany’s Oktoberfest reopens after 2-year hiatus

‘O’zapft is!’: Germany’s Oktoberfest reopens after 2-year hiatus

People raise their beer glasses in a beer tent at the Oktoberfest beer festival in Munich, Germany. Image for representational purposes only. | Photo Credit: AFP The beer is flowing at Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest for the first time since 2019. With three knocks of a hammer and the traditional cry of “O’zapft is!” — “It’s … Read more

Have ‘Zoom Fatigue?’ Study Finds Way to Lessen It

Have ‘Zoom Fatigue?’ Study Finds Way to Lessen It

Aug. 18, 2022 – Making eye contact and picking up on subtle nonverbal cues that show that someone is listening is nearly impossible on a crowded video conference call. It’s hard to know if others on the call are listening or engaged, especially if they have their video turned off. That lack of social connection … Read more