The Fiji Times

Fast Company’s website shuts after Apple News feed hacked

(Reuters) – U.S. business and media publication Fast Company’s Apple News account was hacked on Tuesday evening, the company said, prompting it to shut down the website. Apple Inc’s Apple News, had also disabled their channel with the Fast Company, the news aggregator app said in a tweet. Hackers sent two “obscene and racist push...

British health officials warn of difficult winter with flu and COVID

LONDON (Reuters) – British health officials on Wednesday warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched National Health Service (NHS). Warnings over a possible “twindemic” of COVID-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start of the...

U.S. VP Harris to push against China’s Taiwan policy in Japan speech

By Trevor Hunnicutt TOKYO (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to take aim at China’s actions toward Taiwan during a speech on Wednesday to American sailors serving in Japan. Harris’ trip to Asia comes days after Chinese officials were roiled by U.S. President Joe Biden’s explicit pledge to defend the Chinese-claimed island....

Apple drops iPhone production increase plans as demand falters – Bloomberg News

(Reuters) – Apple Inc is dropping plans to increase the production of its new iPhones this year after an anticipated surge in demand failed to materialize, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday. Apple did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment. (Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

Disney to shutter Florida theme parks as Hurricane Ian draws near

(Reuters) – Walt Disney Co will close its theme and water parks on Wednesday and Thursday as Hurricane Ian nears the coast of Florida, the company said on Tuesday. Residents of Florida’s Gulf Coast headed for higher ground as the hurricane threatens to bring a deadly storm surge and more than a foot of rain...

No big investiture for William and Kate as new Prince and Princess of Wales

LONDON (Reuters) – British royals William and Kate on Tuesday carried out their first Welsh visit since being made Prince and Princess of Wales following the death of Queen Elizabeth, as a source said there were no plans for them to have a big investiture ceremony. The couple returned to the island of Anglesey off...

Ride-hailing firm Lyft freezes U.S. hiring – New York Post

(Reuters) – Ride-hailing company Lyft Inc is freezing all hiring in the United States until the end of the year, the New York Post reported on Tuesday. The company has started notifying job candidates of the freeze, the report said, citing a statement from the company spokesperson. Lyft did not immediately respond to a Reuters...

Zelenskiy denounces Russian-staged votes; says there will be good news from the front

(Reuters) – President Volodynyr Zelenskiy issued a fresh denunciation on Tuesday of Russian-staged votes in occupied parts of Ukraine approving proposals to become part of Russia, saying they were a “farce” and could never be described as legitimate referendums. “This farce in the occupied territories cannot even be called an imitation of a referendum,” Zelenskiy...

Australia to create national anti-corruption watchdog

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia’s government said on Tuesday it will introduce legislation to create a National Anti-Corruption Commission, after years of debate over the need for an independent watchdog for politicians. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said in a statement the move would “restore trust and integrity in politics”, and funding...

Vietnam braces for Typhoon Noru as Philippines cleans up in its wake

By Phuong Nguyen and Neil Jerome Morales HANOI (Reuters) – Vietnam urged more people on Tuesday to evacuate as an intensifying Typhoon Noru barrelled towards the southeast Asian nation, after causing at least eight deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines. Wind speeds were seen reaching 183 kilometres per hour late on Tuesday, the country’s...

New coins, banknotes, stamps and cypher for Britain’s King Charles

LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will gradually see coins, banknotes and stamps bearing the image of King Charles, while the new monarch’s cypher will also appear on government buildings and red mail pillar boxes, manufacturers and Buckingham Palace announced on Tuesday. As the country begins adapting to its first new head of state for 70 years,...

Australian state to invest $100 million in energy storage in push to cut emissions

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia’s Victoria state said on Tuesday it would invest A$157 million ($102 million) to boost battery energy storage, as it pushes to source half its electricity from wind and solar energy by 2030 and help replace coal-fired generation. With the new investment, Victoria will have 2.6 gigawatts of renewable energy storage capacity...

Oil prices steady on prospect of balancing supply after steep selloff

(Reuters) – Oil steadied in early Asian trade on Tuesday as indications that producer alliance OPEC+ sought to avoid a collapse in prices, along with a slight softening in the U.S. dollar, tempered an earlier selloff. Brent crude futures rose 26 cents, or 0.3%, to $84.32 per barrel by 0033 GMT, while U.S. West Texas...

China reports 968 new COVID cases for Sept 26 vs 999 a day earlier

SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China reported 968 new COVID-19 infections on Sept. 26, of which 245 were symptomatic and 723 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. That compares with 999 new cases a day earlier – 295 symptomatic and 704 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. There were no new deaths, same as...

New cypher for Britain’s King Charles unveiled

LONDON (Reuters) – The new cypher for Britain’s King Charles – the sovereign’s monogram that will appear on government buildings and red mail pillar boxes – has been revealed by Buckingham Palace. The cypher, selected by the new monarch from a series of designs prepared by the College of Arms, consists of the initials ‘C’...

