BUSINESS
– Global equities, bond yields and oil rose as a bounce in China’s tech sector, positive U.S. vaccination news and easing worries about the U.S. tapering stimulus lifted sentiment ahead of a speech later this week by Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
– The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has started to issue new disclosure requirements to Chinese companies seeking to list in New York as part of a push to boost investor awareness of the risks involved.
– South Korea is likely to bar Google and Apple from requiring software developers to use their payment systems, effectively stopping them from charging commissions on in-app purchases, the first such curbs on the tech giants by a major economy.
– Samsung Group plans to invest $206 billion in the next three years to expand its footprint in biopharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics in the post-pandemic era.
– Walmart has launched a delivery service for other merchants throughout the United States, an announcement that comes as goods sellers scramble to secure deliveries ahead of the all-important holiday shopping season.
WORLD
– U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris accused Beijing of coercion and intimidation to back unlawful claims in the South China Sea, her most pointed comments on China during a visit to Southeast Asia which she said was critical to U.S. security.
– Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has agreed to be the ruling political party’s vice presidential candidate in next year’s elections, the PDP-Laban party said, laying the groundwork for the leader to stay in power beyond his term.
– Syrian army units aided by pro-Iranian militias have staged a major assault on an opposition enclave in the southern border city of Deraa in a bid to retake the last opposition stronghold in southern Syria.
– New Zealand recorded its highest increase in COVID-19 cases since April 2020, as authorities warned this current outbreak of the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus was like dealing with a whole new virus.
– The 2020 Paralympic Games will kick off in Tokyo with the opening ceremony as Japan struggles with its worst COVID-19 outbreak so far, record daily cases and an overwhelmed medical system.