Citigroup Inc staff in the United States who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 by Jan. 14 will be placed on unpaid leave and fired at the end of the month unless they are granted an exemption, according to a company memo seen by Reuters on Friday. The US bank announced its plan to impose new vaccination rules in October and now becomes the first major Wall Street institution to follow through with a strict vaccine mandate. Its move comes as the financial industry grapples with how to bring workers back to offices safely and get back to business as usual at…
Author: Hasnain Abid Khanzada
After limping its way back from the Covid pandemic last year, the global economic recovery has been rattled by the Omicron variant’s rapid rise. The travel industry has been thrown into disarray again, workers have been forced to isolate at home and governments are facing a stark choice between imposing restrictions or letting the economy be. Could the highly-contagious Omicron variant have a severe impact on the recovery? Or will its mild symptoms keep the economy from sinking again? How bad a hit on growth? The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva, warned last month that global…
THE business community is worried over the deepening and widening income/asset disparity in the country as the resulting social and economic discontent may ignite unrest and, in turn, threaten businesses and their future outlook. Business leaders partially blame the elite for the malaise, but hold the government responsible for the growing rich-poor gap. They appreciate the Ehsaas programme but do not believe it can arrest the alarming trend that can inflict a massive blow to an already torn society and the struggling economy. Some business leaders pointed out the under-utilisation of resources in case the disparity persists, compromising the nation’s…
ISLAMABAD: In a major policy move, the government has asked the state-owned entities to come up with a new LNG (liquefied natural gas) terminal in the public sector with dramatic speed to ensure additional gas deliveries by next winter (10 months) to meet a higher energy demand in the country. At a recent meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government blamed the sponsors of two private sector LNG terminals for moving slowly on their projects. Interestingly, private sector investors had been complaining at every forum about non-cooperation from the relevant entities, hampering their final investment decisions. Gas…
The Australian government hit back hard at tennis star Novak Djokovic’s assertion that he was assured entry with a medical exemption from coronavirus vaccine requirements, pointing out in court papers filed on Sunday that no foreigner has a guaranteed right to enter the country. “There is no such thing as an assurance of entry by a non-citizen into Australia. Rather, there are criteria and conditions for entry, and reasons for refusal or cancellation of a visa,” the government said in a filing ahead of a court hearing on the case on Monday. Djokovic, the world number one, is hoping to…
YAOUNDE: The African Cup of Nations opened on Sunday in Cameroon with a burst of colour but also under the shadow of a coronavirus pandemic that is surging again because of the rapid spread of the omicron variant just as the continent’s biggest sports show begins. Dancers wearing red, green, yellow, white and blue costumes gyrated in the middle of the field during the opening ceremony at the newly rebuilt Olembe Stadium in the capital, Yaounde. Some of the performers wore masks in matching colors. The computer-generated image of a giant lion walked across the top of the stadium roof…
SYDNEY: Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime put in commanding performances against Spanish opponents to win their respective singles matches and fire Canada to their maiden ATP Cup title on Sunday. Shapovalov showed plenty of aggression to beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-4, 6-3 in the opening singles rubber to put Canada one win away from winning the $10 million team-based competition. World number 11 Auger-Aliassime then served strongly to take down Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 and give Canada an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie. Canada, the first team in the ATP Cup’s three-year history to have lost…
MELBOURNE: Top-ranked Ash Barty won her second Adelaide International title in three years with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Elena Rybakina on Sunday. Rafael Nadal also added another title to his illustrious career, capturing at least one ATP title for the 19th consecutive year. The top-seeded Nadal beat American Maxime Cressy, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 at Melbourne in one of six tournaments this week ahead of the Australian Open, which begins Jan 17. The Adelaide win improved Barty’s record against top-20 rivals to 17-1 since the beginning of 2021. Barty is scheduled to play the Sydney Tennis Classic next week before…
LONDON: Liverpool came from a goal down to win 4-1 against third-tier Shrewsbury Town in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday, while Tottenham Hotspur beat Morecambe 3-1 after a fighting display in the second half. Liverpool midfielder Fabinho scored twice, including a first-half penalty, while Kaide Gordon and Roberto Firmino also got on the score sheet for the Merseyside club. Shrewsbury’s Daniel Udoh put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute after he slid in Nathanael Ogbeta’s cross to score from close range, but Liverpool winger Gordon found the equaliser seven minutes later with a calm finish.…
CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand promised to bounce back quickly from their first-Test loss to Bangladesh and captain Tom Latham redeemed the pledge with a commanding unbeaten century Sunday on the first day of the second Test. Latham lost the toss for the sixth time while standing in as captain for Kane Williamson and had to bat on a disconcertingly green pitch at Hagley Oval. By stumps he was 186 not out and with the help of a half century to Will Young and Devon Conway, who faced a nervous night on 99 not out, New Zealand was 349-1. “I’m a bit…