Florida scrambles to prepare as Hurricane Ian churns toward coast

By Shannon Stapleton and Brendan O’Brien TAMPA (Reuters) – Residents across Florida scrambled to place sandbags around their homes and stockpile emergency supplies on Monday, emptying store shelves as Hurricane Ian spun toward the state carrying high winds, torrential rains and a powerful storm surge. Ian’s path toward Florida forced the U.S. space agency NASA...

Ukraine annexation votes to end amid Russian mobilisation exodus

By Tom Balmforth KYIV, Ukraine (Reuters) – Russian-organized referendums that could lead to annexing 15% of Ukraine’s territory were due to end on Tuesday as the Kremlin said it made no decisions on closing its borders as the first mobilisation since World War Two prompted some to flee. Voting in the Ukrainian provinces of Luhansk,...

UK may fine TikTok $29 million for failing to protect children’s privacy

(Reuters) – Britain could fine TikTok 27 million pounds ($28.91 million) following an investigation that found the short-form video app may have breached UK’s data protection law by failing to safeguard privacy of children using the platform. The investigation found that TikTok could have processed data of children under the age of 13 without appropriate...

Australia flags privacy overhaul after huge cyber attack on Optus

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia plans to toughen privacy rules to force companies to notify banks faster when they experience cyber attacks, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday, after hackers targeted the country’s second-largest telecoms firm. Optus, owned by Singapore Telecoms Ltd, said last week that home addresses, drivers’ licences and passport numbers of up...

Storm Fiona batters Canada’s eastern fishery, farms

By Rod Nickel WINNIPEG, Manitoba (Reuters) – Powerful storm Fiona slammed into Canada’s eastern fishing and farm industries over the weekend, smashing wharves, food processing plants and barns that will take months to repair. One of the worst storms Canada has ever faced left more than one-third of customers in the Atlantic province of Nova...

Cubans approve gay marriage by large margin in referendum

By Marc Frank HAVANA (Reuters) – Cubans approved gay marriage and adoption overwhelmingly in a Sunday referendum backed by the government that also boosted rights for women, the national election commission said on Monday. More than 3.9 million voters voted to ratify the code (66.9%), while 1.95 million opposed ratification (33%), Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, president...

Aston Martin stunt car, Daniel Craig costumes star at James Bond auction

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian LONDON (Reuters) – From an Aston Martin DB5 stunt car to costumes worn by Daniel Craig in “No Time to Die”, an array of James Bond props and memorabilia are being offered at a charity auction soon as the film franchise celebrates 60 years. The two-part sale will be held as a...

Young Black designer dresses Colombian vice-president in ‘resistance’ fashion

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Esteban Sinisterra, a young Black fashion designer from Colombia’s largely-poor Pacific region, is dressing Vice-President Francia Marquez – the first Afro-Colombian woman to hold the post – in what he calls “resistance” fashion. Sinisterra, whose colorful patterned dresses for Marquez have drawn international attention, grew up in the municipality of Santa Barbara...

Reaction at home and abroad to Italian election outcome

ROME (Reuters) – Giorgia Meloni looks set to become Italy’s first woman prime minister at the head of its most right-wing government since World War Two after leading a conservative alliance to triumph at Sunday’s election. Following is some of the initial reaction. International reaction: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter: “Following yesterday’s...

Italy’s parliamentary seats – YouTrend projection

ROME (Reuters) – A coalition of right-wing parties was projected to have won Italy’s parliamentary election. There is not yet a definitive breakdown of parliamentary seats. The following is a projection by YouTrend of the distribution of seats in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate based on instant polls. Definitive results are expected...

Japan bans chemical weapons-related goods to Russia, concerned by nuke threats

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan has decided to ban exports of chemical weapons-related goods to Russia in an additional sanction against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, and is “deeply concerned” about the possible use of nuclear weapons, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. Japan also added 21 Russian organisations such as science labs...

Prominent Chinese commentator urges COVID experts to ‘speak out’

BEIJING (Reuters) – Prominent Chinese commentator Hu Xijin said on Sunday that as China ponders its COVID-19 policies, epidemic experts need to speak out and China ought to conduct comprehensive research and make any studies transparent to the public. Hu’s unusual call on Chinese social media for candour and transparency earned him 34,000 likes on...

U.S. VP Harris, Japan PM Kishida to discuss Taiwan security issue

ABOARD AIR FORCE TWO (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will discuss a partnership on Taiwan security issues, a senior U.S. administration official said on Monday aboard Air Force Two. The official also told reporters that Washington welcomes Japan’s increased military strength and security role. Harris is set...

New Zealand marks Queen Elizabeth’s passing on national day of mourning

SYDNEY (Reuters) – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern led a state memorial service for Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, saying the Pacific nation has had “a deep connection” with her as New Zealand paid tribute to the late monarch. Hundreds watched the state memorial service outdoors on the screens set on the Parliament grounds in Wellington,...

World

Why no news may be good news for China-watching investors